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NOVA-Antiques is the Mid Atlantic website for all things antique and collectible. Our website features antique & collectibles dealers, shops & malls; Flea Market Directory & Reviews; Monthly Antiques Show Calendar; Estate & Tag Sales Page; and our NOVA-Antiques Newsletter, which contains news, articles and information about the antiques & collectibles market. NOVA-Antiques Blog is an extension of our Newsletters.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Jim Beam Collectible Decanters & Bottles

Jim Beam, the prominent liquor company from Clermont, Kentucky, first introduced their liquor decanters in 1955. Beam was the first to introduce the decanters but many companies followed their lead in the mid-1970’s as the decanters became more and more popular with collectors. Eventually, there were more than 20 companies, including Dewer, Canadian Mist and Beef Eaters, producing decanters, but Beam was one of the few companies that owned their own china factory and were deep into making their own decanters. However, decanters are not the only things people are collecting.

Early Jim Beam bottles are also collectible; just ask one of the more than 5000 members of the International Jim Beam Bottle & Specialty Club (IJBBSC), of which there are over 150. Whether its bottle or decanter collecting, one thing they both have in common is the variety of the collectibles. Jim Beam bottles were made in different styles and shapes depending on the year that they were produced. Accordingly, Jim Beam decanters also are very different with over 1000 different decanters being made in all shapes, sizes and decorated in many styles, including classic cars, political, a rare Norman Rockwell collector’s series and sports and wildlife decanters.

Although the price of Jim Beam liquor decanters has been slipping over the past few years, prices can vary greatly depending on the bottle and the year that the bottle was made. The decanters can range in price from a few dollars for the most common to hundreds of dollars for the rarer decanters. A Corvette Jim Beam Decanter like the one pictured on the right usually sells from $150 - $200. Although the decanters are not being produced in mass quantities anymore, each year limited edition decanters are issued and serious collectors look forward to picking those up quickly.

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