Every item in this auction comes from the remarkable lifelong collection of Charles Vick, one of the hobby's best-known collectors. Proceeds will help Charlie replace the van that has kept him homebound since January, allowing him to return to the breweriana shows and flea markets he has attended for more than 50 years.
Many of you know Charles. He's one of fewer than 100 active three-digit BCCA members (#717) still involved in the hobby. In January, Charlie's van broke down, leaving him largely homebound for the past six months. Proceeds from this auction will help cover his expenses and, we hope, put him behind the wheel of a new van so he can get back to doing what he loves: attending breweriana shows and hunting flea markets.

Since the early 1970s, Charlie's job delivering phone books took him to every corner of the country. Whenever he had downtime, he was in an antique shop, at a flea market, or setting up at a beer show. He collected anything that caught his eye—not just breweriana—and over the decades he filled his home as well as two 20-foot storage units with treasures. This auction has barely scratched the surface.

For more than 50 years, Charlie has been a fixture at breweriana shows. You always know when you've found his room. It commands your attention and keeps you there. Charlie himself sits quietly in the corner with a slight smile, letting his inventory do the talking. The strangest, most intriguing pieces are always front and center. The conversation usually begins with, "What the heck is this?" followed by a laugh. Then Charlie reaches under the table and pulls out the latest binder he's assembled, filled with pre-Prohibition brewery letterheads or some other fascinating specialty, and before long you're happily peeling $20 bills out of your wallet. A dedicated shopper could spend hours in Charlie's room.

This auction features not only a cross-section of Charlie's vast inventory, but also his world-class soda label collection, his impressive porcelain bottle stopper collection, and dozens of beer and brewery books, including several rare early hand-bound collector guides.

We hope you'll find a few treasures among this wonderfully eclectic assortment and place a bid to help Charlie get back on the road and back to the shows and flea markets he loves. Good luck, and thank you for your support!