Tennis Ball Tins

TENNISBALL TINS

Tennis Ball Tins

by Larry Whitaker

    The first metal tennis ball cans were made in1926 by Wilson. Before 1926, tennis balls were sold in bags and cardboard boxes.The styleof lid is a very important part of what makes a can desirable or not.

U.S.A. CANS

     The best cans are those that were made inthe U.S.A. and have a flat lid. A flat lid will not go back onto a can after it has beenopened. Because of that, most opened flat lid cans are missing the lids. A flat lid canwith a missing lid looks like the top was cut off with tin snips.

      The newer more common U.S.A. canshave a lid with a slight dome shape to it. A dome lid will go back onto an opened can andstay on tight to hold the balls safely in the can. It seems like 1942 is the approximatedate when they changed from flat to dome lids in the U.S.A. Dome lid keywind cans have onegroove pressed out around the can about 1/2 inch from the top. If the grove is pressed in,the can is most likely a newer easy opening pull ring can. Flat lid keywind cans and somepull ring cans have no groove at all.

ENGLISH CANS

      Most English cans had flat lidswhether they are old or new and should not be confused with the rare flat lid Americancans. However there are ways to tell an old English can from a new one. The new style ofEnglish lid is sunken down about 1/3 inch and the old style of lid is hardly sunk down atall. The biggest difference might be that most old English cans have several grooves inthem (4 sets of 2-4) while the newer cans only have only one near the top like the domelid U.S.A. cans. Also an old English can will have a solder spot in the lid or on thebottom of the can. Air pressure was put in through a small hole and then soldered shut.Both styles of English lids will go back onto the can after opening.

      One type of old tennis ball can wasnot a keywind. It had a metal cap. Printed on the cap is “Remove this cap, pressinner disc firmly to release” The metal cap was pried off by hand. These cans aresemi rare.

The best cans are (in no particular order):

1. Flat lid U.S.A. cans

2. 12 ball cans.

3. Old style English cans

4. World War II cans. Either steel, cardboard, plastic bags, orpaper bags. Sometimes say “Victory” on them, and may say something about therubber being made of a substitute material to support the war effort.

5. Old boxes that pre date cans (pre 1926)

6. 4 ball cans & 2 ball cans. (3 ball cans are much more common)

Other good cans

1. Cans with a metal cap (disc cans)

2. 6 ball boxes (pre 1960)

3. Cans with a famous player on them (except for Pancho Gonzales andVinnie Richards)

4. Cans with a paper label.

to compare this list to the picture, count left to right startingwith the top two.

• 1 Old style English can, notice solder spot

• 2 Disc lid can

• 3 Flat lid U.S.A. can unopened

• 4 Flat lid U.S.A. can opened. Notice sharp edge around top unlike# 8

• 5 Flat lid U.S.A. can opened. Lid will not stay on can, unlike #6

• 6 Dome lid U.S.A. can opened. Lid does stay on can

• 7 English new style. Notice how new English cans are taller thanU.S.A. cans

• 8 Dome lid U.S.A. can. Opened missing lid. Notice the groove *pressed out around can near top. Flat lid (U.S.A.) cans don’t have that (cans 3,4,5,&9 don’t)

• 9 Same as #8 except flat lid. Notice how short an opened flat lidcan is. (#4,5,& 9

*if the groove is pressed in, the can is most likely a newer (after1972) easy opening pull ring can and not what I am looking for.

to compare this list to the picture.

Top left is #1, Bottom left is #2, #3 is second from the left, bothtop & bottom, #4 is third from the left, both top & bottom , #5 is far right, bothtop & bottom

• 1 Disc can lid

• 2 Old style English lid. Notice solder spot

• 3 Flat lid U.S.A. upside down & right side up. Not sunkendown as far as English lid (#5) Notice sharp edge. This lid will not stay on a can afterit has been opened.

• 4 Dome lid U.S.A. upside down & right side up

• 5 New style English lid. Sunken down farther than a U.S.A. flatlid

Contact Larry Whitaker at LWhita@aol.com

The tin below sold for $2,700.00 oneBay on April 29, 1999

Very Rare DON BUDGE Wilson one dozen tennis ball can withendorsed picture of Budge on the front and “Endorsed by Don Budge” orangesquares encircling the tin. Comes with three original balls. One third reads WilsonInternational Tennis Balls, the other reads one dozen, pressure sealed, Approved byUnited States Lawn Tennis Association, Wilson Sporting Goods Co., Chicago, New York, andother principle cities. Made in U.S.A. Very colorful orange, blue and black with little Wlogo’s around the tin. There are two paper tears on front – one is 1/2″ x 1/2″just encroaching the oval picture of Budge – and one tapes down on the back otherwise verygood condition solid, bright, and colorful. 7 1/4″H x 6 1/2″Diameter.