The Origin Of Popcorn Tins
November 8, 2024
The wide variety of sizes and attractive designs of Topsy’s popcorn tins have become almost as iconic as the famous taste of Topsy’s popcorn itself! But when did popcorn first start being sold in tins, how did it happen?
Popcorn first became established as an American snack favorite when it was sold in small paper bags by vendors on the street, at sporting events, and inside movie theaters. Popcorn tins or cans didn’t come to be until decades later, well into the 20th century, and their invention was almost an accident.
Have you ever wondered why the largest popcorn tin size we offer is six and a half gallons? It isn’t just an arbitrary size. If you fill a six-and-a-half-gallon tin with popcorn oil, it would weigh exactly fifty pounds. And in fact, that’s how Topsy’s used to get popcorn oil delivered: in six-and-a-half-gallon metal cans or pails.
We can’t say for certain if we were the first to come up with the idea of re-using those cans to hold popcorn itself. Our President, Bob Ramm, thinks the idea was developed almost simultaneously across the industry as various popcorn companies saw the potential of re-using the oil cans.
Of course, those original cans used to deliver oil for popping didn’t have the attractive designs that Topsy’s fans know and love. They were plain, undecorated, silver metal. Some popcorn companies experimented with painting the tins by hand to sell their product, but as Topsy’s popcorn tins gained popularity, it would have been impossible to hand paint tins fast enough to keep up with the demand. Topsy’s innovation was to develop a way to print designs on the tins so they could be produced quickly in large numbers. A fun piece of trivia: the first Topsy’s tins were printed by the Ohio Art Company, makers of the famous Etch-A-Sketch toy!
Popcorn Gift Tins
Popcorn tins forever changed popcorn from being just a snack you had to quickly chow down out of a paper bag or cardboard tub. But it all started with someone seeing some money-saving potential in those six-and-a-half-gallon popping oil cans.
Today, Topsy’s offers popcorn tins in a range of different sizes and with art suitable for any occasion from a birthday to a holiday to a Super Bowl championship. They make it possible for us to deliver the taste of Topsy’s anywhere in the country and be sure our gourmet popcorn will stay fresh and delicious. That also means that Topsy’s popcorn makes a great gift. Why not order one a tin for a friend or family member today?
