[majorvices]

Have to wonder how this guy acquired so many ~"$2" tap handles (buy it now cost plus shipping).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Beer-Tap-Handle-Lot-42-Taps-/251832334716?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa260797c

I'd assume each of those tap handles cost the brewery an average of $20 if not more. We sell our hanldes to the distributor so the distro usually wants them back.

[bluesman]

That's a nice collection of tap handles.  Lots of time and money there.  Maybe it was an old hobby, but who knows.

[Thirsty_Monk]

Distributors started to charge deposit fee on them. I lost couple and friend of mine bought one of them on eBay.

Sometimes these tap handles are coming from manufacturer as overruns.

[majorvices]

Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but I've also had people tell me they "have one of my tap handles" a couple times before when I'm positive we didn't sell them one. Which means they probably got it from a bar tender who probably also didn't know any better.

[klickitat jim]

Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but I've also had people tell me they "have one of my tap handles" a couple times before when I'm positive we didn't sell them one. Which means they probably got it from a bar tender who probably also didn't know any better.

Or they are lying

[MDixon]

I've never seen anyone steal a tap handle, but I've been to plenty of bars which have them just lying around after the keg blew and they changed out the handle. What happens when a place goes out of business? Does anyone go pick up the handles?

Most of those in that ebay are dupes which leads me to believe they came out of a bar with dual tap stations which went out of business.

I have a few handles I got on ebay, but I never use them. That reminds me I should sell my Nitro tap head, I'm never going to set that up at home.

[boulderbrewer]

We were going to get fancy ones but went with the cheaper "pub" style ones and we are still over $30 each.

[a10t2]

What happens when a place goes out of business? Does anyone go pick up the handles?

That's my guess. Except for the nationals it seems to be mostly Northeast breweries.

We were going to get fancy ones but went with the cheaper "pub" style ones and we are still over $30 each.

I have a friend who's 3D-printing ours out of solid billets of aluminum for not much more than that. If his printer can manage it they're going to have a captive ball, which I'm irrationally excited about.

[69franx]

After 25+ years in the restaurant business, I have quite a few tap handles sitting in a box in The basement. Not one of my distributors in 8 different Ohio counties ever asked for one back. Several of those distros  worked on rotating tap basis with me for years on end: new draft equaled new handle every 2 weeks, or 2 months, how ever long it took. I actually would ask the reps when I switched locations, and still none wanted them back. After use, they occasionally would have a worn look, but were obviously still functional. Not sure if that was how this collection came about, but I sold probably $200 worth on ebay years ago when between jobs. Never an intention on my part to "get one over" on a brewer or distro  rep, they just take up space in the liquor closet and eventually would get tossed or taken home by someone.

[Jimmy K]

Distributors provide a lot of promotional stuff to bars and probably view tap handles the same. I have a few things that I got while at a bar - the distributor came in and gave the bartenders a bunch of new stuff. The old stuff, perfectly functional, was going to get thrown away so I asked if I could have it.

And think about it ... A customer cares enough about their brands enough to put up advertising in their home .... They're not going to try very hard to end that.

[majorvices]

Distributors provide a lot of promotional stuff to bars and probably view tap handles the same. I have a few things that I got while at a bar - the distributor came in and gave the bartenders a bunch of new stuff. The old stuff, perfectly functional, was going to get thrown away so I asked if I could have it.

And think about it ... A customer cares enough about their brands enough to put up advertising in their home .... They're not going to try very hard to end that.

Keep in mind, we sell our tap handles to our distributor for $40 a piece. Maybe they aren't as eager to look at tap handles as promo material. I have a really hard time believing a stash of tap handles as big as the one I posted was collected honestly.

[69franx]

Keith, I have never been on your side of the equation, but I will say again. That in 25+ years I never had one sales rep (distributor or brewery) ask for tap handles back or accept them when I offered. "Hey, xyz brew is re-brandung, here's the new handle they want you to use" was usually followed by throw the old one away or whatever you would like to do with it. I consider myself an honest person and have no guilt about the 50+ handles that have been sitting in my basement here for 3.5 years after my move away from restaurants

[majorvices]

Keith, I have never been on your side of the equation, but I will say again. That in 25+ years I never had one sales rep (distributor or brewery) ask for tap handles back or accept them when I offered. "Hey, xyz brew is re-brandung, here's the new handle they want you to use" was usually followed by throw the old one away or whatever you would like to do with it. I consider myself an honest person and have no guilt about the 50+ handles that have been sitting in my basement here for 3.5 years after my move away from restaurants

Since we sell them I don't really care what happens to them. Glad the distributors don't care about them either. I'm happy to sell them more. We actually make a small profit.

[69franx]

And I was wrong, after selling some and giving away several, here is what is left: 31 handles, most repeats and very few that are special, coors light, killians, amber bock, etc

[majorvices]

And I was wrong, after selling some and giving away several, here is what is left: 31 handles, most repeats and very few that are special, coors light, killians, amber bock, etc

I guess I'm not in on it at the restaurant side. I may be misunderstanding the whole gig.