The Tupperware Confidence Center Museum

File this under something silly and nostalgic, but once we learned there was a Tupperware Museum that was only open for six hours a week –– of which exactly 45 minutes lined up with our schedule –– we knew we were making an effort to go see it. I can’t define wacky fun, but I know it when I see it.

Anyone of a certain age most likely grew up with some Tupperware in their house, and probably still knows were to find 50-year-old pieces still in use.

Back in the day, it was a groundbreaking and reliable product that lived on and on. More recently produced Tupperware –– well, perhaps not so much.

Tupperware debuted to the public in 1946 with its patented “burping” technology. Put the lid on, then “burp” it to let out the excess air that was so detrimental to your leftovers.  The product was the brainchild of Earl Tupper, but it was Brownie Wise who turned it into gold.

Wise was the woman behind the “Tupperware Party,” where women hosted soirees in their homes to sell Tupperware to their friends and family while nibbling on crudité and hors d’oeuvres. Back in the day this was seen as good fun and a nice way for a woman to have a job around her husband’s work schedule (my mother did a stint when I was an infant), rather than the multi-level marketing scheme most such parties are associated with today.

Wise went on to become their Vice President of Marketing, and the first woman to be featured on the cover of Businessweek. It didn’t take long, however, before Earl Tupper became jealous of her success and fired her without warning.

Tupperware is in sad financial shape today. Though five years ago it had more three million representatives selling products through parties all over the world, it has been increasingly moving to online sales, and in some cases even through retail stores. Home party selling models are seen as manipulative today, and benefit very few of those who participate. Tupperware’s own statistics showed that 94% of their active distributors in 2018 were on the lowest level of the pyramid, earning just $653 on average.

The museum has quite a few vintage products on display, several of which had both of us saying, “My mom stored flour in that!” and “I think mom still keeps her lettuce in that!” Unfortunately, several of the interactive and video displays were not functioning, but that didn’t dampen our fun.

While we went to see the museum, we were delighted to discover a Tupperware store attached, which had a super-discounted section. We paid $6.92 for a stack of small containers (which we were in need of for leftovers in the van-size fridge we have), plus we were given a handful of working miniature Tupperware bowl key chains! If you let us stay in your flat driveway and top off our water tank, you might find yourself gifted with one of these.