Collecting Cans of Vintage Spray Paint
While vintage spray paint cans are constantly bought and sold by collectors across the internet, it’s rare to see a collection of 342 cans of vintage Rust-Oleum go on the auction block. We talked with Ebay seller, Slyle133 about collecting spray paint cans from decades before premium brands were born.
Why collect cans of spray paint?
Ever since I was young, I have had been bit by the “collecting bug.” I went from saving old magazines to collecting baseball cards, then to records and eventually spray paint. It was a natural progression of things which reflected what I was getting into at the time. Even now I find myself starting various odd collections. It’s not always what you collect, but the general hunt for things to collect. We tend to call it “diggin’.”
How’d you get started collecting cans of spray paint?
For me it goes back to a time when the fancy European paint was not yet available in the States. In the 70’s and 80’s, Krylon had discontinued colors such as Icy Grape, Hot Raspberry, and Jungle Green. At that time, the early 90’s, muted pastels were the popular decorator colors which paint companies favored. In order to obtain specific colors in a wider range, one would traditionally have to travel beyond your local Sears, K-Mart, Bradlees, etc. I found myself focusing on local independent stores seeking Krylon’s discontinued colors and also found various “odd” (meaning smaller companies) brands. I started finding colors and brands not available at mainstream chain stores.
