Old Fruit jar ring box

[Humabdos]

I picked this up today at a farm sale for $.25
I know Cupples Co. made Good housekeepers jars. How collectable is it.?
Thanks, Glen

 

[bubbas dad]

i don't know value wise, but at that price it's got to be a deal. something that old with such bright color looks great as part of a collection.

 

[jarsnstuff]

Hi Glen, While the American is one of the most common boxes, 25 cents certainly isn't too much to pay to add a little color to your jar collection! Jar ring boxes can be addicting too - plus they're not nearly so fragile as jars, nor to they take up as much room. I maintain a website with photos, descriptions & estimated values you might want to check out. go to: http://groups.msn.com/FruitJarRingBoxes
-Tammy

 

[Humabdos]

Nice web site Tammy! Thanks for the info. When where they made?

Glen

 

[jarsnstuff]

Hi Glen, my apologies for taking so long to answer your question. Jar rings were first sold in barrels, you just stuck in your hand and pulled out as many as you wanted. Well, packed in barrels, the rings got crumpled & distorted so bad that they weren't reliable to seal fruit jars. Around the turn of the 20th century, manufacturers started packing them in boxes so they would be nice and flat and round. Very few boxes are actually dated, so it's really hard to say - but I do have a box with a 1903 date and another dated 1907. Some of the really early boxes are very plain, but it didn't take long for the designs to become very graphic and colorful to make them more appealing to shoppers. The most colorful & intricate designs peaked in the 1920's & 1930's when even small-town grocers had jar ring boxes with their own name on them. Designs became pretty plain again around WWII, and production of jar rings tapered off with the increased use of the self-sealing metal lids. By the 1970's, jar rings were no longer being made in the USA. However, they are still being made in Canada. Now I'll apologize for being so long-winded.... -Tammy