A Collector’s Guide to Promotional Mugs and Custom Cups
Are you tired of ordinary plastic cups and plain, uninteresting drinking glasses? Why not spice up your morning coffee with a fun and unique drinking mug? Promotional mugs are a great way for advertisers to get their message across and for individual companies interested in customizing mugs to express themselves in images and texts that will please the mug enthusiast in you. There is a wide range of mugs out there personalized in an infinite number of ways. From the graphics and captions of the mug to the color and even the physical qualities – there is a mug out there for every interest imaginable.
Mugs were initially made for drinking coffee; their thick and sturdy build is specifically designed for holding large amounts of hot liquid. Mugs are widely used as the most universal container for drinking hot liquid (next to teacups for formal gatherings). Even on the go, mugs are used and renowned for their practicality in the form of promotional travel mugs and thermostats. Because of how regular mugs are in the home: usually a common item found on desktops and tabletops in various rooms in the house; they have become piece of modern art and expression as well.
However, mugs need not only be used for drinking. Many people have taken up the fulfilling and occasionally lucrative hobby of collecting unique and custom-designed mugs. Sets of mugs become collectible when they have a certain quality in common and can be grouped together based on that shared quality. Though it is where most people start, sometimes the common theme isn’t what collectors look for – instead collecting mugs made by the same manufacturer or mugs made of a certain material and hue. This article will look into the various types of mugs and analyze their collectability.
Mugs that contain phrases and sayings are amongst the most widely collected variety and can be categorized according to theme and context. Joke mugs are collected for their witty charm and tongue-in-cheek humor that is popular in modern surroundings. Most of the joke mugs are made to have an ironic statement or a double meaning, sometimes with a supplementary graphic to add to the comedy. These mugs are popular in closely-knit social circles where inside jokes are prevalent and the cups are personally cherished for those jokes.
Another mug, highly acclaimed for it collectability and unique appearance is the tiki mug. These mugs are fashioned from ceramic and other textile materials and are widely known for their distinct tropical appearance. Originally made to promote tourism in exotic islands, these tiki mugs (named so for the traditional tiki island heads they are shaped in the likeness of) are a collectible set because of how many varieties of tiki heads there are. They are a fun start to mug collecting because of the distinctive and vintage feel to them, as well as the easy categorization system. Collectors categorize the mugs according to the style in which the tiki mugs are made. Usually these styles are reflective of a particular island’s crafting culture, so favorites are easy to identify and choose for collection.
Of course, standard mugs promoting a particular line of merchandise also have high collectability. Promotional ceramic mugs with images of a popular franchise are a popular choice for collectors who are also fans of that particular line. Mugs with character quotes and faces on them are instantly made collectible simply because of how many other characters of the same series have their own mugs as well. Some of these characters could serve as the franchise’s comic relief element as well, bringing the sentimental value of joke mugs together with the practical value of fan-service mugs. These mugs do not need to belong to a certain well-known franchise or property either, as collectors can collect standard ceramic mugs that share a certain themes. Mug collections are no different than any other assortment of glassware, so it is not uncommon at all to collect mugs based simply on the designs printed on them. Floral patterns and mugs printed with scenes of nature are great to put on display in the kitchen – the right scenery on a mug and its placement in a room can work very well to enhance its décor.
Eventually all promotional mugs garner sentimental value, and with time, their monetary value will increase as well. Collecting these mugs for their personal charm is fun, but sooner or later, you may want to sell them to other buyers interested in starting their own mug collections. The most rewarding part about collecting these mugs comes with the knowledge that they will be in circulation over the coming years, inspiring others to collect and cherish them as you did. So if you’ve got the time, and want to watch something as ordinary as a drinking mug grow into something amazing, order your very own customized mug and start collecting today!