How old is too old for tinned tobacco?

[Haebar]

any ideas yet on the age? it looks amazing!

I would guess it to be at least 20 years old if not older.

[OnePyroTec]

I would guess it to be at least 20 years old if not older.

I have 100 gram Virginia No.1 tins that are over 20 years old with a price tag of $6.99 This Virginia No.1 tin pre-dates mine. My guess it is pushing 30 at least.

[MrMotoyoshi]

Very jealous over here. But elated with how much enjoyment you will have with that deliciously aged tobacco

[bigdaddychester]

Wowww eee!!! tell me youve smoked a bowl or 3 by now, right?

[quo155]

Beautiful find!

I too can't wait to hear how these smoke...and see the others once opened. Awesome!

[Haebar]

Wowww eee!!! tell me youve smoked a bowl or 3 by now, right?

No, not yet (getting over a virus). But I sent samples of that first tin to two CigarBum members to try out. Maybe they will review it.

[LandonColby]

No, not yet (getting over a virus). But I sent samples of that first tin to two CigarBum members to try out. Maybe they will review it.

I hope you'll review it as well! Or at least tell us whether it's good or not haha.
Hope you feel better soon, Tab.

[NeverBend]

No, not yet (getting over a virus). But I sent samples of that first tin to two CigarBum members to try out. Maybe they will review it.

Hi Haebar,

Great purchase! Sorry for the lengthy post but I wanted to fully explain my opinion. Are there any labels on the bottom of the tins and which tin is priced? Can you post pics of the tin bottoms? Any information could help date them.

Trying to determine the age by price may depend on which tin has the $1.64 tag (2oz or 3.5oz) and whether they were on sale at the time of original purchase. The tins may not all be the same age but I suspect that the estimates here are short by a decade or more.

Symphony and Virginia were rubbed out, Club was a roll cut (curly) and despite the difference in weight they were close to the same price. Looking at your tins I have to go back a long, long time where my memory is more sketchy and I didn't see the inside of the tins very often. I suspect that the Club will be smaller curlies than they are (or have) been more recently because they were hand rolled (thus more expensive).

The excessive staining of the doily (wax-backed paper placed on top of the tobacco when tinned) often indicates a lot of age because it infiltrates the paper slowly. MacBaren tended to pack a little more moist than some other companies that could have caused more staining. Packing of the tins was a cool process that was done by hand but I'd assume that process is now obsolete.

Wayne @OnePyroTech mentioned $6.99 on a tin that he feels is close to 30 years old (say 1987) and that dovetails with their price of about $4.95 to $5.50 in the early 1980s (say 1981) and those were years of high inflation.

As a kid, starting in 1965 and onward, I made it my business to know every price, and price change, in the store but I only remember a price range between $2.25 and $3.00 for the Symphony (Virginia the same price). MacBaren was sold wholesale to stores at about a 40% discount (wholesalers paid less) so even if the marked tin was heavily discounted it was almost certainly from the 1960s (and the tin art jibes).

I don't know when MacBaren was first made available in the USA. I do remember it from the 1960s. From the tin, design, packing and price tag I can't see how that tin (and possibly all of the tins) can be any later than the late 1960s. If the price of $1.64 is a retail (not discounted price) then the tin may be older than that by several years.

I went to the MacBaren website to see if there was information about their history and tin art but the only thing of note was a picture of a man, pipe barely visible, looking like a junkie on the street waiting for his fix. What are they thinking!?
http://mac-baren.com/pipe-tobacco

In my opinion these tins are 40 years or more years old. It's quite possible that they're 50 years old or even more. Why not send pics to MacBaren and see if they can date them and don't be surprised if they wish to purchase them at a healthy profit.

Great find, store the open tobacco in a mason with as little air as possible and enjoy. No telling how all of the tins have handled time but the Virginia, followed by the Club were best suited for age when tinned although no one at MacBaren (or any other company) expected them to have been kept for so long.

Pete

[Haebar]

Pete, you really know your stuff! I just sent them an email about it. I only opened one tin; I put it in two half-pint jars.

[NeverBend]

Pete, you really know your stuff! I just sent them an email about it. I only opened one tin; I put it in two half-pint jars.

Hi Haebar,

Just going from memories. I sold them for a lot of years but only bought some to smoke for myself just the other day. Ironic.

A lot of people are paying big money for old unopened tins but few will ever be able to get them as old as yours. May I ask which tin had he price label?

Enjoy!