Earl Tupper and The Invention of Tupperware In 1942, Mr. Tupper bought his first manufacturing plant, a factory in Farnumville, Massachusetts to begin manufacturing his new products. But, Mr. Tupper wasn't satisfied. He wanted a lid for his plastic container with a watertight seal so food would stay fresher longer, liquid would not spill out and containers could be set in a refrigerator at any angle. His inspiration came from a very unlikely place. One day, he happened upon a paint can. A paint can lid can keep paint fresh and from drying out for years! Earl had a brainstorm. The world-famous Tupperware seal he designed is similar to a paint can lid turned upside down! Here’s the secret—if you look at the rim of a Tupperware product, the edge over which the seal fits flares out slightly, just 5 to 10 degrees. The little rim, combined with a perfectly fitting seal, is what locks in the freshness of foods. In 1946, Mr. Tupper introduced Tupper Plastics™ brand products to the American consumer and began marketing them in department stores as well as by catalog. Tupper's first consumer plastic products were the Bell Tumbler and Wonderlier® Bowl. The products were displayed and very often sat for a long time on store shelves. Why? There was no one teaching consumers about the unique features of the product and how to work the now-famous seal. Mr. Tupper had the genius for creating Tupperware, but he had no idea how to get people to buy it.