Q: My wife received a German beer stein from my dad when he died. It pictures warriors fighting and has German words around the top. It’s 11 1/2 inches tall and is marked on the bottom with a triangle that has a jug or stein inside, the number 882, and “Made in Germany.” When my wife put it up for sale in a yard sale, a man offered her $400 for it, which she declined. Did she do the right thing by not selling it for $400?
A: The mark on this stein was used about 1893 by Simon Peter Gerz I, a stoneware manufacturer in Prussia. The company was in business from 1857 to 1997. The number “882” is the mold number which was used from 1880 to 1900. It sounds like $400 was a fair offer, since it was a yard sale. You can also check with a stein auction to see if they think they can sell it for more. When calculating what you might sell it for, don’t forget to include the auction’s commission.
