How Tupperware Reinvented American Business

A great product and story. I use some of the vintage Tupperware in the photographs and it is still working good after years of use!

Vintage tupperware is the best! Love the pastel colors!

I am obsessed with tupperware!

I love vintage Tupperware!!!

My mother hosted Tupperware parties when I was small &, possibly as a consequence of those barely remembered times, I have a deep loathing for those horrible, nail-breaking plastic containers. She tried to palm me off with a huge collection when I first left home, but I managed to leave it all in a box in her attic & as far as I know it's there still! Because I've never had the means to store left-overs, I've perfected the art of making sure we don't have any. :-)

I love tupperware! It is a great alternative to plastic wrap, and perfect for carrying lunches in!

think about the notion of tuppweware parties!!

I not only hosted parties in the 80's but I sold it for several years!!! I still use it every day.

Great article! It's amazing how such a simple product can have such a complicated story behind it.

Interesting article!

Amazingly !

cool article.

I just had a tupperware party a month ago! Love all the stuff I received... however, it's not made quite as well as the vintage stuff that my mother and grandmother had.

I'm 53 years old and I can remember my mother going to Tupperware parties and of course Mary Kay Parties as an adult I never went to a Tupperware or a Mary Kay party but I would always order Tupperware from someone selling it at work.

Guess it makes me old but I have most of those tupperware products and they are still going strong. Nice to know I am back in style. :)

"The many tensions among the themes of the Tupperware story ultimately tell us that our degree of skepticism, or cynicism, or rebellion, is commensurate with our opportunities." True, true. It's very easy to practice presentism when thinking about social change over history. When I was in school studying theology and philosophy, a lot of students were quick to throw the baby out with the bath water when studying writings and ideas from the past. But you have to consider historical context, focus on what they were right about, and try to understand how it might be relevant to your own life and time.

I was a Tupperware manager for 18 years and it was the hardest job I ever loved. I escaped a very bad marriage and was able to support my two young children for many years until I met my beloved Mr Funky. As it was 100% commission based, it was not for everyone. We all coveted any award having to do with Brownie Wise, and there was a mystery and awe about those good old days of Tupperware ladies. Although the company changed enough by 2005 for me to need a change, along with the "Do not call" mandates that kind of killed my cold calling gold mine, I do have fond memories of those times. It was tough, don't get me wrong, anyone foolish enough to believe you can just sit back and wait for sales is kidding themselves. But by asking anyone I could, "Do you need a Tupperware lady?" I began many many new relationships, some lasting for years, some turned into best friends that I have to this day, not to mention that I met Mr Funky through another Tupperware manager (I loved telling that in my recruiting spiel, "I even got a husband through Tupperware.") Now I find that I utilize those memories to present some of the better items that people wanted (yes, some people really DO want their mother's Tupperware) and highlight them in my shop.

Great story! The most recent episode of Modern Family featured a missing Tupperware story line.

My grandmother is/was a Tupper, indeed a relation to Earl. We don't own alot of tupperware though.

Hi, my mum was a tupperware lady many years ago in the 1960's. I can't really remember talking to her about it that much but we always had cupboards full of it. I also had a friend who hosted parties in the 80's and I attended many. I have some of the 80's tupperware from this time. I especially liked the little free gifts such as the tupperware keyring, ketchup spoon and pickled onion scoop. I still have some of these and use them occasionally, especially the onion scoop as they can be slippery little things.. In respect of tupperware, and the opportunities it offered women to work around bringing up a family in the days before family friendly shifts and job shares and job shares, I can only praise them for being ahead of their time and for this reason I will always have a respect for them. They offered ordinary women the opportunity to maintain some kind of financial independence in a world that either wanted them to be housewives or superwomen.

Thanks for this interesting story. I can see obvious parallels between Tupperware and Etsy, in that both give women an opportunity to dream and succeed while they are still caring for their young children.

My cats won't eat from metal dishes, they use the golden color bowls in the picture above!

Ha! My Tupperware is like my canning jars. Unless I'm sure they will be returned, I put the contents into something else before sending home with others. I still hold a grudge against my husband who used and lost my large vintage Tupperware container. And FunkyJunky (above) is the resident expert on our We Love Vintage Team. We all think of her as our Etsy Tupperware lady! Great article. Great PBS feature.

I love Vintage Tupperware, This was a Great Article. Thank You

I've never owned any Tupperware, neither did my parents. I guess we were out of the loop.

Tupperware is so useful! And vintage Tupperwear is so cool... however, I don't use much of it anymore. I refuse to microwave plastic and I would be leary of the vintage stuff because the plastic isn't labled... I'm a pyrex girl now.

P.S. Tupperware only became more heat resistant and dishwasher safe in 1979, most Tupperware is not made for microwaving, only storage. Somehow, once we started owning home microwaves, people thought that all Tupperware miraculously became microwavable. Not true. Most is guaranteed to melt in the microwave!

I love Tupperware! I didn't know the story behind it so this was an interesting read.

interesting story, thanks for the read :)

The documentary was very good.

Do they still have Tupperware parties?

Tupperware is still around, I think, and yes, I think the main way to make money is to have parties...although I haven't been invited to one since the 70's. Cannot wait to watch the documentary!

Ok, I'm intrigued, now I have to google Brownie Wise.

Oh yes- Tupperware parties! I remember my friend's mom used to have those. Loved all the colorful selections of plastic containers! I think my mom bought a set of popscicle molds from one of those parties.

Fabulous article, inspiring!

Great article. I remember the Tupperware parties. Great storage containers.

Great article!So beautiful...

I love this and I love my old tupperware..Though my new spider man tupperware is not that great...

I remember going to tupperware parties with Mom when I was young. Ah memories!

Great story!

good article.

Yay for Tpperware! Can you tell when yours was made by the color?

A few days ago, I re-watched the TV Documentary (on BBC) regarding the History of Tupperware....WOW! I just love that Documentary, and I highly recommend it,--- especially the part about BROWNIE (one of the original founders of Tupperware). :-) "L"

While reading this today ,that Tupperware only allowed men to get the higher rank it made me grimace!But I must admit that for the 50's that may have been Forward Thinking and a way to sanity for many women and must commend them for that (I get my 50's vibe from MadMen LOL) They also pioneered the concept for modern day Avon,Yves Rocher Party Lite Candle Parties and countless other brand's.Personally knowing some ladies in my life who want to be home for their kid's,but mean's they depend on their husband's financially these are avenues for them to do something for themselves and gives them some financial freedom,so kudos to Tupperware for that.

I just recently got rid of my avocado green, burnt orange and bright yellow tupperware bowls from the late 70's. I seem to remember that you could get little mini toy sets of tupperware for the kids, too, but any kind of tupperware makes great baby toys. Just open up the cupboard and let them have at it!

My mother was a Tupperware Lady for nearly 20 years here in Australia. She was so successful during her Tupperware career that my father quit his jewellery business and went and worked for her. That's how I came to making jewellery from Tupperware, which i have been doing since 2004.

I've been using Tupperwear since I was young!

I remember my Aunt having House of Lloyd Parties & Tupperware parties. It gave her, a Stay-at-Home-Mom, a way to make money when she raised my cousins! How wonderful! The internet has opened more opportunities, like Etsy, that allow Women to do what they love without the "rules" of the maker & the opportunity to be the Maker themselves while living out their dreams! My dream is to have a business in which I can provide healthy alternatives to the main stream Bath & Body products.......I am doing it with my Etsy & my website! Empower yourself & believe in yourself......I believe that is what Tupperware, Mary Kay, Etc. is trying to teach those women who may not have all of the confidence in the world......You CAN do it if you truly BELIEVE!!

Ohhh those photos bring back memories .. of looking in my Mom's cupboard last week trying to find a lid for the yellow Tupperware pickle bucket thingy .. you know the one.. with the little pull up strainer thingy:) Thingy is a great word. I grew up in a family of 2 sets of twin - 2 years apart. From a wee little age we each had our own tupperware plate, bowl & cup set. Mine was yellow, my sis's was orange, my brothers was brown and my other brothers was green ... don't even think of being spotted with someone else's cup! Tupperware is engrained in my brain and ohhh how I love those memories ! Thanks for the reminder.

etsy...the new Tupperware lady.

Really enjoyed this article and the documentary, I love the product and have been collecting for years.

Great article! I'm very curious about her tragic end. Thank goodness I'm headed to the library today. It will be my first question! Thanks for a great read.

I've been using topperwere since 1980. Love topperwear!!^^ Great story.

I have a large collection of tuperware in my studio that I use for damp boxes to keep my porcelain work moist while in process. I particularly like the cake server/storer where I can store multiple pieces...many were from my mother's kitchen. Great stuff, thanks for the piece!

I started selling Tupperware last August and it is a great way to make a few extra bucks...and get tons of tupperware!! If you are even tempted to join up, don't hesitate! It's a great company to work for!

I lived in the US over 10 years ago. Now in my late twenties, I sit smiling at the memories this post has brought back. Of the time we had moved in to our new home and our neighbor invited us to a Tupperware party. Being British we had never been to one before. I was about ten years old, once at the party I felt bitterly disappointed finding out that it was all about plastic containers : )

interesting story, never knew the history behind them before!

I am a tupperware story...started selling in 1976 while pregnant with my second child because the flexible hours allowed me to work around my college pre med classes. Am just now (2012) semi retired...along the way ended up supporting 7 children as a single mom by "selling tupperware"...drove 18 company cars in that time...and did not miss the important parts of my kids' growing up events! The company was a lifeline for me...selling tupperware was the only "legal" way of earning the kind of money I made in order to keep my family afloat. (and I did pay taxes on my income!) It was a product I believed in, a product that did save time, money and energy....one of the earliest forms of "reuse and recycle". Thank you Brownie Wise, who was also a single mom who used the opprtunity to support her health challenged son!

What a great story! I had forgotten that my mom sold Tuppeware for a while. I still remember those serrated lids that were so beastly to get clean! Well, needless to say, I have Tupperware now. They make the best plastic pitchers. Timeless product!

Love tupperware!!! I used to sell tupperware and will always use it. It's great! :)

I have wonderful childhood memories of going to Tupperware parties with my grandmother. All the ladies dressed up and had drinks and snacks - nothing alcoholic, of course! I still have Grandma's Tupperware container that held her famous sugar cookie dough. I treasure it still!

I saw this documentary and found it quite interesting. it was a shame how Brownie Wise was kicked to the curb by them though. She revolutionized the "home party" sales technique that is still popular today. Beware the powerful woman , i guess. i do have fond memories of those pastel colored coasters and cups!

Though it was thirty some years later, I can still remember my mom and her friends having tupperwear parties. My mom has been a stay-at-home-mom her entire life and I know she enjoyed the extra income from the parties. Not to mention how durable tupperwear products are--we still have and use them!

I loved this documentary. So interesting, but so sad for Brownie. It's amazing the lengths women have traveled in the business world, with still a great distance to go. Great article! Thanks for sharing!

I saw the documentary as well, and found it more than a bit depressing. Brownie Wise was key to the success of the Tupperware empire. Without her savvy business skills we might not know about Tupperware. The company really did her an injustice by, as another commenter stated, "kicking her to the curb". Yes, she inspired many women to forge a way into extra income, but at the heart of the story is a woman who gave it her all, and was ultimately deemed useless.

I remember growing up going to tons of tupperwear parties. We had so much fun. I always wanted all the fun things they had to help out in the kitchen, that I still don't know how to use. My favorite were the tupperwear blocks I had as a child, that were so cool that my mom bought a special set for me for when I have kids. I wonder if I could still get some of those, off to look...

I come from a long line of Tupperwear & Avon sellers and I'm a big fan of both today. Thanks for reminding us how a little ingenuity & gusto can change your life. :)

What an interesting post! I remember growing up my mom had a ton of tupperware and she was a big supporter of the company because of all the opportunities they gave women.

Wow! This brings back memories =). My Mom was a Tupperware lady through the 80's and early 90's when I was growing up. I have always been inspired by my Mom, who was able to work from home and raise my brother and myself. We would go with her to the warehouse, and sometimes to help with parties. Tupperware was a staple in our home. Just a couple years ago I raided the last of her her Tupperware stash in the attic for things for our home. She was very sad when to see the business make more of an online presence, because it did away with the need for parties which was the backbone of the company for so long. I will point out that they may have not allowed women to be distributors in the 50's, but they certainly did in the 80's! My Mom was one for many years. What I hate is when people refer to any old plastic food container as "Tupperware", only Tupperware can be "Tupperware" =).

Such an awesome post! Thank you!

(title) ..... By selling mass produced manufactured products not small batch/OOAK artisan made products .... Etc And I don't like and never did like door-to-door and home-party sales

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Tupperware, its so useful and stops food from getting wasted and yet all that plastic I'm not sure is a good thing!

My mother was a manger for tupperware for years. Granted it was the 80's but I remember the parties and all the work that went into the buisness. She quit when my father became self-employed to be his secretary. Three years ago she tried to get back into tupperware and we quickly learned you are spending more money than making money. The sales are just not there anymore. Tupperware made my mother a stronger more independant person and I am glad it was fun while it lasted. Great post brings back many memories! Thanks!!

I saw the PBS show! It was very interesting!

What an interesting story - thanks so much for sharing!

My Grandmother (GRR) was a Tupperware lady! When I was a kid she used to give me her sales slips so I could divide up the orders on her kitchen table. She's the one person that I credit my business too! Thanks for bringing up such nice memories!!

The PBS documentary was very interesting. Great memories. Still have some pieces floating around my mother's house. Can you believe they expected your husband to take over your business after reaching a certain level? Ha! The glass ceiling back then wasn't glass, but plastic.

The one Tupperware piece I own and love is a vintage Grapefruit knife. It works better than any grapefruit Knife or spoon I've ever used and is highly coveted in our home. I've used it almost daily for the past 20 odd years when my mother passed it onto me. I remember it being one of the favors at a party she hosted. I'd loved to buy more if possible.

I remember my mom having tons of stuff in Tupperware when we were growing up. My mom did wending cakes, so she always had tupperware with extra frosting. I also remember making the popsicles in Kool-aid drink mix. I recognized the gold bowls in the picture and have become like my mom with some containers. I have had for 18 years some of the storage containers, the popcicle makers, and lots of other stuff. I guess once you're adicted to it, it's a hard cycle to break.

A very interesting article. I think that Tupperware is inside all the kitchens around the word :-) In Italy we use a similar think but Made in glass (called frigoverre).

Great article! I have lots of vintage Tupperware and wish I still had some that I got rid of several years ago. It would be vintage now. :)

Wonderful!! vintage!!

I remember my friend's mom supported him as a single mom with Tupperware. I loved when she would get her shipment and we would sort it by order on her kitchen counter. My aunt always had the latest and greatest Tupperware. I recently threw away a lettuce keeper I had for years, as it finally gave out. Great story.

Great Story. I love vintage tupperware, but wish it wasn't so expensive. My favourite is the little lidded sloped cup containers which are great for salad dressing, or spices. My mother has some wonderful large containers for dainties, and cakes. I've never seen anything like them. Have many memories helping mom use those popsicle and fudgesicle molds to make summer treats.

How interesting to read this historical aspect of tupperware. I went to many parties, bought and used so many of their products over the years. I really hated to read that those first hardworking tupperware ladies didn't have a chance to make it to the top, but the reward went to their husbands. I'm glad that today women have the chance to create their own profitable business.... and all the more thankful for the opportunity Etsy provides to do just that.

Have been to many,many parties. Still have the great big white salad bowl. It now does use as the greatest popcorn bowl!!!

Tupperware may have set women up in the business world but it also made storing our food in plastic acceptable. when it really isn't. It's not a great idea to store food in plastic since it leaches toxins into the food. NEVER heat your food in plastic of any sort. Those toxins in plastic have shortened everyone's lives. Use glass.

I didn't think it was possible, but I love Tupperware even more after reading how empowering it was for women. *sigh*

A really great piece! Growing up, I had a friend who's mother who sold Tupperware. I had never known about all of the cool Tupperware until I went to her house! I had only seen a few items as a kid, but had no idea of all of the things that Tupperware made. Been to a few parties along the way & own much of the the pieces that I have purchased and many did not make it. I love when I find pieces that are from the '50's and '60's that are still in beautiful condition. Next to Pyrex, I sell a lot of vintage Tupperware!

I am so glad I ran across this article! I wanted to see this PBS program when it aired locally, but missed it. So this was a great way to watch it online. My best friend was a Tupperware lady when she was newly married, about 15 years ago. She FLEW up the ranks, and we driving a company mini-van in no time. I have a kitchen full of Modular Mates thanks to her - my pantry is AMAZING - and I've never found any other similar product I like nearly as much. Every time I hit an estate sale, I look to see if there is any decent Tupperware, I've found some of my favorite pieces that way. The story of Brownie is tragic. I would hope that the current leadership of the company sees what a gem she was and is in their crown, and will bring back her legacy to their corporate headquarters, and give her the recognition she deserves.

I haven't watched the documentary yet, but I'm sure I will enjoy it. So many wonderful memories are connected to my grandma's Tupperware. She was of the "waste not, want not" variety (as am I), so every scrap of leftover food was put into her Tupperware for later consumption. Most of her Tupperware was orange or avocado green. How funny that something as simple as storage containers can bring back so many memories of my sweet grandma!

really wish I caught the documentary! but Etsy as always is keeping me in line with that's interesting and inspiring. I think there's never been a better time for a revival in ALL entrepreneurship male and female alike! Especially here in the USofA, there's an up and coming generation of people that need to learn the tools for success start with elbow grease and gumption! Direct sales teaches invaluable lessons. Tony Robbins claims it rivals college education ins some respects.

Love Tupperware! I store all my vintage findings in the modular mates I earned by being a consultant in Tupperware in college, only had to do a couple of parties for them... vintage patterns fit perfectly in the medium tall one... I so want more... new and vintage tupperware, and I love to read these inspiring stories, perfect for getting through the tough times... so on to better days, new avenues of business opportunity and a flourishing economy!

As a woman in direct sales (not Tupperware though), I love reading all these stories and fond memories of Tupperware parties! Like many other posters, I remember going with my mom to TW parties as a child :)

Tupperware is something that I grew up with....As of this day, when I visit my Mom and Dad and we have leftovers, I go to the "Tupperware Pantry" (yes she has a pantry for the stuff)...problem is she's not organized and you find a bottom and can't find the matching lid....did i mention that it's so much in this tupperware closet that when you open it, most of it falls on your head!! thank goodness it's plastic...She has it all--from thingey's that you put your corn on the cob in (yes, they are yellow and look like corn)...to round thingys that you can actually mash your hamburger meat in and have all perfect size hamburgers...(who wants a perfect size hamburger)....The best thing about Tupperware is that it doesn't break and my 2 year old granddaughter can entertain herself at my mom's house for days in the "Tupperware Pantry"...

As much as I loved Tupperware I only use glass now (cause I'm a food snob) and plastic scares me ahahahha....

Tupperware is indeed an American Icon. I sold it in 1977 and my daughter and I just recently signed up to sell it again. If you compare the cost of buying plastic bags, throw away storage containers and plastic wrap products, not to mention the cost to the environment, to purchasing a fantastic product like Tupperware that is guaranteed to last a lifetime...the savings is astronomical. In this day and age of making wise decisions about the environment and about caring for your family, this product should be front and center in every household. I love Tupperware!!!

It sounds interesting. The only problem I have with tupperware is that I can't ever get the funky smell of food off them

I still use my mom's late 70's green, orange and yellow containers for heating soups and other canned foods. Microwaving and certain colors of food have done their damage, but I have also been the talk of my office for having such cool vintage stuff.

I had one set of Tupperware knockoffs when I first went to college and all the tops and bottoms either got misplaced and/or mismatched. Keeping track of the components absolutely drove me crazy, so I've been using aluminum foil (which you can reuse + recycle) ever since ; )

Food for thought (no pun intended) http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-not-fantastic-with-bisphenol-a

great article

great

My mother is 74 and her best friend in life started out as her Tupperware Lady. They continue to talk everyday, go to thrift shops, have seen each other through births, marriages, divorce and now both of them are on their own again...but not alone.

makes me nostalgic for a milk jelly in a mould!

Tupperware is great stuff. It works. I really enjoyed the pbs show on Tupperware. I never liked giving the parties because of all the ones you had to go to afterwards, but I would always buy something from someone who I knew who was selling. And in recent years I would sell items on ebay.

It really and truly changed the business landscape. I love tupperware.

Thanks for the memories...

I have held a few Tupperware parties myself! I love the lifetime guarantee...Tupperware is great stuff! Thanks for the history, it was fun to read.

I have big plans for a line of Tupperware:) Visit my shop in the very near future to see what I have come up with!!!! I can not wait to share it with all of you;)

There has always been Tupperware in my life and still is. Never knew the incredible history of it till now.

Plastic from that long ago sometimes scares me. What about the heat wear and washing damage after being used? New stuff is one thing, I love vintage but that is something else.

love the article!

great article!

Tupperwear party!! I have to say, I agree with you Ashley. Brand new plastic worries me enough. I own and cherish many vintage items, but vintage plastic is something I am warry of..

Love love love vintage Tupperware. I have a nice little collection and I sell some pieces as well.

Wonderful blog. Very informative.

Wow - nicely done!

Love it....SO old school!

Thanks for the link to the Tupperware PBS special. It was truly entertaining!

Nicely done article! It brought be back to my childhood when my mother use to sell Tupperware and Avon products. I loved watching all the women that attended those parties. Thanks for the PBS Tupperware special link!

What a great article. Looking forward to watching the PBS documentary. Thanks!

I always say, you can tell how old a person is by the color of their Tupperware. Mine is harvest gold with a 3 piece set of orange, yellow and green bowls + a few later models.

Vintage Tupperware is one of my favorite materials to work with. Thank you for enlightening me!

Hi, my mum was also a Tupperware lady for more than 20 years in Spain. You cannot imagine how much this activity contributed to her personal growth in so many respects! Thanks to her working for TW, she made her first travels abroad, for instance, and got her driver’s license –something very, very uncommon for women in Spain in those years. Women’s status here in Spain during 60’s & 70’s was so restrictive and poor –to say it smoothly– that working for TW opened new windows for so many housewives. Thanks for the article!

I love Vintage Tupperware and enjoyed the documentary. Thank you for your wonderful article!