Beware...pin holes in tins. Cardboard tins.

[scloyd]

I purchased some tins from another member of the forums. They arrived today and they look perfectly fine. I decided to crack them open and transfer the tobacco into mason jars. When I opened two of them there was no vacuum seal "pishhhh" sound. I dumped the tobacco out onto a paper towel and noticed the tobacco was crispy bone dry and the inside of the tin bottom was rusty. I held the tin up to the sunlight and I can see pin holes in the bottom.
These are Sutliff cardboard tins. Needless to say I will never store or cellar any tobacco in this type of tin. Everything in this type of tin is going immediately into mason jars.
I contacted the seller...waiting for a response.
In the pictures the white dots are the pin holes.

 

[canadianpuffer]

Ya that’s like the old Pease tins, caveat emptor...

 

[scloyd]

I want clarify something. I don't think the seller deliberately sold them knowing they were bad. I'm not accusing them of any wrong doing. That is the reason I didn't post their name.
I just want everyone else...especially newbies like me to know that this can happen.

 

[sablebrush52]

This seems like a good time to post this link to an earlier discussion of issues with the old Pease tins. Keep in mind that these are corroding from the inside out. Also, these are not cardboard tins.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/look-carefully-before-you-leap

 

[scloyd]

Thanks Sable for posting the link.

Also, these are not cardboard tins.

Looks and feels like cardboard similar to the Pillsbury biscuit containers. No rust on the sides...just the bottom.
Also, I never saw any pictures of the tins. A forum member listed them and I PM them and purchased.
I am not blaming the seller. I think it was unknown to him also.

 

[sablebrush52]

Looks and feels like cardboard similar to the Pillsbury biscuit containers.

Sorry unclear writing on my part. I was referring to the early Pease tins not being cardboard.

 

[bnichols23]

Thanks, Jesse. We've had a lot of new people recently, & even with the time embargo on the WTT forum here, it's AWfully easy to run across this problem in any online sales venue.

 

[scloyd]

My main objective to this post was to inform other newbies like me.
Thanks again for posting that ebay link. I read it and now I know.

 

[scloyd]

UPDATE: The seller just PM me offering a full refund. I suggested he refund for the two bad tins and not to refund for the one good tin or the shipping. I believe that's fair.
I learned a lot from this. Thanks!

 

[jpmcwjr]

More than fair.

 

[sablebrush52]

Very fair, especially since the seller was unaware of the issue. I think it's important for prospective buyers of vintage tins to understand that it can be a roll of the dice. The seller isn't necessarily responsible to make good on a bad tin that looked good. There can innocence on both sides. Make sure you can return the unopened tin before buying, and if anything about the tin sets off warning flags, like even the barest sign of rust, corrosion, metallic dust, stains on the label, etc. don't open it, return it.

 

[jon11]

Sable is right. The sale of vintage tins should only be able to be returned unopened. Once opened you’re at your own risk just like the seller would have been had he opened it.

You can’t return a scratch off lottery ticket after you scratched it and didn’t win.....same concept.

I bought a tin of 1995 Blackwoods Flake and it was compromised by rusting from the inside out. I let the seller know and he actually offered a refund but I refused.

That is not fair to the seller to have to give a refund once opened....unopened, no problem.

 

[scloyd]

After reading your comments (Jesse, jon11)...you are correct. The seller doesn't owe me any refund and it was nice that he offered. I contacted him and told him to forget about any refund. I will have to check my Paypal account. If he already refunded the money I will make it right.
Thank you all for helping me see this from the sellers point of view.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd be inclined to refuse the refund, and proceed to gently rehydrate and then smoke the heck out of it. (Unless it turns to dust when pressed lightly between finger tips.)
Another tip: The tin when gently shake will give info- If no sound, good. If rattling, bad. Weighing it could also be used, but you'd need a reference tin that's not dehydrated.
EDIT: Excellent! You done good. (Watching WC while replying, got caught up in a Croatian goal, so my post was started before I saw yours.)

 

[scloyd]

I checked my Paypal account and a refund was already issued. I sent the seller the total amount back. Now we are back to square one.
I'm happy, I hope he's happy.
Thanks again everyone.

 

[scloyd]

Thanks jpm

 

[witchofthehollow]

What blends were these ?

 

[jpmcwjr]

And how do they smoke once brought back to life??

 

[Chasing Embers]

The prime reason I won't buy vintage tins. I have tins as far back as the late 90s, but these have all been purchased new and accidentally cellared. All of my cellar is kept in a cool dry closet where I go through a monthly ritual of checking for tin damage and swelling.

 

[cortezattic]

What blends were these ?

The pix look like the bottoms of the Hearth & Home series of blends that are/were packaged in rather thick-walled aluminized cardboard cans. I have several different blends from 2013, and the metal bottoms seem to be OK; but I must admit, I worry about the integrity of the paper walls.