As with other collectibles, there are things to look for when buying and there are specific ways to care for your collectibles to preserve their condition. There are as many kinds of tin collections as there are products that were sold in tins. Some collectors focus on a particular brand of goods, like Coca Cola and others focus on a type of product, like coffee. Still others take an eclectic approach and collect whatever kind of tin catches their fancy. If you re just getting started, figure out what you would like your collection to look like and how you want to use it to enhance your home or your pocketbook.
Some collections can become quite valuable.
The next consideration is whether you will limit yourself to containers or also add tin advertising signs to your collection. Advertising signs are very popular, especially those that tout products still available today. A new industry has cropped up selling reproduction tin advertising signs, so the collector looking for the original variety must be savvy. Reproduction tin containers are cropping up, too, but mostly seem to appear at discount department stores rather than flea markets and thrift stores. Reproductions can usually be spotted by the brightness of their paint and their flawless condition.