MONROE - Among collectors of beer and brewery memorabilia, the names of Herb and Helen Haydock pop up all over the world.
Wintering for six months in Costa Rica and returning to their hometown of Wisconsin Rapids for two to three months, the couple will now make frequent summer visits to Monroe for the express purpose to taking care of their extensive collection, now on display at the Minhas Craft Brewery Tour Center and Museum.
"Oh, this is only half of it," said Helen. "They didn't realize how much we had."
Foremost collectors of breweriana, Herb and Helen were busy Friday at the museum, putting some finishing touches on the new micro-brewery display room, before the grand opening which starts today at noon.
The collection includes hundreds of brewery advertising artifacts. A gallery room holds lithographs and prints from the mid-1800 era to the 1950s and 60s. A lower-floor room holds collections of model cars, trucks and trains, tap handles, and growlers from around the world.
Herb wouldn't say which collectible was his favorite. A favorite collectable is like a favorite beer, he said. "Everyone has their own."
But Helen was quick to point out advertising posters and calendars with the children depicted. "Those are my favorites," she admitted.
Herb and Helen have authored two books on beer memorabilia. "The World of Beer" and "Beer Advertising Memorabilia" offer a brief history of breweries, along with full-color pictures of individual items in their collection.
Helen pulled one of the books out as she explained "The Best Tonic" advertising campaign poster. Just above the poster on display in the gallery sets the real bottle of "The Best Tonic," now empty.
The book's photo looks very similar the large poster in its unique frame, but devoid of the advertising.
"If you saved the coupons (from the bottle label), they sent you a picture, like this, of Mrs. Grover Cleveland," Helen said pointing at the book.
Herb started collecting beer memorabilia in 1951, with eight beer glasses he bought while stationed with the U.S. Air Force in Munich, Germany. Helen, a teetotaler, married him in 1954.
Herb said she has tasted beer only once, when she accidentally took a drink from her water bottle, which he had filled with some leftover beer to save.
"Well, I didn't drink it, I spit that out," she said.
The Haydocks belong to numerous beer memorabilia associations, located in and outside the United States, such as Canada, Germany, England, Belgium, Italy, Lithuania, Australia, Argentina.
Herb was one of the co-founders, and now serves as a director emeritus on the board, of the National Association of Breweriana Advertising. The term "breweriana" first appeared with the 1972 formation of NABA.
"Breweriana was coined by one of the NABA members," said Helen.
The Haydocks held the largest private collection of beer memorabilia, which was eventually purchased by The Miller Brewing Company in 1996. In that collection were 150,000 beer labels.
Their second collection, assembled between 1987 and 1996, is housed at the Oldenberg Brewery, a micro-brewery and entertainment complex in Ft. Michell, Ky.
Their third beer and brewery antiques collection is now on display, perhaps appropriately, at the second-oldest brewery in America, Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe.
The Haydocks will be on hand this weekend for the grand opening of the Herb and Helen Haydock World of Beer Memorabilia Museum.
The grand opening is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum, located at 1208 14th Ave., is free and open to the public.
Wintering for six months in Costa Rica and returning to their hometown of Wisconsin Rapids for two to three months, the couple will now make frequent summer visits to Monroe for the express purpose to taking care of their extensive collection, now on display at the Minhas Craft Brewery Tour Center and Museum.
"Oh, this is only half of it," said Helen. "They didn't realize how much we had."
Foremost collectors of breweriana, Herb and Helen were busy Friday at the museum, putting some finishing touches on the new micro-brewery display room, before the grand opening which starts today at noon.
The collection includes hundreds of brewery advertising artifacts. A gallery room holds lithographs and prints from the mid-1800 era to the 1950s and 60s. A lower-floor room holds collections of model cars, trucks and trains, tap handles, and growlers from around the world.
Herb wouldn't say which collectible was his favorite. A favorite collectable is like a favorite beer, he said. "Everyone has their own."
But Helen was quick to point out advertising posters and calendars with the children depicted. "Those are my favorites," she admitted.
Herb and Helen have authored two books on beer memorabilia. "The World of Beer" and "Beer Advertising Memorabilia" offer a brief history of breweries, along with full-color pictures of individual items in their collection.
Helen pulled one of the books out as she explained "The Best Tonic" advertising campaign poster. Just above the poster on display in the gallery sets the real bottle of "The Best Tonic," now empty.
The book's photo looks very similar the large poster in its unique frame, but devoid of the advertising.
"If you saved the coupons (from the bottle label), they sent you a picture, like this, of Mrs. Grover Cleveland," Helen said pointing at the book.
Herb started collecting beer memorabilia in 1951, with eight beer glasses he bought while stationed with the U.S. Air Force in Munich, Germany. Helen, a teetotaler, married him in 1954.
Herb said she has tasted beer only once, when she accidentally took a drink from her water bottle, which he had filled with some leftover beer to save.
"Well, I didn't drink it, I spit that out," she said.
The Haydocks belong to numerous beer memorabilia associations, located in and outside the United States, such as Canada, Germany, England, Belgium, Italy, Lithuania, Australia, Argentina.
Herb was one of the co-founders, and now serves as a director emeritus on the board, of the National Association of Breweriana Advertising. The term "breweriana" first appeared with the 1972 formation of NABA.
"Breweriana was coined by one of the NABA members," said Helen.
The Haydocks held the largest private collection of beer memorabilia, which was eventually purchased by The Miller Brewing Company in 1996. In that collection were 150,000 beer labels.
Their second collection, assembled between 1987 and 1996, is housed at the Oldenberg Brewery, a micro-brewery and entertainment complex in Ft. Michell, Ky.
Their third beer and brewery antiques collection is now on display, perhaps appropriately, at the second-oldest brewery in America, Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe.
The Haydocks will be on hand this weekend for the grand opening of the Herb and Helen Haydock World of Beer Memorabilia Museum.
The grand opening is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum, located at 1208 14th Ave., is free and open to the public.