I found a stash of new Penn tennis balls in their metal cans!
 

I was visiting my friends school where he teaches and entered the storage closet where they keep their sporting goods. On a shelf were something like 50 new unopened METAL cans of Penn tennis balls. They've got to be from the 1980s. On the can, it says you can send in $6.95 with 2-proof-of-purchases and receive a Head Tennis Bag ($27 value). I'm tempted to open a can to read the details of the offer but I can't bring myself to do it.

I haven't seen a new metal can since I was young and just started playing. The last time I saw a metal can was just a few years ago when a lady and her young daughter came to the courts I was at and she pulled some used balls out of the can. I walked over to take a look then. I've seen them on that auction site too.

I got a can if Spaulding tennis balls for $1 at a garage sale and saw a half dozen or so at a play it one more time (again) shop. Can't remember how much it was going for.

You should open a can! Does it need a key to open it like a can of corned beef or does it have a similar top to the cans of today?

they smell good. like old mimeographs.

made in USA i bet.

Definitely made in the USA. Back then China's only exports were fortune cookies, paper fans, and the clap. :)

P.S. I do know the fortune cookie was invented in the USA.

can't be that old if they said "PENN" ... the real old PENN name was 'Pennsylvania' ...if it's the 80's then it might be a re-make... they already had plastic cans in the 80's ...

The major US ball makers switched in the '83-'84 time frame. Of course, some retailers had the metal cans for many months after the plastic ones were introduced.

True, Pennsylvania are some of the cans that collectors want.
Most collectors only go for white balls and many do not even want pop top cans (want key winds). Many collect the cans endorsed by famous players, like the many Pancho Gonzalez cans. Vines, Tilden, Richards, and Kramer cans are more desirable.

The metal can is why I like the Slazenger Wimbledon balls.

Great post, good memories of peeling the top of the old metal cans.

Does anybody remember the reddish/pink balls that were popular for a while in the 70's? I think they were made by Spalding. Always thought they looked pretty weird, were not easy to see.

I don't remember those, but in that time frame either Tensor or Tretorn had feltless, pressureless balls that I think were sort of reddish.

Remember using those metal cans as water bottles back in the 70's (rinse 'em out and fill 'em up from the drinkng fountain) We used to conjecture as to whether that was safe or not (cut your lip/tongue on the edge, was there lead in the metal, etc.) but that didn't stop us from using them.

Did you snag the 50 cans?

I remember Spalding made the WCT balls, sort of a dark yellow/gold color. Came in a dark blue can.

Didn't those come in a box? That's how unpressured they were.

I just got one. I had to for nostalgia alone. I'm not a collector but I thought this was really cool. I could probably get the rest doing a 1 new plastic can for 1 metal can if I wanted. I just couldn't get myself to open them and I don't see them as a real value or investment. 1 is enough.

I just thought it was an interesting find. The paint and everything is flawless. They look as fresh as they were back in 1984 or whenever they were new. I saw them from across the room. It was the yellow lids that drew my attention. I don't know why but I just thought it was a little different and then I laughed when I saw they were metal. I remember going to the local Ace Hardware store and buying metal cans with either white or yellow lids signifying the color of the balls.

If they were opened by someone else, I'd do with them what I do with some of the plastic ones I use today......piggy banks! It would be nicer to have metal piggy banks.

Fluorescent fuchsia...Spalding and Slazenger had them, I believe. Absolutely disappeared under the lights at night!

Spalding also had the 'Professional' white ball with colored seams. We thought we were SUM-thin' when we showed up with those! Ca 1968-69

Yep, those are the ones. Were pretty bright when new, but got dirty really quick.