Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Petroliana Value Questions 5 Quart Cans Value

I recently picked up these cans at a farm estate sale with a bunch of other grease and anti-freeze cans. They were full of old nuts and bolts.

The Air-Race and the Burnam are 5 Quarts, and the others are quarts. I am unfamiliar with all except the Harley which is near mint! What would the values of these cans be?

Also I am curious if it would add enough to the value to have them relidded, or just leave as is. What does it cost to have a can relidded?
Thanks

Jim

If you picked them all up under 100 you did well. Seems like at one time Harley cans were hard to find now they are every where. The 2 five quarts look to be the roughest of the 4 but still good ones. The Aloy is the best of the bunch in my opinion don't see it to often and when you do its beat up yours looks pretty nice. If you were going to see them I would get the relidded if keeping them and it doesn't bother you they are without lids I wouldn't worry about it. I think a value on the whole lot would be 400-450 maybe a tad more sometimes 5 quarts are hard to move even graphic ones. Hope this helps answer some of what you asked.

I don't collect random cans so they will eventually be sold...even though I do like them!

So a can collector would be inclined to part with enough extra money to make it worth my while to have them relidded? And it doesn't matter if the lid is obviously new? From what knowledge about it I have gathered,the replacement lids are just plain flat blanks?

Jim

you won't get anymore money out of the cans if you relid them. the graphics speak for themselves, the lack of a lid will not keep someone from buying them. Let the buyer have them relidded

I totally disagree with KZ's statement that a can not having a lid doesn't matter or affect the price. Being a qt can collector I know I will rarely buy a qt without a lid unless I know the can won't turn up again. Its 15 dollars to have a lid put on and if they were mine I would do it. If you had 2 Air Race 5 qts one with a lid and one that didn't (Same condition) priced the same I guarantee I would even go as far as to bet my can collection the one with the lid would sell first and it would take awhile to get rid of the one without the lid. I personally have had 2 of the same cans one with a lid one without and have been stuck with the ones without for awhile. That's just my $0.02 being a can collector.

Anyways i'm not offering to buy (dont want to break the rules) but when you get sick of looking at the Aloy can send me a pm and lets talk.

RELIDE

I would not re-lid them. It's all personal preference when it comes to lids or no lids. Same with full or empty. I personally do not care if the lids are removed. I am more concerned about the graphics and their condition. And if I happen to buy a full can I empty it. Let the new owner replace the lids if they want. Just my opinion.

I agree word-for-word with what Dennis said........

Richard

This is just a personal preference but I would pay more with lid and full of oil. Mitch

...I agree with Dennis (I always empty the composite quarts, but I leave my metal quarts full if they are in great condition), and would add:

...if the can has no lid, a person can always send it to DB and get it relidded...from what I've heard on Oldgas he does a great job...

...if the can has been relidded, it will always be relidded...some buyers do not want a relidded can...