Love to Have a Beer with Dave Hugo
BY DI SNEDDON
Despite owning more than 7,500 beer cans and beer and bar memorabilia, Dave Hugo says his collection is small in comparison.
Enthusiastic collectors have more than 20,000 items and some will be showcased at the National Beer Can Collectors Rally at Singleton Showground in May. While this is specifically a trading opportunity for members of the Australian Beer Can Collectors Association and not completely open to the public, there is an opportunity for interested people to visit the show between 11am and 2pm on Sunday, May 21.
Local coal miner, Dave, will be among the 62 collectors making their way to Singleton for the event where members trade, talk and socialise.
“There are about 230 members, and we have a trading event in a different State each year and collectors from all over Australia and overseas come along,” Dave told The Hunter River Times.
Dave started his own collection when he was about 18 after purchasing a carton of South Australian beer while on holidays. This was a time, quite a few years ago, when you could only buy beer made in that State. After consumption, he displayed the cans and then received a gift of a six pack of Scottish Beer, and these too were put on display and the collection grew from there.
Much to Dave’s wife’s objection, Dave filled the top cupboards in the kitchen with the cans, joined the Association in 1979 and his display now features not only cans but all types of beer memorabilia from bar taps, signs, bar lights, you name it, and it has its own special display room.
Asked if the cans are worth more full or empty, and Dave revealed that rarely are the cans full.
“To be honest, you can’t display full cans, the weight adds up when you have up to 70 cans displayed on a wall,” Dave said.
The rally will see collectors trade and swap cans and interestingly, one of the most valuable and sort after is an AFL series featuring top players produced back in the 1970s.
There are only about eight full collections in Australia, and they can fetch up to $200 a can.
So how does one’s wife get revenge on her beer can collecting husband? You will be very satisfied to hear that Dave’s wife, Jan, is the owner of one of the largest collections of Royal memorabilia in Australia.