Question(s) Regarding Wind Tunnel Cans

[MI-Cans]

I’m just wondering out loud.

I have a couple of the wind tunnel cans. All had bottom lids with no tops and seller installed top lids. I’m looking at possibly picking up a couple more from the Advertise forum.

How do you as collectors, view the Wind Tunnel find(s)?

Do you think it seriously dropped the values of the brand?

They obviously never held beer or soda. Does that play into your thinking?

Do you consider the cans (unmodified) to be originals?

If a can had no lids or 1 lid and had 1 or 2 lids added, do you call it a re-lid and consider its value to be less because of it?

Is there a correct lid that could be installed and would you then still consider it a re-lid or an original like some consider rolled cans?

(MI-Cans)

[Rand]

"Do you think it seriously dropped the values of the brand?"

Can't think of another example where the value of a brand dropped more....

[pinnacle-project]

I am not a Rainier expert but as I recall, there are approximately a zillion Rainier variations of which the wind tunnel find largely consisted of a relatively small subset of the zillion variations. Logically, the find should have only affected the variations that were found in the wind tunnel but unfortunately because there are so many variations, it is tough to keep track of what was or was not in the wind tunnel find. This could therefore lead to a lowering of value across the board but greatest among the wind tunnel variations.

As for the non-Rainier cans found in the wind tunnel find, I believe most of them were pretty common cans so I would expect there to be less impact on value because it was not that great to start with. However, I am not an expert on cans from the Pacific Northwest so I might be looking over something.

Regarding your other questions, everybody is different. Personally, I like all original cans that held beer at one time or another. Other people would rather take an unrolled sheet, cut it into individual cans, and then pay Art to put original lids on it. Everybody is different.

Regarding the cans you saw advertised, what really matters is what puts a smile on your face. I suggest buying them and then camp out next to your mailbox until the box is delivered. I am sure you will consider it a great day.

[Carl S]

I have been very involved with all phases with the wind tunnel cans. I added or upgraded over 225 Jubilees in my collection from this incredible find.

To me the wind tunnel cans are a completely different class of can from ones which held beer. From what I observe in auction sites, that is how the market is treating them too. You can acquire a set of the 12 Party Series Jubilees from the wind tunnel for less than what a single minty all original can goes for.

The wind tunnel had about 100 total Cartoon Series Jubilees and the rest were 12oz Party Series (Seattle/Spokane from two different breweries). So no Brewery Series and only a handful of the original Party Series without the 'Rainier for Life' ribbons.

[foreigncanman]

I think the wind tunnel cans are a great opportunity to get some great colorful cans at very reasonable prices. There are many 50 dollar and up cans that are more common than the individual wind tunnel cans. Some varieties in the tunnel are tougher than others. Since they were all found at one time it makes them seem more commonplace. Some cans are in much better condition than others due to scratching etc. Where else can you get cool cans like this for 20 dollars or less usually? It fits in a space where a lot of the rusty collectors and mint collectors want cans that contained beer. I think the find has made the jubilees more interesting but less valuable.

[Cap-Sealed]

They are a hoax...they were all Made in China!

[Scott]

Most people lump the Jubilees together because they don't know which designs came in which series. If a bunch of Esslinger parti-quiz cans turned up under similar circumstances but only half of the variations were included, I'd be equally clueless.

Before the wind tunnel find, the last series was probably the most common. These are the ones that come in both 11 oz. and 12 oz. and also zips. There are six designs; squirrels, snowflake, hand with grain, sundial, men at table and man with glass. NONE OF THESE WERE FOUND IN THE WIND TUNNEL. The vast majority were the 12 non-cartoon designs that preceded this set. There were cans from both the Seattle and Spokane breweries.

Here is a good resource to determine which cans are in the various sets.

http://www.rustycans.com/HISTORY/rainier.html

I have 100+ different wind tunnel cans that I display indoors. I have all original dumper duplicates of many of them displayed in my garage. I essentially consider them two different sets even though the cans are identical.

[Jeffboyrd]

All mine have bottom lids only.I had lids installed on the first 5 and the other 2 already had the bottom lids installed.I prefer them way .Unless you have the proper R lids it is pretty obviously relidded.The story of the find is pretty fascinating and not having the top lid helps preserve the story of the find when people viewing my collection ask about them.

[jinsequa]

Let me just say I felt very lucky that even though I mainly collect Oregon and Washington cans, I always refused to purchase the Rainier jubilees for my collection. I just felt that the sheer number of them out there did not in anyway justify the prices they were bringing prior to the wind tunnel find. The wind tunnel find brought them down to a more reasonable price and not just for the variations in the wind tunnel. I still remember someone on
the Rusty Bunch tried to sell their huge collection of Rainier jubilees that included a lot of off grade ones for $4000 grand just a couple of weeks before the wind tunnel find became common knowledge (things that make you go "Hmmmm....") and I seriously considered purchasing it but stuck to my guns on not buying Jubilees. Boy was I glad I didn't purchase that lot.
ALL Rainier jubilees have dropped seriously in price. I think it is kind of funny that some people got mad that I posted if you just wait a couple of years the price will drop to $5 a can do to the sheer numbers found. Guess what....less than 1/2 a year after the find I got sales offers for them at $5 a can. Supply and demand baby! Supply and demand. I place them in the same place as the Iroquois Draft flats and the Tacoma Kol cans. Just way too many out there to justify high prices anymore and I don't think the usual collector cares if they are wind tunnel cans or not. The usual collector just sees thousands of Rainier's for sale on ebay.