20 Valuable Antique & Vintage Containers To Look For At Thrift Stores & Estate Sales

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Thrifting can be a ton of fun, but it can also be surprisingly profitable with a bit of luck. When you think of valuable items to buy while thrifting, you might picture vintage ceramics and stunning jewelry. However, there's another category you might be overlooking. Antique containers, such as old candy tins and coffee cans, may not look like much at first glance. If you know what to look for, though, these containers may start to look like treasure chests. They're quite popular with collectors in part due to their bright colors and decorative potential. You're likely already familiar with some of the brands you should be looking for, such as Maxwell House coffee and Lucky Strike tobacco.

Thrift stores and estate sales are great places to look for these containers. While there's no guarantee that you'll find something valuable on every trip, the unpredictability is part of the fun. Of course, that means you may eventually come home with something that isn't actually valuable. In that case, it's handy to know how to repurpose a thrifted container into a vase or other decor. If you do find something that turns out to be valuable, it's important to know how to handle it. The last thing you want is to find a container worth hundreds of dollars, only to scratch the label while washing it. 

So, wash metal containers using plain soap and water, rubbing the surface gently with something non-abrasive, such as a soft cloth. Be sure to dry it thoroughly to avoid rusting! However, if the container has paper or cardboard components, you'll want to skip washing it. Water can break them down, so the stains will have to stay. If the container has any colorful elements, be sure to keep it out of direct sunlight, or it might fade over time.

Maxwell House got its start in the late 1800s and continues producing coffee today. Such a long history comes with a variety of vintage coffee containers that appeal to collectors. Vintage and antique Maxwell House coffee cans can range in price. Some open, empty cans only fetch a few dollars, and sealed cans sometimes go for $80 or more. That makes these vintage containers worth stopping to look at if you spot them at the thrift store, flea market, or estate sale.

Brach's is another long-running brand with an assortment of containers to hunt for. This candy company was founded in 1904, with the candy coming in bags, tins, and boxes over the years. Some of those vintage and antique containers can be valuable, although you might be surprised by which items are worth the most. Antique candy tins tend to range from a few bucks to a little over $20, while vintage cardboard boxes can go for over $50. The real find would be a Supreme Marshmallow tin, which may be worth hundreds!

Founded in 1889, McCormick has been creating spice blends for well over a century. While some people enjoy the flavors, others prefer to collect the vintage containers they once came in. Some individual tins and jars are only worth a dollar or two, but occasionally you may get lucky on a trip to the thrift store. You could find a pumpkin pie spice tin from the 50s that may sell for over $90, or a set of vintage jars worth over $100 with the matching spice rack! 

The P. Lorillard Tobacco Company, which has since shortened its name to simply Lorillard Inc., has an incredibly long history. Founded in 1760, they've produced a number of tobacco brands, including Tiger, Newport, and Union Leader. Antique tobacco containers from across their history can net you anywhere from a few dollars to several hundred dollars. With over 160 brands to hunt for, there's no telling what you'll find when you step into your local thrift store or estate sale.

The Hills Brothers started selling their coffee blends in 1878, and they even became the first coffee company to use vacuum packaging commercially. Today, some of their vintage coffee cans can be fairly valuable! While some cans are only worth around $10 and may be better off becoming DIY coffee container bird feeders, others can fetch $70 or more. The blue label variety of Hills Bros coffee cans, in particular, can sometimes sell for well over $100, so you'll definitely want to keep an eye out for them during your next thrift store trip.

While the name of the company varied since its founding in 1890, spotting the Mackintosh moniker on a vintage or antique candy container in the thrift store or at an estate sale is a sure sign to pause. Some Mackintosh containers can sell for around $20 to $60. Their popular chocolate assortment, Quality Street, came in tins that now typically sell for around $10. In 1988, Mackintosh was bought by Nestle, which continues to produce the Quality Street chocolates. That means you may see some more modern tins in the mix, which may not be worth as much.

The Lucky Strike brand made its first appearance in the late 1800's and quickly became popular in the early 1900s. Finding vintage tobacco and cigarette containers with the distinctive Lucky Strike branding may be your own lucky strike. On the low end, these tins may sell for $5 to $10, which is fine if you're paying a few dollars for them at a thrift store or estate sale. The higher end for them, however, is around $40 to $150. That's a high price for a small tin!

Their distinctive white labels and curling red text make Campfire marshmallow tins easy to spot at thrift stores or estate sales. They were first produced in 1917 by the Campfire Company, although you may see a few other variations on the labels as the company name and manufacturers changed over the years. Some labels say they're made by the Walter M. Lowney Company in Montreal, Canada, while others have the maker listed as the Campfire Corp., Chicago, Illinois. Vintage tins can sell for $80 on the low end, up to nearly $300.

Folger's was founded in the mid 1800's, giving you lots of coffee history to hunt for at your local thrift stores and estate sales. Vintage Folger's coffee cans range quite a bit in price. Some sell for a few dollars, while others can fetch between $40 and $90. As with other vintage items, cans that are sealed or in good condition tend to be more valuable, but there's a Folger's-specific quirk to note. Cans that match the one used in the movie "The Big Lebowski" can sometimes fetch $100 or more.

If you spot a Rolex watch box at an estate sale or thrift store, don't feel disappointed if it turns out to be empty. While the watches have been the stars of the show since the company's founding in 1905, the boxes themselves can be valuable in their own right. They may be worth hundreds if they're authentic, particularly if you have both the inner and outer box with the papers or booklets that came with them. Simpler sets, such as travel cases or sets missing pieces, can still sometimes sell for $20 to $60.

A vintage Wonka candy container from a thrift store or estate sale in your area might be your golden ticket. While the candy was first produced by Quaker Oats in 1971, it has changed hands a few times, with the Ferrero Group being the current producer of Wonka candies such as Nerds and Laffy Taffy. Candy containers from the '70s and '80s sometimes sell for around $15 on the low end. However, some boxes can go for over $100. The dual-flavor Nerds boxes are particularly popular, with sets of them occasionally going for several hundred dollars.

Band-Aids were first invented in the early 1900s, but the tins and containers that collectors now love debuted in 1926. They were swapped out for cardboard in 1994, so you can be reasonably sure that any Band-Aid tins you find are either vintage or modern retro-style, limited edition containers. Smaller, personal-use containers are worth stopping to inspect, as they can sell for between $6 and $25. However, if your local thrift store or estate sale happens to have one of the larger containers used for store displays, you should take notice. They sometimes sell for over $100.

Omega was founded in 1848, and since then, it has continued to produce beautiful watches. The boxes those watches come in can also be quite beautiful and valuable. Vintage Omega watch boxes that are missing parts, such as the inserts, can sell for around $20 to $25. If you're buying them at an estate sale or thrift store for only a few dollars, that's still worth picking up. However, authentic boxes that are in good condition and have all the parts can be worth hundreds.

Vicks has been creating salves and syrups to treat colds and chest congestion since 1894. Antique containers from their many products can be fairly valuable, so take note if you spot an iconic dark blue VapoRub bottle or a vintage cough drop box at a thrift store or estate sale near you. Vintage boxes and bottles from Vicks can sometimes fetch around $20 to $60. 

People have been carrying food in lunchboxes since the 1800s. However, a shift occurred in the 1950s when Aladdin began producing metal lunchboxes featuring pop culture icons of the time. While some of them aren't worth more than a few dollars, others are massively valuable. Finding a vintage lunchbox or thermos from the '60s featuring The Beatles at your local thrift store or estate sale may net you a few hundred dollars, but both together can sell for over $1,000! Look for other popular media like The Jetsons or Star Trek for a potential payout of hundreds.

Pepsi dates back to 1898, although it wasn't called Pepsi at the time. It was originally called Brad's Drink, named for the beverage's creator, Caleb Bradham. No matter what you call it, Pepsi became enormously popular, and antique containers can still attract the attention of collectors. Not every bottle or can is valuable, with some only fetching $1. However, if you're lucky enough to find a rare bottle at an estate sale or thrift store, you may be able to sell it for hundreds. Rare vintage cans can be valuable, too, with some going for over $2,000.

Dating back to the early 1800s, vintage Patek Philippe watches are extremely valuable. While finding a watch worth tens of thousands of dollars at an estate sale or thrift store would be ideal, you shouldn't overlook any empty boxes you find. Authentic vintage Patek Philippe watch boxes can sometimes sell for hundreds or even over $1,000. On the low end, these boxes can go for $50 to $150, which is still a hefty profit if you're buying them at thrift store prices.

Enid Collins box bags, also called Collins purses, are a little like two containers in one. They're beautifully decorated wooden boxes with straps so they can be carried as a bag or purse. These were created in the early '60s by Enid Collins, and there are over 700 different designs. While Collins-style bags tend to sell for around $20, authentic vintage Collins purses can sell for around $100 on the low end. Some rare box bags can sell for several hundred dollars, so pay attention if you see any interesting wooden bags while you're thrifting.

Since its founding in 1886, Coca-Cola has produced a staggering amount of soda. The vintage and antique containers it's been served in over the decades can sometimes be quite valuable, so don't overlook them the next time you spot an old case. Individual bottles and cans can be worth anywhere from a dollar or two to several hundred dollars. However, special items can be worth even more. Promotional cans and seltzer bottles sometimes sell for thousands of dollars.

Garrard jewelry was founded in the early 1700s, becoming the first official Crown Jewelers for the British monarchy a little over 100 years later. While the jewelry and watches themselves are the brand's most valuable finds, their containers can also be a good buy. On the low end, the empty Garrard boxes can sell for around $30. On the higher side, some boxes can sell for around $80 to $200.