The Common Stuff

Vol. I, No. 4, Tuesday October 5, 2004

THE COMMON STUFF

by dick bales

Somebody once wrote that "Knowledge is Power." That is certainly true with collecting pre-pro shot glasses. Luckily, we have all the knowledge we need literally right at our fingertips--the pre-pro database. The database is especially useful for shot collectors on a limited budget, as it allows the collector to ferret out information that might make that "sleeper" glass on eBay an attractive purchase.

For example, eBay recently had a glass that had this inscription: Tom Taylor/Straight Bourbon/Whiskey/The Hamberger Co.:

Now, I collect primarily Chicago, with a secondary interest in the rest of Illinois. So I make it a habit to check the data base for information on all shots with no city of origin, in the possibility that the shot may fall in my collecting area of interest.

I went to the database and entered the word "Hamberger." Surprisingly, there were no entries. Puzzled, I then entered the words "Tom Taylor." This revealed numerous entries. I clicked on "Highest Award" and suddenly everything fell into place! The glass contained a spelling error! The company was actually the Chicago-based Hamburger Company. How do I know this with certainty? Because of the comprehensive notes that accompanied the picture of the glass. One note indicated that one of the Hamburger Company’s brands included--Tom Taylor!

I remembered that the pre-pro web site included a section on "shot glass gaffes"--typographical errors on shot glasses. I quickly went to the site and looked over the examples. This glass was not on the list. I bid on the glass and won it for a surprisingly modest sum of money. I now am the proud owner of an "unlisted" shot glass gaffe, and I owe it all to the pre-pro database! Furthermore, when I show off this glass, I can explain why I know that that the glass contains a typographical error. You know, knowledge truly is power.

If you would like to comment on "The Common Stuff", please post it but you can also contact Dick Bales directly at BalesD@CTT.com