Old food tins... what to do with them?!

I'm clearing out my family home, and coming across all kinds of stuff, including these old tins. Sorry for the photo quality, but I just wanted to know if they were worth hanging onto (my husband wants to bin them)? There are more, lurking on other shelves that I haven't got round to yet. Are they collectable, even in this condition? I'm guessing the eggs are post WWII but not sure about the tomatoes.

I'm uncovering a lot of vintage kitchen related items. It's not something I have any knowledge about so would appreciate help! What would be the best way to offload it, given that I have limited time?

 

They are very neat and great advertising!

Depending on how much you have there are 2 options that I can think of...
1) Contact someone owns a movie prop rental company
2) Contact an antique auction house

 

They certainly have a value to someone, even if it is only aesthetically You could try a buy it now on Ebay with a good price so they go fast, or Craigslist might be an option (Not sure as I'm in the UK) I would thrift them rather than throw them away if time runs out. There is a collector for everything somewhere

 

Thank you both! I will hang on to them for now - I'm thinking of getting a local auction house involved once I've sorted through everything. At least I can tell my husband not to throw them away! ;-)

I'm in the UK btw, and I like these too... any item with age and a social history appeals to me.

 

Well, Craiglist advice is completely useless then lol Do you reckon Gum Tree is like Cragislist? I don't really know, just bits and pieces of conversations that I pick up as I go along.

 

Powdered eggs were extremely common in Britain during the war, due to the lack of chickens. Rationing in Britain lasted from 1940-1954, if I remember correctly. So the eggs may well be from the WWII era, or at least from the immediate postwar era of the second half of the 1940s.

 

I'm only really familiar with eBay, which I've done a lot of selling on. But I'm overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in the house, and eBaying everything would take me years! Maybe I could find somewhere to store it all & make it a part-time job... hmm...

 

Interesting to me is that the eggs (although dried) were still sold "by the dozen" (at least with the notation on the can saying it was "equal to 12 eggs").

 

And they are marked USA.

 

Sounds like a good idea By the time you have listed and sold a pile of it, you will be a dab hand at vintage kitchenalia and house retro. Could turn into a multi million pound business opportunity......well, there's no harm in aiming high

 

I bet the dried eggs were sent to the UK from the USA during WWII. Here is an identical tin but with a yellow label on Pinterest. It was found on BBC:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/532058143448413695/

The can on BBC, click the pic of it in the thumbnails on the right:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/world_war2/food_and_shopping/

Here's another:
http://www.dijitalimaj.com/alamyDetail.aspx?img={FA8CCAD3-0983-4A6B-80D7-2979DCEDB2BA}

--- Susan

 

Carolinej, I like your thinking!!!

The tomato juice is Australian - and can be served ice-cold straight from the can

 

Thanks for the links! The tins you've found online are in better condition, but what a fascinating history they've all had. The one I found was stuck in the back of a damp cupboard for many years.

 

These are an amazing find, Bat! How long were your family in that house?!

(And speaking of the food shortages in Britain during WWII and the years following - is any one else watching Home Fires?)

 

Big thanks, Bakersgma, for reminding me about that show. DH has already taped the first two episode of "Home Fires."

In fact, we may go watch the first (and perhaps the second) episode now. Dogs are "day-boarding" at the vet because the "furnace/ac" people are here so it is very quiet except for an occasional burst of noise from the furnace/ac people.

 

You're in the UK, yes? I bet http://www.museumofbrands.com would be interested.

 

Too long!!!

Actually, about 52 years... and a lot of the stuff came from my grandparents house, who lived a few doors away. My mum could never part with anything, as you can see . Going through it is very bitter sweet. Mum told me, before she passed, that I should sell it all on eBay (that was 10 years ago)!

Thank you, I'll contact them! I could lose an hour or two in a place like that ;-). And I'd happily donate the tins if they can be put to good use.

 

If you are completely buried in stuff and just want to get rid of it, things like this would be very welcome at a museum village, maybe one that has a general store? They could use them to stock their shelves.

 

Mmm. By the look on that can, maybe not lol

 

I remember an Antiques Roadshow (US version) that had a bunch of old tins, older than yours; they were considered to be quite valuable.
It looks like the label designs hadn't changed a whole lot over the years.
Don't eat the eggs, though.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200201A50.html