26-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Rare Canadian tobacco tin sells for $55,000 at New Hamburg auction
A small, rare Canadian tobacco tin sold for a whopping $55,000 at a New Hamburg auction on Sunday — nearly five times its original estimate.
The 3 Strikes pocket tin, which is about 125 years old, was part of Miller & Miller Auctions' Soda & General Store Advertising sale on May 25.
Before the auction, the tin had already attracted a pre-auction bid of $29,000, well above its expected price of $9,000 to $12,000.
'I've been a dealer of nostalgia for over 50 years and this is only the seventh one I've come across,' said Ed Locke of Renfrew, Ontario. 'And there hasn't been a new discovery in 15 or 20 years. It's significant.'
The small tin, made by the Erie Tobacco Co. in Kingsville, Ontario, is what collectors call a 'cross collectible.' It appeals to both tobacco collectors and baseball memorabilia fans because of the image of a baseball player on its front.
'Collectors can be a funny breed,' said Ethan Miller, CEO of Miller & Miller Auctions. 'Find something they need to complete their collection, and money is no object.'
Tobacco tins from this time are often damaged by rust from leftover tobacco inside, but this one was found in near-perfect condition during a house renovation near the old Erie Tobacco Co. factory.
'This is the Holy Grail, the best of the best, the rarest of rare,' said Christine Blaus, Miller & Miller's specialist and consultant.
Locke added, 'Canada produces some of the best tins out there. Americans like Canadian pocket tins and see them as being just as good as the American tins.'
The auction house has seen strong demand for rare Canadian tins in recent months. In March, three other pocket tins — the Taxi, the Gold Dust, and the Torpedo — each sold for more than $5,000.
'When you get something rare in a desirable category and in very, very good condition you just never know how much it will command,' said Locke. 'Is a collector ever going to get a chance to own another again? Maybe not. That's why it will bring whatever the market will bear.'
