Antique Coffee Tins ~ A Decorative Country Collectible

Collecting antique coffee tins has become a favorite past time for both avid country antique collectors and just ordinary folks who simply enjoy the look and feel of these beautiful tins.

Where To Find Antique Tins

Here are a few of the antique coffee tins and other vintage tins I have collected over the years.

Antique tins can be found at estate sales, garage sales, eBay, and at antique stores.

Each tin is unique in its design, making them wonderful accents for a kitchen, den, living room, or even a bedroom.

Beginning in the 1800's, coffee companies realized that they could use their packaging as a marketing tool and began using tins to package their fresh coffee beans.

Back then, most everyone purchased whole coffee beans, roasted the beans at home, and then ground the coffee beans as needed.

Chase & Sanborn was the first coffee company recognized for packing and sealing roasted coffee in coffee tins in the year of 1878. Other coffee manufacturers soon followed their example and began producing beautifully decorated coffee tins in which to sell their coffee.

It seemed that the more ornate and intricate the designs were on the tins of coffee, the more people purchased. The tins were then used to store other dry goods items such as sugar or flour.

At first, the tins and canisters were decorated using stenciled labels, decals, and paper. Following that original process, a two-colored tintype process was adopted until around the early 1900's.

Hills Bros. Collectible Tins

One of my vintage Hills Bros. coffee tins

It was around the year 1900 that Hills Brothers began packing roasted coffee in vacuum tins. In the early 1900's, coffee manufacturers had the option of using a new technology called chromolithography. With this new process, the coffee tins were decorated with several different color combinations and eye-catching graphics.

Antique coffee tins are highly sought after in today's antique markets.

It's important to note that reproductions of vintage coffee tins are throughout the market as well and can fool an unsuspecting beginner if you're not sure what to look for in an antique tin.

This Maxwell House coffee tin is one of my favorites, mostly because of the muted blue color...blue is my favorite!

The true antique coffee tins are a heavier weight and more than likely show more realistic wear and tear from use. If the colors seem too bright, then you're probably holding a reproduction. Vintage coffee tins will appear to have muted colors as opposed to bright ones.

Once you've begun collecting coffee tins, it's important to take proper care of them so you'll have them around to enjoy for years to come.

Tins should be kept out of direct sunlight and should be well protected if you plan to sell them anytime in the future. A curio cabinet or dining room hutch is good display options.

Extreme temperatures aren't good for antique coffee tins either, so it's not a good idea to store them in an attic or a basement. Never immerse your tins in water - simply wipe them down with a damp cloth and dry immediately afterward.

With that said; if you're simply collecting coffee tins to enjoy them, consider using them to decorate a fireplace mantel, adorn shelves in a bedroom or den, or to store odds and ends such as craft items or sewing notions. When combined with a pillar candle, these beautiful tins make a wonderful centerpiece for your every day or holiday table.

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