Accidental Can Collection

Anti-Graffit Paint and obligatory graff toys (because Im a nerd)

Having started painting mid eighties I have had to use a lot of crap paint. And most of it from where ever I could get it. Car boot sales, local hardware stores and old stocks thrown away by paint companies. Especially being in Wales, you really had to go out of your way to finding decent paint. Getting a commission was a great way to top up on better paint. I was never really fussy and would paint with anything I could get. And I still would. (Except for Parsons paint.. that was the worst paint I ever got stuck with. I took a whole car boot load worth)
After painting a couple of years I started to keep one of each of the paints I used if I hadnt trashed it too much. Ive accidently ended up with a small collection. And I've never been able to part with them.
The more places I painted the more variety of paints I got.
Although theres a couple of new brands in there, the whole mish mash list of paint cans are an example of the styles of paint used by a one UK painter from the 80's through to the 90's.

The weird stuff. Shoe paint, flower paint, Rubber Duck tar paint, bicycle repair paint with tyre repair kits.
And some really nice Tuxan paint from Perth thanks to Stormboy

The dark blue Hycote Double Acrylic, my favourite outlining paint from the 90's. My favourite UK paint, Dupli Colour from old to new with Panel Spray cans that had the horrible calligraphy nozzles on. And not forgetting the awesome Hammerite.

The few good interesting tins picked up along the way, Krylon, Altona, Sparvar and Beltons. Best of all is the Buntlacks. I had to go to all the way to Manchester to first discover those. The Turqoise Blue and Rose Pink were my favourite and reserved for best. Loved the caps on the early cans.

The unsorted, oddities from all over. Theres some weird decoration paint, poisonous tractor paint.
And room for some new ones.

Ha, look at that young fella. Me in my basement that we used to breakdance in until the paint took over.
The box on the far left has the cans with the clear tops. Wish I had kept some of those tins properly. Keeping the lids never crossed my mind back then. Took ages to use up the Tan Dupli and Metalic Green and Blue's. But when you go to the factory and just take whats being thrown out, sometimes that's all you got

Being a collector is a bad habit. I go out of my way to get Graffiti books. That is my normal vice that keeps me skint. But collecting cans is accidental. As they're the tools of the trade, it's just something that happens to hang around for most painters I guess. Could never bring myself to get rid of them.
But goddamn it I love them!