Fine Tin Collectables

The creation of tin toys began in the late 1800’s but really became popular in the 1940's and 1950's.  Germany made tin toys in around the year 1874.  They were the original tin toy makers. However, just after WWI, Japan became the world leader in tin toy manufacturing.

Later, when Louis Marx & Co. was founded in 1919, the US joined the tin toy market.  In the beginning, they only marketed toys that were imported from overseas factories, but this changed as they began to grow.  Soon they opened their own factory in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The tin toy craze lasted until around 1970.  Thereafter the tin that was used to create the toys was replaced with plastic and new types of metal alloys.

Each and every tin toy enthusiast has their own list of special toys that they would like to posess. Yet before you go out an spend a fortune, you may want to do some research or purchase a toy collector's guide.  It's best to have some knowledge about the item you wish to buy.  That reduces the risk of making a mistake.  Visit our Resources page for some books that you may find helpful.

Stroll around any kind of antique store or marketplace and there is a good chance you will find classic advertising tins; imprinted canisters for tobacco, sweets, cookies, soup, coffee and tea, talcum powder and more. However, where exactly did it get started and how?

Tin boxes date back 100's of years, however, making strikingly colored designs and imprinting them onto tins actually started out in the 1860's. Thereafter, more and more advanced techniques of stamping diagrams onto tin developed.

The particular times, after the 1880's noticed growing amounts of brightly colored and beautiful designs imprinted on cracker, cigarette, food and pharmaceutical canisters.

What to Collect?

You first need to decide if you would like to collect tins made by one particular company, or if you want many different ones.  Coca-Cola is a popular choice among those who opt to collect on one product.  Campbell's soup is another favorite.  Then there are the tins that were shaped to look like books, vases and even luggage.  Peek Frean developed a great variety of these.

Maybe a much better option is tobacco and cigarette tins. All big corporations supplied their particular products in tins after the late 19th century. Some were made for special events.  These would be an especially good choice, since they would have been made in limited quantities.

But, that is just the start. Maybe you want a nice reproduction that will be less costly?  If that is the case, then today, you will have access to a huge amount of retro classic tins.  And, although they are not yet an antique, they are collectibles in their own right.  Some day, they too will have some value.