Summer is the time for outdoor activities, grilling, beach enjoyment, and farm work. It’s also a time when various soft drinks are consumed, whether from cans, plastic bottles, or glass bottles. Why not make entertainment more interesting by turning it into a fascinating collecting hobby and start collecting bottle caps? SAFE offers specialized solutions for this purpose.
If this idea seems initially absurd, think again. It would be interesting to measure your summer in a different and slightly more original way than just through captured photos. How much have you consumed? What have you consumed? Where have you consumed it? What is being consumed? These are some questions that, in addition to their statistical value, can also have a completely practical outcome, such as self-discipline and consumption habits. If you end up with a bucketful of beer caps by the end of the summer, it can serve as a clear signal.
What could be the different themes and arguments for collecting bottle caps? Here are a few examples, but as with any collection, the end result and chosen theme depend solely on the collector themselves.
- Collecting bottle caps from public places you visit during summer outings has been one of the most intriguing and attractive reasons for me to engage in bottle cap collecting. I often gather bottle caps from the sandy shores of my local lake, and over time, the idea emerged to compile a collection representing the entire range of beverages people consume at the beach. Such a collection would serve as both a warning and simply be interesting to observe. Additionally, this type of collecting also contributes to keeping the beach area clean.
- Different soft drinks consumed throughout the summer provide another good reason for collecting bottle caps. It allows me to track what I have ultimately consumed. Estonia may be small, but the world is interconnected. Where have I been, what and where have I consumed? In addition, the colorful bottle caps evoke beautiful memories and provide aesthetic enjoyment in the future.
- Collecting different flavors and preserving them through bottle caps can be a great incentive to start collecting. The choice of themes is wide-ranging here as well. Non-alcoholic beers, alcoholic beers, just beers, ciders, soft drinks, etc. My collection starts with the bottle caps of non-alcoholic beers that I consume during the summer.
- A brand-based bottle cap collection allows for gathering caps from various beverage producers. The goal can be to collect a large number of caps from different manufacturers or the caps from different drink brands of a single producer. The theme can also be expanded to different countries.
- Bottle caps with historical value may no longer be a summer-specific collecting theme, but it can be pursued when summer collecting becomes saturated, and bottle caps become a passion.
- Collecting as an individual or as a family. Why not make bottle cap collecting a summer goal for the whole family? Collecting together helps keep costs under control by sharing them among a larger group of collectors. It can also serve as a means to discipline a family member whose passion for collecting might otherwise get out of hand. The result can be more grandiose and colorful. Why not turn the collection into a small internal competition? Whose collection has the most bottle caps from different consumed soft drinks by the end of summer?
There are likely more topics, but the list is sufficient to get started. Where one goes from here is a question of individual imagination and possibilities. Collecting bottle caps has the advantage of minimal costs for the hobby, at least in the beginning. Instead of an album, they can be collected in a glass jar or a tin box, which makes this hobby accessible for children as well.
SAFE offers various collection solutions for bottle cap collectors.
- Perhaps the most common and traditional solution is an album designed specifically for bottle caps with matching sheets. One sheet holds 42 bottle caps and they can be bought in a pack of two. The advantages of such a collection solution are undoubtedly the thematic appearance, compactness and a good price-capacity ratio. Link to album and extra sheets.
- For a smaller (and/or more representative) collection of bottle caps, it is worth considering the NOVA coin tray. For example, the NOVA article 6330 can hold 30 coins with a diameter of 30 mm, making it ideal for collecting bottle caps! The trays can be purchased individually but can be stacked on top of each other for space-saving storage. Stacked trays form a compact system, and the trays retain their extendability. As the trays accumulate, it is possible to purchase a special case that can hold 8 trays. Here is a link to the product.
- From there, coin cases with suitable coin sheets come into play. For example, there are separate coin trays available for coins with a diameter of up to 33 mm. These trays can also accommodate bottle caps. It is possible to separately purchase a protective cover for the tray, which prevents the coin/cap from falling out and allows you to showcase your collection to friends. Here are the links to the case and coin sheet.
- As a very simple and affordable solution, there is a plastic collection box with an adjustable tray size or a display case with a transparent acrylic cover and an aluminum frame. Here are the links to the collection box and display cases.
- And if you have the desire to present your collection in a more representative way, an exhibition frame is the perfect choice. They are available in different sizes, with black or white frames, and their silicone membranes can withstand the serrated edge of bottle caps. Here is the link to the product.
Why not start collecting this summer? Start slowly and see where your interest takes you. You have nothing to lose, but your summer will certainly become more interesting. And for the next summer, you can choose a completely new field or continue with the existing one, creating a comparison for yourself over the years.
