--- Around 1976 Jim Mercier located a top cone collection of 55 cones in the "Lake Tahoe area".

Jim Mercier ran ads around the country looking for cans, including in the Oakland Tribune, and got a lead on a collection generally described as in the "Lake Tahoe area". Bob Myers recalls Jim telephoning and asking about the rarity on some of the cones; at the time Jim said the asking price was $100 a cone, which was a relatively high average for even rarer cones at the time. Later the collection was picked up by Jim's cousin who lived in San Ramon, Calif. (The collection may have actually been on display in a Carson City antique shop (?) and could have originated (?) with an employee of a Continental can plant.)
Shortly after getting the cones, Jim sold the 8 or so "ale" cones to several collectors including the Red Lion Ale and Beverwyck to Bob Myers. Jim Garard was very interested in buying the other cones, and with Ken White, was in touch with Jim Mercier expressing an interest to make an offer for the group when Jim was ready to sell. If the group was gotten, they planned to distribute some of the cones to other collectors too.
However around 1978, one day word got out that Dave Stark had bought the remaining cones from Jim Mercier. This was a great surprise to Jim Garard who hadn't known Jim Mercier was ready to sell. With those top cones not available, that news had a big effect on Jim Garard and his sons who then decided to focus on flat tops only. They proceeded to trade off their cones for flats from other collectors such as Dick Faletti, then of Hinsdale, IL, who wanted to specialize in cones.
(Later after one of his sons got sick, in the Spring of 1980 Jim Garard sold his flat top collection through Ken White.)

Note for picture: the ale cones are crossed out as this picture was updated in 1977 to show the cones Jim had left at that time.

1977 letter from Jim Mercier. Jim Mercier lived in Wisconsin with a relative in the Bay area. After receiving the cans, he sent a letter to Bob Myers with whom he had been in touch when making arrangements to buy the group from the Lake Tahoe area seller. Jim describes several of the key beer cans upon seeing the cans "in hand"; and at the time, wanted to sell the several "ale" cans.