Tintastic OXO

Over the course of nine years I’ve been collecting lovely little tins such as the one above. I’m not exactly sure in what way this passion came about and in fact, I’m trying to recall the very first tin that started it all. Frustratingly enough though, I don’t remember…funny how the human brain works. I’m sure one of these days, while I’m brushing my teeth, it will come to me as a sudden epiphany, but for now, I’ll share how I acquired this particular tin. It was a gift, given to me for my birthday, by my friend John. Every year, John travels to Brimfield, MA to scour antiques, in particular, glass bottles. However on one trip, he came across this OXO tin and thought of me…and thankfully so!

I have to admit, this is by far, one of my most favorite tins that I own. It encompasses a lot of the things I love; it’s red, it's metal, I can put things in it, and it bares the OXO logo, for which I have always had a particular fondness. I especially love the playful shape of the o's in this version of the logo. Also lovely about this tin, is the scratchy patina on the side and back panels and the late-modern use of sans serif type.

In total, I have over forty vintage tins that I’ve collected over nine years. They have either been given to me as gifts, or I’ve acquired them through perseverance and a few strict guidelines. I have two criteria when it comes to collecting these lovely little beauties and they are; cost and size. I never spend more than ten dollars, unless the tin is larger than a ten dollar bill and in fantastic condition. More often then not, the tin must be empty, rust and dent free, and most importantly, exhibit fantastic typography and graphics. As a graphic designer, vintage tins serve as a constant source of inspiration for me. I hope to share more from the collection soon, so stay tuned to stay inspired! There will be many more to come.