Collectors preserve local history while having fun

by Dan Holland

For Broadview Heights resident Rodger Brane, a hobby that began in the mid-1970s has become a mission to educate others on a segment of Cleveland history.

“Our group considers ourselves to be a traveling brewery history museum,” said Brane, who is president of the Lake Erie chapter of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America. “The BCCA itself is a non-profit organization and we try to promote and preserve brewery history.”

The group was originally founded in Fenton, Missouri in 1970 as Beer Can Collectors of America. The name was changed to its present title in 2003.

Brane, who began his collection in 1975, has amassed more than 15,000 cans and other collectibles associated with the brewing industry over the years. He has a particular affinity for items that chronicle the history of the Cleveland brewing industry.

Most major cities have a unique history in the brewing industry, according to Brane.

“Back before refrigeration and the interstate system existed, every [major] city had multiple local breweries,” he explained. “Cleveland in particular had an outstanding wealth of breweries. I kind of specialize in Cleveland brewery history; it’s like you root for the home team.”

The organization, which has chapters all over the country, including four in Ohio, hosts an annual CANvention for members and the general public; an event that was held in Cleveland in 2017, according to Brane. In addition to this, chapters hold several regional shows per year.

Broadview Heights collector Brian Averell considers himself a “generalist” who specializes in steel beer cans from the 1950s through the 1970s. He began a collection in the late 1990s when a friend’s father shared part of a collection with him.

“You can build yourself a nice collection very cost effectively as I have,” he said. “It can be a very cost-effective hobby if you want it to be, or you can go to a show and pay $3,000 for one can if you want to. But those items are very rare and far between.”

The hobby, known as breweriana, draws a diversity of collections and collectors, added Averell.

“There’s not just one type of person who gravitates toward it,” he said. “When you go to these shows, you have people from all walks of life and different backgrounds, and everyone is there to kind of marvel over the same things and just have fun.”

Brane’s Lake Erie chapter, which counts 125 members, will co-sponsor a BCCA Great Lakes show along with the Buckeye and Michigan chapters Oct. 8-9 at the Quality Inn and Suites located at 4742 Brecksville Road in Richfield.

The group will be reserving the public areas of the facility for major displays.

“We generally have about 30 spotlight collectors at the shows, and we know everyone in the groups,” said Brane. “But we’re always looking for new people to join, and we’ll give them a tour of the collections and tell the history behind them.”

Smaller “pop-up” shows are often held at local microbreweries, according to Brane.

“We’ve had shows all over the Cleveland area,” he said. “We move the shows around and try to bring the preservation and promotion of a traveling brewery museum idea to the people.”

The hobby has seen a resurgence in interest in recent years, said Brane.

“One neat thing about the hobby is that you can get in at any price level,” he explained. “We have young people who go to craft breweries, and they just want to simply save a coaster from every craft brewery they visit. It’s accessible to everyone.”

Brane stressed that shows are free and open to the public.

“I think [visitors will] gain an appreciation for how many different brewery products there are, and learn the history behind them,” he said. “People come to a show, and before they know it, it grabs hold of them and they find themselves collecting this stuff too.” ∞