#991 Really, really old Tupperware

Neil Pasricha

Watch your retinasFound in dusty kitchen cupboards and dishwasher top-shelves across this wide, great land, really, really old Tupperware is as handy today as it was twenty, thirty, forty years ago. That famous Tupperware “burping seal” still holds strong, and you can bet your boombox that banana bread will stay moist, those chopped celery sticks crisp, that leftover lasagna slice fresh. Yes, all is well in this tight vacuum-sealed Chamber of Taste-Preservation.

Really, really old Tupperware is mostly found in three colors: Stovetop Green, Pylon Orange, or The Core Of The Sun Yellow (pictured). Optional features include novelty 1950s floral patterns or deep tomato stains, from that time someone put leftover chili in there and shoved it in the back of the freezer for two years.

One thing I enjoy doing is thinking about all the different kinds of food a particular piece of Tupperware has tupperwared shut over the years. Apparently Tupperware has been around since 1946, so we’re talking about the full tastebud timeline — from lard burgers, creamed corn casseroles, and Jello salads to hemp brownies, parsley soup, and tofu cookies to pizza pockets, Hungry Man leftovers, and astronaut ice-cream pellets.

Really, really old Tupperware has been there, sealed that, and lived to tell the tale. It’s a throwback to the simpler life, when things like airtight seals meant something. Something real. Something honest.

Something worth believing in.

AWESOME!

Tupper Rainbow

243 thoughts to “#991 Really, really old Tupperware”

  1. ahh this is so great. i just did my kitchen in retro colors and searched thrift stores and the internet to stock it full with tupperware. the colors are perfect, tupperware will reseal them for you and indeed they are AWESOME!

  2. My wife sold Tupperware, so it was part of our family for some time. A lot of family meals were stored there.

  3. I remember a family canoe trip when I was a kid. My mom and I were in one canoe, with our picnic lunch. My dad and the others were in separate canoes. Our canoe tipped over and our lunch was washed downstream. My mom stood in the middle of that stream and yelled, “Save my Tupperware!!!” I was mortified. But some nice man fished out the floating FPU’s (food preservation units), and I believe she still has them today!

    2. This is a great story! Be sure to tell your children (your grandchildren won’t appreciate it so much–yet).

  4. I sold tupperware and I still use it. Why buy other plastics when the tupperware is still usefull.

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  7. What about the tupperware hard-plastic orange peeler? I don’t know if my mother still has it in the back of a drawer somewhere – maybe dropped behind the stove and stuck to a greasy floor? All I know is that I haven’t peeled an orange in years as that sticky juice running down my arms creeps me out. I wonder if TW still carries them?

    1. Yes, we still have orange peelers (officially called “citrus peelers”). We give them away at parties.
      You can contact a consultant in your area, and ask for one :) Just go to the website, and click the “find a consultant” tab. Or you can go to my site, and send me an email with your contact info, and I can mail you one!

  10. The scary thing is, my family definitely owns that Tupperware set shown in the picture.

  11. I LOVE THIS POST!! The old “Core Of The Sun Yellow” tupperware you posted in your photo is not only still in my mother’s cabinet under the dish drainer, but also still has the faded black-magic-marker name of my grandmother (who passed in 1978) around the circle on the bottom. It’s AWESOME!! (And my cousin, Grandma’s namesake completely, always tries to steal it from my mom — since it has her name on the bottom.)
    Thanks Neil!

  13. OH my god!!! I remember those. Where did you find them? So many memories from childhood…

  14. Yes old tupperware. I thought I was the only one on the planet who loves the old stuff. I still have a few lids from my childhood cups; the jug that we mixed Tang in, the cake holder; the jello mold with interchangable tops; the cereal holder; all from the 60’s and one container from the 50’s. very cool.

  16. I thought it was “harvest gold”, “burnt orange” and “avacado green”? Don’t know what the dark brown was called but I have some of that too! I have moved on to all glass as I think it’s better but I grew up with TW.

  17. oh my god!
    First I love the site, I love all your cool ideas, and the whole Tupperware segway is hilarious!
    People are reuniting over TW…..Too funny, must go read some more, and the comments are to much, way to funny.

  18. I was a TW dealer and Manager back in the 70s. I still have and use some of the items I bought then.
    e.g. Rice drainer/cooker, orange and cream cups…ideal to fit in car holders! Salad crisp, Burp lid containers in the caravan. …….to mention a few.
    Great product

  19. In the far future, those same tupperware pieces are being used still! I spotted some in the kitchen of Serenity. In the movie and in Firefly episodes!

    Does the lifetime warrenty still hold?

    1. Yes, “lifetime” actually means just that, for most products. If Tupperware cracks, breaks, chips, or peels, we’ll replace it free. If the actual product you have is not available, we’ll replace it with a comparable product, or give you credit (for the last price at which it was sold) to purchase another Tupperware product.

  21. i would like to have a catalog sent to my home do you still send out catalogs please let me know or is there a web site where i can sign up for a catalog

  24. I have some old pieces, do not know what they are. Can you help me identify them.
    Mold numbers are 885-19, 1223-74, 877-4, 1452-3, 879-3, 134-10

    Thanks.

    1. This is highly unusual, but several of your mold numbers aren’t even in my parts catalog! That is usually only the case with items that were host gifts, or prizes that we give away to guests at parties. I can’t find 885, 877, 879, 1223, or 1452 although there are parts listed before and after those numbers! If you could take a picture of them, and email it to me, I may be able to figure it out for you!

      #134 is a measuring pitcher.

      My email is afich@comcast.net.

      ~~~April

  25. I have a jade green container and am not aware of it’s use. The bottom # 782-4, it has a clear white lid and a strainer looking insert. The container is a large rectangle shape.

    1. Hi Mary. Your container is called the “Easy Crisp”, and is for storing fresh vegetables—-especially celery and carrots.

      The newer products for storing fresh fruit and vegetables are called “FridgeSmart”, and come in a variety of sizes.

  26. This site seems to recieve a good ammount of visitors. How do you advertise it? It gives a nice individual twist on things. I guess having something real or substantial to post about is the most important thing.

  29. One of the more impressive blogs Ive seen. Thanks so much for keeping the internet classy for a change. Youve got style, class, bravado. I mean it. Please keep it up because without the internet is definitely lacking in intelligence.

  31. My grandparents kept oreos in their circular tupperware that looked just like this. I love it. Thank you for the reminder. I just watched your ted.com talk and am comforted and inspired by your story. if curious, feel free to swing by my blog which has a similar bend. http://www.blissfix.com I chronicle the things that make me smile or give me hope and journal a bit, too. I like that your blog focuses on the simple things in life… it gives me warm fuzzies. And reminds me of a book I bought in the early 90s called 1000 things to be happy about. remember it? I will certainly feature your blog soon! thank you for being awesome, aware, and authentic.

  32. Oh, i thought this was a site where i could find and buy old tupperware. Hard to find the good stuff that they no longer make anymore. I do not care for the new designs.

    1. Don’t despair! The “Classics” reappear quite often. Keep in touch with your local consultant. Let him/her know what you’re looking for, and you may be surprised!

      The “old” style Mixing Bowl Set and the Fix ‘N Mix Bowl are currently on our website. My site is: www. my2.tupperware.com/aprilfichthorn
      You’ll find them when you click “online exclusives” .

  33. I have some really old Tupperware which is probably 35 years old – square storage boxes. They are great in in daily use but only thing is that the seals have split and I would love to get some more – the original clear ones were 310 or could be 330 as number not easy to read. I did get a couple of yellow replacements which fit – 5550A but no Tupperware is sold in the UK now. Can anyone help please?

    1. Yes, Tupperware is still sold in the UK! Here’s the phone number for the UK and Ireland: 01525-218924. You can find them online. There’s a contact form to fill out on the Tupperware.com page. Click “contact us”, then “international”. Click the pink “UK and Ireland” link, which will take you to the form to fill out. Or…..just call! It would probably be quicker!

      Mold # 310 is the seal for a container called a “Square Round”. #311 is the 16 oz. container, #312 is the 30 oz. container. They were the most popular sizes. We also had a 64 oz. size (#313). We can still get replacement seals, but can’t currently get the containers. They come back every once in a while for a short-term promotion.

  34. Ok. I have the greatest tupperware and i’d love to share some with you.
    Seriously, my mother sold it and did so remarkably well in the 50’/60’s.
    I have the nostalgic cookie cutter’s, not just one set either…
    every time I see them at a thrift shop or yard sale I buy them because they are the greatest and a rare find! They were made for every occassion, even have a turkey for Thanksgiving, a birthday cake, bunny, the best jolly Santa ever, etc!
    Let me know…

  35. Thanks to this post and experience, I did some inet research and discovered the sets of RED, vintage tupperware cookie cutters, I’ve been collecting and gifting for many years, are not only sentimental but also valuable. (mid 1950’s)
    When found at thrift shops, they’re really a score!
    I thought the set was 8 and it’s actually 10, so am on the hunt for the Easter egg and the Valentine shaped ones. You should see, because this is really old and awesome tupperware!!!
    They are all so nostalgic, special and Awesome:)

      1. Oh my gosh… been here, done that…I was just an “Awesome Baby then!” tehehe! Still am compared to some…WOW, this is fun!!

      2. Oh, thanks for thanking me! (to say this this is funny in our home-hahaha!)

  37. I love that #991 has turned into an advertisment / on line order site for old replacement TW – Now that’s awesome ! Hahahaha !

  38. tupperware and awesome should never be mentioned in the same sentence. any1 that thinks they should has never had to hand dry the stupid groved lids. something that was truly awesome was when parents brought dishwasher and i never had 2 dry it again

  39. Just clean my grandmother old tupperware. Found some stuff but not sure what they are. 3655A-1 and 4874A-1. Can someone help me with those.

    1. #3655 is the cover to the 2 Qt. Round Ovenworks Casserole Dish. It can be used in the oven and microwave.

      We don’t have a #4874 in our parts catalog. There is a #4894, however. If it’s 4894, it’s a CrystalWave square-round 1 1/2 cup container. It can go in the microwave on medium power.

      1. Thanks April, I now can safely use in microwave without worried I would destroy them. I love all my Tupperware and they are truly “awesome”.

  40. Wow,thank you for sharing with everyone on line about there old tupperware it’s the best product in the world to me. I should be selling it can you contact me.

  42. I love all the old tupperware best the orange and yellow are my favorite. Oh by the way I’am a tupperware junky love love love it,there ‘s not a day that goes by that we don’t use more than one item. So everybody just keep buying more and more you can never have to many and use it daily don’t store it. Mave God Bless!!!

  43. You forgot the dull brown tupperware with a lighter brown “flower”. Mom has 4 canisters like this and they are sooooo ugly!

  45. This article reminds me of my mom, because she used to have oodles of Tupperware, and I remember her having Tupperware parties with my aunts.

    I totally knew the colors before they even listed them. Yellow, Orange and Green. :D

  46. I was helping a friend organize her cabinets yesterday. She had a ham keeper with no insert or lid. She was throwing it away. I have it and am in search of the lid and insert.

  47. Nossa, eu tenho algumas verdadeiras Tupperware aqui em casa quem são mais velhas que eu, 18 anos… Alias, adorei o blog

  48. I have a piece of Tupperware but I don’t know what it’s for. It is clear white. The top and bottom are hinged together and the lid has a bent part looking like a hanger. It loooks like it would hold a half of a grapefruit but what would the hanger be for??? Tupperware is embossed across the top and some emblem but I don’t see any numbers. Thanks for any help. Am visiting a girlfriend who has been unsuccessful in learning about it.

    1. It sounds like a forget-me-not container. It is for half of a grapefruit, onion, etc. You slide it on the shelf of your fridge, with the flat side against the wall, hanging it on the far edge of the shelf, at the front, so you don’t forget to use it! You’ll see it every time you open the fridge.

      We now have a 3 piece set, with two round containers, and a square one which is ideal for cheese.

      1. I was really hoping someone would answer this question cuz I couldn’t remember! And it’s actually called a “forget-me-not”, even more awesome discovery! Couldn’t we all use a “bunch” of these? Thank you:)

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