On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:20:07 -0700, "Ted Mittelstaedt"
> wrote:

>
>"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
>> In article >,
>> "Ted Mittelstaedt" > wrote:
>>
>> > What I can't figure out for the life of me is why in blazes that Jardin
>> > has a lock on this market. There are hundreds of glass jar
>manufacturers
>> > out there who make commercial glass jars and commercial lids that spin
>> > on with the industry standard 1/4 and 1/2 turn, all competing with each
>> > other.
>>
>> > Ted
>>
>> Sure there are but nobody else markets to the home consumer, Ted. I
>> don't know why, but you know they don't. Maybe it has to do with
>> distribution. IdaKnow.
>>
>
>I think that with grocery bills rising as a result of fuel increases
>that more and more people are canning.
>

A company can't just decide today to start doing canning jars. It
takes time and resources to start a new endeavor, even a new line of
your current product. To say nothing about getting a new distribution
system set up. Do the commercial jars adhere to the canning
requirements? Are you able to use canning lids on them?

They may also feel that by the time they got something going, the
canning fad would be over. Of course Ball, etc can up their
production much faster than anyone can start a new venture.


>3 years ago I was able to find a fair number of canning
>jars at Goodwill. This last year though I've found a grand total
>of about 10 1/2 pints. Even the quart jars aren't common anymore.
>
>And in the supermarket display cases where the stores put the jars,
>the shelves are often empty which is another new one.
>
>A couple years ago I also was able to pick up old jars in the free
>section on craigslist. Nowadays, nothing. What I see on craigslist
>these days is people listing Mason jars as sweetners for their
>garage sale advertisements. And the few garage sales I've stopped
>at I've asked the sellers about jars and they tell me that they
>sold out of their Mason jars almost as soon as they opened.
>
>3 years ago I was able to buy boxes and boxes of lids 1/2 price
>on closeout at Walmart in Sept. when Wallyworld wanted to clear
>their inventory.
>
>Last fall though, nothing. They sold completely out of jars, lids,
>and pectin in late August.
>
>Of course this isn't any kind of scientific study but my gut feeling
>is that there's more canning activity, at least in this area.

It is also possible that many of the older women who used to can have
stopped and already gotten rid of their jars. And others like me are
getting more because we were running out.