Tupperware

In 1938, Earl S. Tupper began custom molding plastic items in Farnumville, Massachusetts. By 1945, he had produced his first polyethelene product, a seven-ounce juice tumbler. At the time, polyethylene was a recently developed plastic compound with never-before-seen features. It was flexible, durable, opalescent, and suitable for many types of applications.

For consumer’s polyethylene was truly a novelty and as it's qualities became known, its acceptance grew. This early phase culminated in a full-color feature about Tupperware in the October 1947 issue of House Beautiful titled "Fine Art for 39 cents." This boost in awareness helped Earl Tupper expand retail sales, as well as sales in his newly created home party plan division.

Earl Tupper was soon promoting his products as being made of "Poly-T," not just ordinary polyethylene, and he also introduced pastel shades. By 1951, Tupperware Home Parties was formed to sell via dealers on the party plan, while retail sales were phased out. It turned out that some features of the product, including the exclusive Tupperware seal, could best be shown and sold through a person-to-person demonstration.

Through the 1950s, Tupperware continued it's upward sales trend and additional items and manufacturing capacity were added. In 1956, the simplified elegance of Tupperware was given further acclaim when several containers were put on display in an exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. By 1958, the multimillion-dollar Tupperware operation was acquired by Rexall Drug & Chemical Co., later renamed Dart Industries.

Today, Tupperware is somewhat of a sleeper as a collectible. One drawback is difficulty in judging age and scarcity, as well as a seemingly endless supply of the product. Little vintage packaging or point-of-sale materials exist that would interest collectors, since many items were originally sold in a simple plastic bag or tied with ribbon. Sets in pastel shades and early unusual items are attracting interest on the Internet; however, prices for the most part remain reasonable.

It takes an appreciation of object simplicity, somewhat akin to admiring Shaker furniture, to appreciate Tupperware. However, with the retro allure of pastel shades and its simple functionality, new collectors continue to be attracted to Tupperware.