Gifting German Beer Steins – Marks Of Authenticity

Out of all the collectibles that are available in the market, German beer steins are perhaps the most coveted and sought after ones. No matter whose ownership it is under, a beer stein will certainly be the most prized possession of a person. There really is something about these ornamented, carefully crafted, exquisite collectibles that keep people loving them generation after generation. In fact, no trip to Germany can be complete without making this much dreamed about purchase. People just have to have it!

And so, if you are thinking about gifting someone a beautiful, decorated, and enchanting beer stein from Germany, trust me, you are about to make someone really happy. But as it always happens, the huge popularity that this product enjoys has lead to scores of counterfeits coming up all over the market. To protect yourself and your loved one from ending up with a fake beer stein, here are a few factors that you need to watch out for. You can consider these to be marks of the authenticity of a German stein. Hopefully these tips can help you make the right purchase.

An easy indicator is the manufacturer’s seal at the bottom of the stein. By international law, manufacturers are liable to place the country of origin beneath any product they are exporting. Thus, if the stein you are looking at has a label that says, 'Made in Germany' or 'Gemacht,’ you are looking at an authentic product.

• There are steins manufactured all over the world, including countries like Taiwan, China, and Brazil and these are quite good too! But if it is a German made beer stein that you are after, noting the country of origin will save you from making a wrong purchase.

As a tradition, the lids of German steins are always highly decorated, ornamented and designed to be complimentary to the body. If you do not see a correlation between the lid and body of the stein, chances are it is not authentic.

• All German steins always have thumb lifts present to open and close the lid. This is a clear mark of their authenticity.
• Then you can look at the interiors of the stein you are considering. It is true that these products are displayed with the lid closed in any store but you can always ask a vendor to allow you to examine them more closely. Authentic German steins always have hand painted lithophanes at the bottom. You can judge its authenticity by their presence.
• Finally, if a vendor is telling you that a stein is antique, there is a simple test to check that too! If you feel the presence of a bump on the handle of your purchase, it typically means that your beer stein has been made recently. Older ones will not have any of these bumps on the handle.

A good place to buy authentic German steins is http://www.giftcollectionwarehouse.com/. You will always find high quality products at fantastic prices on this website.

About The Author

Jimmy Alexander is a freelance writer and a party planner. He loves to share his creative gifting ideas which make life more entertaining, through the various articles that he writes. He recommends http://www.giftcollectionwarehouse.com/ as a very good online German gifts store, based on his personal shopping experiences.