Thoughts on Tupperware as the company goes out of business.
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| As far as I can remember, I only ever went to one or two Tupperware parties in the 1970s. The only reason anyone I knew would host a Tupperware party was that there was always a lottery at each party. The winner received some fabulous piece of Tupperware. The loser had to host a party. The pressure was on! |
Basically, virtually no customers want to host or to attend promotional parties any more. The Tupperware company, which is in deep financial trouble, finally started selling their products at Target last fall. However, this departure from their 77 years selling only at parties is probably too late to save them. Both the party and the product are effectively obsolete. You can buy containers that are as good or better from Oxo or Rubbermaid or ZipLock or several other manufacturers. As an expert quoted in CNN earlier this month said: “The company used to be a hotbed of innovation with problem-solving kitchen gadgets, but it has really lost its edge.”
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| Women wore dresses to mid-century Tupperware parties. There were games, and prizes for odd things about your clothing. At one party, I won some small Tupperware thing because (get this) my dress had a side zipper! You probably never heard of a dress with a side zipper. Don't ask. |
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| The Tupperware company utterly failed to keep up with modern times. Among other things, many people don't want to use plastic where it can be avoided. |
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| Vintage Tupperware juice pitcher. I never thought it was that exceptional. A favorite was the cake lid, but it didn't seem that great to me. |
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| More vintage Tupperware. Lots of plastic mugs, tumblers, and other beverage containers as well as ice buckets, ice-cube trays, and more. Perfected for the tastes of housewives of the 1940s, 50s, 60s 70s... |
I had virtually no Tupperware and never saw what the big deal was about the products, which always seemed overpriced. The parties were kind of silly and didn't appeal to me or to my friends. When we lived in Berkeley in the 60s, I heard rumors about a bunch of hippies who volunteered to host a Tupperware party. The naive Tupperware saleslady didn't realize that her prospects were all high on some then-very-illegal substance. The guests definitely thought the whole sales pitch and all the games were hilarious!
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| This is the Tupperware toy every mother that I knew thought her child should have. You can still buy them. |
The history of the Tupperware company, which first created a new type of plastic and then innovated the in-home sales parties is fascinating. An article in the Washington Post summarized the roles of Earl Tupper, the engineer who invented self-sealing plastic containers and lids, and Brownie Wise, who invented the Tupperware party. She became the leader of "a raucous women’s world of guerilla sales and marketing." I guess everyone has a Tupperware story, but I feel no nostalgia! (Washington Post, April 23, 2023)
Blog post © 2023 mae sander.
All photos taken from random internet sites.
Shared with Elizabeth's Tuesday blog party.
