Back in the mid-80s I spent five years working part-time at a Tinder Box store (now gone) in Chicagoland. It was a typical TB, with tons of those Bradford Exchange collector plates, Hummels, Lladros, etc. But we were also able to bring in any tobacco blends we wanted, to see if they'd sell. So our store -- unlike many others -- had a terrific collection of tins, including a lot of the A&C Petersen range (many now discontinued), Balkan Sobranie, Dunhill, Condor, Erinmore, and more.
Here's what just struck me. If people had been buying those tins of tobacco instead of all of those collector plates, they could have seen something like a 500-1000% return on their investment today.
As for the plates? Well, visit your local antique mall and you'll see that they're selling for about 1/4 of what they did originally.
Kinda ironic. . . (And it would make me smile, except I still kick myself that I didn't have the foresight to stock up on all of those now-lost blends while I had the chance -- and an employee discount!)
Here's what just struck me. If people had been buying those tins of tobacco instead of all of those collector plates, they could have seen something like a 500-1000% return on their investment today.
As for the plates? Well, visit your local antique mall and you'll see that they're selling for about 1/4 of what they did originally.
Kinda ironic. . . (And it would make me smile, except I still kick myself that I didn't have the foresight to stock up on all of those now-lost blends while I had the chance -- and an employee discount!)
