Let family and friends know what you re collecting, they can probably find a few things in the attic or basement for you. Be careful to be very specific about what you want though or you will soon be overwhelmed with tins that don t fit your particular collection. Once you develop an eye for vintage versus reproduction, you ll want to look for condition. As with almost any collectible, condition is everything. Small scratches or dings can be enough to cut the value of a tin in half or more.
Paints don t usually flake off but do fade easily if they are displayed in direct sunlight.
Displaying your collection is another consideration. Find an area where they collection will be out of direct sunlight, you don t want to devalue your finds by damaging them. Display cases that are enclosed and nearly air tight will keep your cleaning chores to a minimum. I don t much care to dust a 2,000-piece collection, so glass cases were a good investment for me. Never use abrasive cleansers on your pieces.