I started collecting beer cans in the mid to late 70's. It can be a very fun and interesting hobby. One may pick a theme to collect. For example, if sports were your theme, you might look for one of the many Pittsburgh Steelers cans from the Pittsburgh Brewing Co. Your theme could also be animals, women, or nearly anything else one may imagine. One may also decide to collect either U.S. beer cans or cans from other countries. Australia has Fosters Lager while Japan has Asahi. The fun never ends. Beer can values depend on a few different things. One of these is the overall condition of the can. Older steel cans may have some rust or scratches. How this affects the value of the can depends on the age and scarcity of the can. Flat top cans are cans with no pull tab openings on top. They had to be opened with a can opener. These are nice to get a hold of. They are hard to find and do cost more. However, this can would compliment any collection nicely. Even rarer is the cone top can. These were cans with a top that took a bottle cap. These are usually rusty due to age. Get one if you can. These are very hard to find in great shape. Another deciding factor is just how common the can is. If you can buy it in the store today, it won't be as valuable as one not sold since 1986 for example. A Complete special series may increase the value considerably. One Schmidt Outdoor Scene can will not be as impressive as a complete set of 21 different scenes.Another thing that can increase the value of a can is if it is full or empty. If it is empty, a pull tab can opened from the bottom ais worth more than one with the tab missing. the full one would be the best bet. Most of this is just common sense. Research your can types. Learn as much as you can to make it more interesting fun and possibly profitable. As with any collection, do it for fun and enjoy it. Profits may come later but the fun will always last. I hope this guide helps you enjoy collecting a little more. JUST HAVE FUN!!!