My great-grandmother stored buttons in tea tins from New York, England and Russia. Are these containers pricey treasures?
— L. R., Lawrenceville, N.J.
Your tins date from the 1920s to 1930s. Many of our ancestors (great recyclers!) reused objects such as lithograph tea or tobacco tins to hold sewing supplies and other small household objects. However, condition is critical to value, and these boxes are too damaged to attract collector interest. Yet their weathered look does have decorator appeal! Id value the New York and English tins at $10 to $12. The Russian tin is valued between $15 and $18; although in lesser condition, its scarcity, especially in the American market, makes it worth more
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