Post #441350 by uncle trav on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 5:54 AM

A lot of establishments way back when and a very few even now offered a free mug with the purchase of a cocktail. They usually had a signature mug to take home as a keepsake or maybe as an incentive to buy the more costly drink. Then there is "field collecting". This is the liberation of an item by covert means (stuck in a purse). Now I am sure that more than a few of my vintage mugs in my collection that I have bought over the years were obtained this way and not many are around and so are rather scarce. Some places such as the Mai Kai and Bali Hai still have gift shops that sell mugs and other items and help out with costs. Field collecting and replacement cost moved many establishments to drop the mugs all together and go with a standard glass.