There would be few home bars without at least one pub jug on display, more likely three and four in formation. These are still widely available in antique shops, typically priced from $20 to $100 depending on condition and rarity. But there are many who take this type of collectable very seriously indeed and are happy to pay several thousand dollars for rarities. One Sydney collector is rumoured to have five thousand items (perhaps he has a very large bar).

There is even a Melbourne-based national club for collectors (see My Collection) with about 100 members. Many also collect associated bar memorabilia such as advertising statues, ashtrays and mirrors.

From about 1900, pub jugs were produced by whisky distillers as a free gift to publicans who stocked their brands. The jugs were designed to hold water to be added to a wee dram by customers and proved such an effective means of advertising that soon every manufacturer of spirits gave them away.

Many thousands were created, initially in ceramic and stoneware, but also in glass, metal and, later, plastic. Aluminium jugs were popular in the war years when many potteries closed down. The range of designs produced is startling, from simple jugs bearing a logo to those in the shape of medieval helmets, powder horns and assorted human caricatures.

Pub jugs have been manufactured in many countries, including Australia, where the Elischer pottery was particularly prolific. The concept also spread to the United States, although the most prized - and expensive - remain the early British jugs, especially those made by Doulton (later Royal Doulton), Wade and Staffordshire. Diana and Norfolk are two other potteries of note that produced pub jugs.

The jugs initially promoted whisky (or, if in Ireland, whiskey) but were later adopted by makers of bourbon (Old Crow, Wild Turkey, Jack Daniel's), gin (Beefeater's) and cognac (Hennessy). Even exotic tipples such as Bacardi and Pernod produced jugs worth collecting.

Whisky of all nations (including Canada and Japan) remains the most popular theme; some collectors specialise in one particular brand. Black & White, for example, has released so many pub jugs and related bar memorabilia that these can easily fill several cabinets. They make an impressive collection on their own.

In a sense these jugs trace the history of whisky. As well as all the major brands, lesser-known drops are celebrated, including Glenlivet, Ushers, Thornes, Old Smuggler, Glenfiddich, Martin's, Crawford's, Old Parr and Claymore. Irish brands include Paddy, Jameson, Tullamore Dew and Murphy's. The Australian-made Corio whisky was given its own glass pub jug, keenly sought after by collectors these days.

Until 20 years ago these items might have been picked for a few dollars at garage sales and junk shops. Now there is considerable competition on the internet. There are regular online and postal auctions run by two collectors from Christchurch, New Zealand. You can check on previous entries and results at http://www.kiwiauctions .com and marvel at the sheer variety of goodies available.

The higher end of the market, mainly, is represented here. But the good news for beginners is that this has resulted in a fall in price for the lesser items, as collectors sell off their unwanted stock to concentrate on the top shelf.

It is now possible to pick up some of the more common jugs for about $5, whereas these would have been worth $25 a few years ago. As one collectors says, he's got heaps of those stored under his house. The supply exceeds the demand at this level.

There are plenty around priced in the $50 range but the most sought after these days start at $250 and peak at about $5000. The $400 to $500 range includes some of the more novel designs, such as Mitchell's Old Irish Whisky and Macleay Duff in the Toby Jug character style.

As with any collectable, rarity accounts for the highest prices. Black & White, Red Seal and Ainslie's jugs from the turn of the 19th century are considered among the most valuable. Despite their rarity they appear on the market regularly, though at steadily increasing prices.

This is the result of the phenomenon where a lot of people who wouldn't consider themselves collectors have picked up two or three pub jugs to decorate their home bar. Once they find out that their novelty is worth a few thousand they are more than happy to sell it at auction.

For those who want to see one of the world's best collections, there's a link to American Harold Keller's page on the Pub Jugs Collectors of Australia website, plus an indication of what made him start collecting in earnest. In 1981 Keller and his wife celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary aboard the restored sailing ship Fantome, and Harold managed to score a Ballantine's jug from the ship's bar as a souvenir. In 1998 Fantome and all 31 crew were lost at sea in a hurricane. This jug, with its bittersweet memories, is now perhaps the most treasured in his extensive collection.

My collection

Roger Thompson began picking up old pub jugs 30 years ago, when they were readily available in junk shops for a few dollars. Many were made locally but, as his hobby grew, he discovered that some dated back to the turn of the 19th century, made by renowned English potteries such as Royal Doulton and Wade. He was lucky enough to pick up some of these quite cheaply and they are now worth several thousand dollars each.

In 1993 he and fellow collector Bernie McDonell started the Pub Jug Collectors Club of Victoria and were amazed to find that so many others shared their passion for collecting pub jugs and related whisky memorabilia. The following year they decided to go national and formed the Pub Jug Collectors of Australia. Thanks to the internet this hobby is now taking off globally. The club has members from New Zealand, the United States, Britain and Holland.