December 2, 2025

Olde Frothingslosh Beer Can Value Guide 2025

Price Olde Frothingslosh cans with confidence using current comps, variant checklists, and selling strategies for Pittsburgh Brewing's cult favorite.

By Appraisily TeamLast updated December 2, 2025

Olde Frothingslosh began as a parody in radio personality Rege Cordic's Pittsburgh morning show before Pittsburgh Brewing Company turned the joke into a real holiday beer in 1955.⁶ Fewer cans were produced than mainstream Iron City runs, and the humor-first graphics made each release instantly memorable. Today those short production runs, regional distribution, and the brand's cultural charm make even common variants attractive to breweriana collectors.

Because the cans were marketed for seasonal novelty drinking, surviving examples show a wide spread in quality. Complete color runs, unopened bottles, and promotional materials such as display flats, cases, or contest ephemera can multiply the value of individual cans. Conversely, humidity, relidding, or harsh cleaning can erase print, which undermines both price and authenticity.

This 2025 update walks you through the brand's history, key variants, inspection tips, and current market data so you can benchmark your collection or price your next purchase with confidence.

Cordic's mid-century radio sketches celebrated the "Pale Stale Ale with the foam on the bottom," and Pittsburgh Brewing capitalized by releasing limited can runs for Christmas shoppers beginning in 1955.⁶ Early flat-top prototypes were reportedly hand-delivered to top accounts and contest winners, making intact examples scarce outside Western Pennsylvania.

The gag evolved in 1968–1969 when model Marsha Phillips portrayed Fatima Yechburgh, better known as Miss Olde Frothingslosh, across four full-color tabs. These cans mocked beauty pageants, pushed playful body-positive language decades before it was mainstream, and cemented the brand as a breweriana cult favorite. Subsequent promotions included horse-racing themes, football tie-ins, and point-of-sale kits. Pittsburgh Brewing has periodically revisited the character, most recently through its 2024 Pilot Program releases that reintroduce small-batch Frothingslosh runs in taproom-exclusive packaging.⁵

1955–1964 prototype and distributor gifts

These flat-top cans often feature simple typography or hand-applied labels. Many exhibit solder seams and blank silver backs because artwork was prepared in-house. Expect heavy handling wear; provenance such as matching gift boxes or letters from the brewery can double values.

1968–1969 Miss Frothingslosh color sets

The four primary colors—brown, blue, green, and purple—show Fatima in comedic vignettes. Collectors prefer bottom-opened examples with intact tabs. Full sets presented on original six-pack carriers routinely bring stronger premiums than loose singles.³

1970s holiday runs and contest tie-ins

Look for the 1973 football schedule cans, 1975 multi-color Christmas sets, and late-decade "Horse Sully" cone tops. These often used steel bodies with aluminum stay-tabs, meaning corrosion along the lower rim is a common condition challenge.

Spin-off formats and modern revivals

Beyond cans, collectors chase the 1964 ginger ale bottle parody, salesman sample flats, toweling, and lighted signs. The 2024 Pilot Program release reimagines the brand on contemporary 12-ounce cans; while newly manufactured, sealed four-packs bundled with brewpub ephemera can support the story of a modern collection.⁵

• Opening method: Bottom-opened examples with intact pull-tabs are preferred. Top-opened cans can still sell, but expect 20–30% discounts versus equivalent bottom-opened pieces.
• Lid originality: Re-lidded cans sometimes hide corrosion. Inspect seams for mismatched solder or fresh epoxy.
• Color saturation: Sun-fading dulls the saturated blues and purples that define Miss Frothingslosh graphics. Compare to reference photos before bidding.
• Completeness: Six- or nine-can sets, especially with cardboard carriers or case boxes, regularly outperform single cans by 1.5–2x.
• Documentation: Brewery letters, contest instructions, or provenance from Pittsburgh taverns can help your valuation stand out during insurance reviews.

Specialty auctions tend to outperform casual online listings when multiple bidders chase the same variant, but the eBay data shows that clean color sets above $20 remain accessible. Rarely seen prototypes, unopened bottles, or complete point-of-sale kits can command triple-digit results when provenance is clear.

Specialized auctions: Platforms such as Beer Cans Plus, Morean Auctions, and Tavern Trove—when they feature dedicated breweriana sessions—offer curated bidder lists. Provide high-resolution images of each panel, note whether tabs are intact, and disclose any rust, even if light.

Online marketplaces: eBay remains the broadest venue. Use fixed-price listings for scarce variants, but allow auctions for sets to encourage bidding wars. Include photos of the lid interior to prove originality.

Collector networks: Brewery Collectibles Club of America (BCCA) swap meets, Facebook breweriana groups, and local Pittsburgh memorabilia shows enable trades without platform fees. Bring comparables and be ready to highlight condition thresholds.

Consignment & insurance: If the collection is large or historically significant, consider professional appraisal first; auction houses often request recent certified valuations before taking a multi-five-figure consignment.

• Reproduction alerts: Modern novelty cans sometimes mimic Frothingslosh art. Check fonts, UPC placement, and mandatory government warning text—original 1960s cans pre-date bar codes.
• Re-lidded tops: Examine the crimp or solder line. A fresh-crimped aluminum lid on a steel body usually indicates rework.
• Repainted edges: Faded rims sometimes receive overpaint; lightly run a cotton swab with denatured alcohol on the interior bead to confirm factory coatings.
• Case freshness claims: True "case-fresh" sets include matching cardboard flats. If the seller cannot produce packaging, price accordingly.
• 2024 pilot cans: The new releases are collectible but should not be misrepresented as vintage. Their laser-etched date codes and modern canning seams are easy tells.⁵

Store cans in 60–70°F (15–21°C) environments with 40–50% relative humidity. Avoid basements where condensation forms on steel rims. Use UV-filtering glass or closed cabinets to prevent color fade, and never polish print areas.

Create a photographic inventory that documents the tab position, seam condition, and any provenance paperwork. When you secure insurance, include the valuation certificate and attach updated sales comps like the 2021–2023 results above. Carriers often grant higher coverage limits when a professional appraisal accompanies the schedule.

Ready to document or market your own collection? Appraisily's breweriana specialists combine historical research, market comps, and insurer-ready reporting so you can sell, donate, or insure with clarity.