Vintage Tupperware Guide: Collecting Catalog Classics | LoveToKnow (2024)

FAQs

What is the most sought after Tupperware? ›

According to Case, those most popular Tupperware comes in the “Crystal” color, since the company still makes replacement lids in that shade. The midcentury “Millionaire” line of pinks, greens, and blues are still highly sought after, too.

When to Throw Away Tupperware. There's no standard rule of thumb about when it's time to throw out your plastic containers. How long your containers last depends on how well you care for them, and the quality of plastic they're made of. You'll know it's time to toss your containers if they become warped or cracked.

Tupper's first product, the Wonderbowl, introduced the iconic "burp seal."

Vintage Tupperware Price Guide

Full sets in difficult to find colors can sell for hundreds of dollars. Complete line sets can sell between about $50 to $75. Salt and pepper shaker set may sell for about $50 up to about $200 depending on its condition. Single pieces in good condition can sell from $5 to $20.

Each plastic recycling number is code for the specific plastic that your containers are made of. Most Tupperware is imprinted with the number five, representing polypropylene, generally a food safe plastic.

Most containers have the Tupperware symbol of three arrows forming a triangle with a number in the middle. This means that you can recycle your Tupperware, and it tells you the specific plastic it is! Even if you destroy your Tupperware, you can still be earth friendly and let it die responsibly in the recycling bin.

Food Safe. First things first: Is your container safe to store food in at all? If you're not sure, check the bottom for a little cup and fork design. This means the container is approved for use with food.

BPA, as well as arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, are dangerous substances for humans, so if you've been using vintage Tupperware, the best thing you can do is not use them anymore. Plastic not only harms the environment but has also directly harmed humans for years.

Do people collect vintage Tupperware? ›

Baby boomers and members of younger generations are nostalgically collecting Tupperware. They remember their mothers and grandmothers who used the items in their kitchens or sold the products as "Tupperware Ladies." You can identify authentic and vintage Tupperware found in thrift shops and at estate sales.

Plastic food storage containers and lids-such as Tupperware containers-that have the 1 or 2 recycling symbol on the bottom are accepted in almost all local recycling programs, provided they are empty, clean and dry. Recycle with the lid attached. Most recycling programs also accept #5 plastics.

E-commerce sites like Etsy and eBay are full of "vintage Tupperware" listings with people selling everything from pitchers and coasters, to canisters and measuring cups — even oddities like salad dressing holders and cake covers are up for auction.

As of March 2010, items sold by Tupperware US & CA are BPA free. Join us in our mission to Do Good for people and the planet through thoughtful and conscientious product innovation and design practices that help to better lives and reduce waste.

In the 1950s, plastic became indispensable--especially in products for the home. Foremost were Tupperware's "Wonderlier" bowls--lightweight, flexible, and unbreakable, with a patented air-tight seal to keep foods fresher longer.

As early as 1947, Tupperware was targeting upwardly mobile consumers with lines like the pastel Millionaire Collection, displayed and sold at the time in department stores.

Now she's turned her attention to old Tupperware items, with her studies delivering some alarming results. During a recent test of Tupperware's yellow vintage measuring cups - used in thousands of kitchens around the world for generations - not only did the expert find lead, but she found arsenic as well.

Every Tupperware® brand product has a two-part number stamped into it. The first part (before the dash) is the mold number.

In 1946, Tupperware was first sold on the home “Tupperware Party” plan, and only four years later, had become a multi-million-dollar business.

How do you clean old vintage Tupperware? ›

Simply make a thick-ish paste of warm water and baking soda and rub it into the inside the container. Let it sit for at least one day, then rinse it out thoroughly. Continue until no stains remain and the container smells fresh.

Freezer Safe

Look for a Tupperware symbol of a snowflake to check if your container can be stored in the freezer.

#7 – Other (BPA, Polycarbonate and LEXAN)

Number 7 plastics are used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, water cooler bottles and car parts. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters “PC” by the recycling label #7.

The "5" inside a triangle on a plastic container means PP or Polypropylene, which is one of the safer kinds of plastics! It is very much recyclable! Polypropylene medicine bottles, caps, straws, ketchup bottles and yogurt containers can be recycled into trays, pallets, bins, bicycle racks and even brooms!

Most people know the little triangle symbol at the bottom of plastic bottles means 'recycle' but what they don't know is just because it has a triangle on the bottom, doesn't always mean it can be recycled. The numbers indicate the grade of plastic and can also tell you about the safety and uses of that item.

#2 – HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)

This plastic, labelled as number '2', is opaque, is considered to be safe and has a low risk of leaching. It's found in household cleaning containers, shampoo bottles, detergent bottles, etc... This plastic is recycled into pens, containers, benches and fencing amongst others.

2 High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Widely recyclable.

Basically, heat can cause the BPA and Phthalates in plastics to leach into your food. That means – yeah, sorry – you should avoid microwaving food and beverages in plastic. Instead, transfer them into microwave-safe glass or ceramic containers.

The holes on food containers are for venting, not utensils.

Polypropylene has excellent chemical resistance, is strong, and has the lowest density of the plastics used in packaging. It has a high melting point, making it ideal for hot-fill liquids.

Why does my old Tupperware smell funny? ›

According to Hunker, Tupperware and other reusable plastic containers hold onto smells because they are made from polypropylene, a porous type of plastic. This porosity allows the container to absorb properties of the food inside it, such as scent, especially when the food is kept in it for a long period of time.

Even a plastic or glass container without a lid may allow the botulism germ to grow in the bottom of the container. It's very important for fresh air to move around the fermenting foods, because botulism grows in an environment without air circulation – such as plastic or glass containers.

Your tupperware plastic containers are old if you have had them since 2010. Tupperware has a lifespan of 20 years, depending on quality.

Some see demanding your friends and family to return Tupperware is like demanding your Ziploc bags back. Others believe that it is rude and disrespectful to not return Tupperware within a designated timeframe. When giving Tupperware to others, give generously without expecting the Tupperware to be returned.

30-day Warranty

If you receive a product you believe to be defective, contact Customer Care at 1-800-887-7379. If, due to unavailability, actual product replacement cannot be made, we will credit the full purchase price amount toward future purchases of Tupperware® brand products.

Old plastic storage containers

Not only do they create a cluttered disaster, but there are actual dangers of old plastic. Because some plastic containers use polycarbonate, which can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals into food items after repeated use, it's best to swap for glass or silicone.

Tupperware parties are back in vogue. Except this time, they're moving to a bigger living room — Target stores. For more than seven decades, Tupperware Brands (ticker: TUP ) had resisted selling its plastic food storage solutions at big-box retailers.

If you're passionate about fashion and have an eye for finding high-quality pieces, selling vintage clothes online could be a great way to make some extra money or even start a full-fledged business. Just be prepared to put in the work needed to succeed.

Are glass Tupperware better than plastic? ›

Is glass Tupperware better than plastic Tupperware? Although glass Tupperware is heavier and easier to break, overall it is the better choice. By using glass Tupperware, you can be certain that your food will not be contaminated by harmful chemicals. Glass is natural, sustainable, and recyclable.

Beyond BPA, other chemicals can be found in various food storage containers. Containers made out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE, or plastic #1)—such as most soda bottles—are OK to use once, but can leach carcinogenic, hormone-disrupting phthalates when used over and over again.

Summary: Using 'BPA-free' plastic products could be as harmful to human health -- including a developing brain -- as those products that contain the controversial chemical, suggest scientists.

To score a great deal, Case recommends scouring garage sales, where clever buyers might be able to score a vintage piece for as low as 50 cents. To authenticate any piece of Tupperware, look for a two-part number (its mold number) stamped somewhere on the product and make sure the word "Tupperware" is also visible.

Tupperware was founded back in 1946 by Earl Silas Tupper. He developed special food containers with, then patented, “burping seal”. These containers has airtight lids, which kept the food alright and edible for longer period of time.

Tupperware Parties: Suburban Women's Plastic Path to Empowerment. The parties swept the nation during the 1950s and 1960s—and were more than they seemed. The parties swept the nation during the 1950s and 1960s—and were more than they seemed.

The main purpose of these symbols is to represent whether your Tupperware is food safe, dishwasher safe, microwave safe, freezer safe, and the recycling information. Fortunately, most plastic jars or containers include safety instructions on the bottom, which is fantastic.

Simply make a thick-ish paste of warm water and baking soda and rub it into the inside the container. Let it sit for at least one day, then rinse it out thoroughly. Continue until no stains remain and the container smells fresh.

Are Old Tupperware Containers BPA Free? Tupperware plastic containers manufactured prior to 2010 most likely contain BPA, a chemical used to make polycarbonate.

Plastic food storage containers and lids-such as Tupperware containers-that have the 1 or 2 recycling symbol on the bottom are accepted in almost all local recycling programs, provided they are empty, clean and dry. Recycle with the lid attached. Most recycling programs also accept #5 plastics.

When did Tupperware become BPA free? ›

As of March 2010, items sold by Tupperware US & CA are BPA free. Join us in our mission to Do Good for people and the planet through thoughtful and conscientious product innovation and design practices that help to better lives and reduce waste.

One expert is now calling on people to stop using their vintage Tupperware immediately after she discovered measuring cups from 1972 actually contained lead an even arsenic. While she originally wrote the article in March, it's since gone viral on social media.

Over the last seven decades, the retail environment has changed dramatically. But Tupperware parties will still happen too. “Younger customers less familiar with direct sales will now find our brand in retail and from there can develop personalized relationships,” Fernandez wrote.

Tupperware parties are back in vogue. Except this time, they're moving to a bigger living room — Target stores. For more than seven decades, Tupperware Brands (ticker: TUP ) had resisted selling its plastic food storage solutions at big-box retailers.

Tupperware is still sold mostly through a party plan, with rewards for hosts and hostesses.