12 Rare Vintage Tins You Should Keep An Eye Out For At Thrift Stores And Estate Sales

Thrifting is an economical way to find vintage and rare products, like tinware. These metal items are typically made of tinplate, a combination of steel and tin. While first appearing as early as the 13th century in Europe, the retro tin cans that you may find while antique shopping are likely from America during the 18th and 19th centuries. When you see medicine or tobacco tins, don't skip them because they may be part of the 12 rare vintage tins you should keep an eye out for at thrift stores and estate sales.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, tin was essentially like plastic is today, holding many supplies from food and tobacco to automobile oil and medicine. Tin was easy and cheap to manufacture and ship, making it the top material for packaging. With cleanliness and sanitation in mind, this was considered the best and safest way to seal, preserve, and keep goods hygienic. As companies began producing merchandise on a larger scale, manufacturers started advertising to entice customers to buy through paper labels and lithography, a way to copy an image on a surface. Eventually, these lithographed cans became coveted for collecting, selling, and décor purposes.

It's important to remember that condition, age, and rarity play a crucial role in determining a tin item's worth. Higher value products have fewer or no scratches, dents, rust, fading, and other damages. Brand will also play a role since some are more valuable than others, especially if they were not mass produced or available for long.

When you see an old tobacco tin while shopping, pick it up because it may lead you to some high-value vintage brands like Picobac, Rock Castle, Forest & Stream, and Twin Oaks. More common brands like Lucky Strike, Old Holborn, or Sir Walter Raleigh will have some rare versions that are valuable as well. Having tobacco still in the can doesn't really skew the price. These tins are great to hold small items like hair ties or even to display in a man cave. While searching for tobacco cans, you may also come across valuable cigar tins.

Cracker and biscuit tins were in similar containers but overall held a variety of products from saltines to graham crackers. These metal cans come in a variety of styles, making them nice décor pieces for many rooms of your home including your kitchen and bathroom. You can make use of these tins to hold objects on a dresser, sewing supplies, or first aid essentials. However, if you want to collect and display them, some of the more valuable brands to look for are Huntley & Palmers, Dunmore & Son, and Vander Derveer & Holmes.

While there are a ton of coffee tins, some antique ones are valuable. Rare names to remember are Steeple Chase, Blanke's, and Golden Gate Hawaiian. Keep your coffee can as-is and set it out as an ornamental element in your kitchen to hold cooking utensils or in your coffee bar to organize K-cups. Add some charm to a garden when you utilize it as a planter or a container to keep tools. Or, take your vintage find to the next level by upcycling coffee cans and scrap wood into a darling home decor piece.

While there are many common and modern cookie tins, sometimes you're lucky enough to find a valuable, retro one while out thrifting. You can use this charming find in numerous ways around your home, like grabbing your vintage cookie tin to DIY a trendy bathroom storage solution where it stylishly holds and organizes restroom supplies, décor, and other items. It can even hold sewing supplies, toys, or a first aid kid. If you plan on displaying or collecting, high-value products to hunt for include fun prints from Disney, Hello Kitty, and other pop culture variations. 

Many motor oil cans are valuable, including from brands like A.R.O. Thrift, Ace High, and Ajax. Airplane motor cans are even more collectible. While reselling is a savvy way to create a side hustle, you can also repurpose it around your home. For example, you can declutter your space and recycle old tins with this smart DIY that involves holding your garage and car tools and accessories in vintage motor oil tins. You can even simply set one out as an ornamental piece in a man cave or garden.

If you're lucky enough to come across an old European olive oil tin, you need to snatch it up. Some of these have spouts, making an interesting visual décor item in a kitchen or even garden. Many of these tins also have a lid or a topper, which is easy to remove to turn it into a vase or even a utensil holder. While not every brand or design is valuable, you should look for cans imported from countries like Italy, France, Canada, Greece, or even Israel.

Bring whimsical charm into your space with a vintage candy tin bucket or pail. Many of these tins come in fun images and colorful designs, seamlessly helping you integrate a playful energy into your own existing décor. They can also make excellent party decorations. These cans are sized fairly well, making them useful to hold items like kitchen utensils, snacks, and kitchen rags. Turn it into a planter to create a spirited and charming indoor garden. Popular brands to watch out for include Schrafft's Kiddyland Candy, Lovell & Covel Candy, and Sanders Candy.

Perusing an estate sale and notice a tin can that says aspirin on it? This small holder could be a rare find. Many of these collectible brands once held medications for problems like gallstones, asthma relief, and general remedies. Normally small enough to fit a pocket or purse, these metal tins are convenient to hold tiny, loose objects like rubber bands, spare change, and bobby pins. On the off chance that you find a large medicine tin container, you can use it as a mini first aid kit. Look for brands like Nyal, Montauk Star Brand, and Dr. Daniels.

Spot a peanut butter tin at your local thrift store? Then snag it, because there are numerous ways to reuse it around your home. You can transform a vintage tin can into a beautiful plant pot. As a pail of sorts, you can also easily use this peanut butter bucket as a décor element, especially in a kitchen or pantry. Make use of this tin by placing items like utensils or kitchen towels inside. For displaying, Planters, Sunny Boy, Scowcroft's, and Squirrel are some of the more valuable brands to search for.

Before bags, those crunchy, salty potato chips came from a tin. These days, many are high-value including brands like Chipzels, Mann's, and Humpty Dumpty. As a larger tin container, you can reuse your vintage discovery as a party decoration to hold napkins and silverware. You can even put flowers in there and display it as a centerpiece on a table or counter. Or, place them in a pantry as an ornamental piece or to hold small snack or chip bags.

Decades ago, ribbon was used to help with the operation of a typewriter. However, as an item that is obsolete, these small tins are now used in a variety of ways. For example, they can hold small items like bobby pins, safety pins, and bandaids. As a compact container, they can easily be stowed away in a drawer or bag. You also can turn them into a shadow box display for an office or library. If you plan on collecting, displaying, or selling, valuable ribbon tin brands to hunt for include Fulton, Noiseless, and A.P. Little.

Any time you see vintage spice tins, immediately scoop them up as a great addition to any kitchen. These small tins are typically sold in lots with a mixture of many different types of spices, from nutmeg and cinnamon to allspice to salt. However, you may sometimes come across a valuable lone one. These cans may be too tiny to hold many items, but they do look charming fixed upon a shelf on a spice rack or as a ornamental piece next to your cookbooks. For collecting, look for old-fashioned brands like Ace High and Roundup.