A 3 Strikes tobacco tin from the early 1900s stunned collectors at a New Hamburg auction, selling for $55K.
A tiny relic of Canadian history has fetched a jaw-dropping sum at a recent auction in Ontario. A near-mint condition, turn-of-the-century 3 Strikes chewing tobacco tin sold for $55,000 at Miller & Miller Auctions in New Hamburg—five times its estimated value.
Historic Find Sparks Bidding Frenzy
The baseball-themed tin, manufactured by the Erie Tobacco Company, captivated collectors across North America. With just seven known examples in existence, this rare collectible is considered a “cross collectible”—drawing both sports memorabilia enthusiasts and vintage tobacco tin collectors.
“When Justin and I saw the image of this tin for the first time, we knew it was rare,” said Ethan Miller, CEO of Miller & Miller Auctions. “There’s been very little auction history on the sale of 3 Strikes tins.”
A Collector’s Dream from the 1900s
Featuring the image of a baseball player circa 1900, the vibrant red and yellow tin is not only rare—it’s remarkably well preserved. “Pocket tins in general are hard to come by, but one in this kind of condition is huge,” Miller noted.
Bidding had already reached $29,000 even before the official auction began. By the end of the day, it had nearly doubled.
Discovered in a Wall During Renovation
Remarkably, the tin was found during a home renovation in Kingsville, Ontario, just 200 metres from the original Erie Tobacco factory. Tucked inside a wall cavity, the tin was handed to the homeowner as a quirky keepsake by a contractor who had no idea of its value.
The family, who initially received a valuation of $9,000 to $12,000, was stunned by the final sale price. “They were gobsmacked,” Miller said.
A Symbol of Nostalgia and Rarity
Ed Locke, a collector of nostalgic items for over five decades, summed it up best: “When you get something rare in a desirable category and in very, very good condition, you just never know how much it will command.”
In the world of collecting, rarity and passion go hand in hand—and in this case, they made a little tin worth more than its weight in gold.
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