I do collect Chinese type snuff bottles, but as of late find myself looking at a lot of antique snuff boxes…

I did a search here, but not any discussion about these containers…

I guess just a couple of questions…

Can someone recommend an online site that specalizes in antique snuff boxes ?

How to tell the difference between boxes described as pill boxes from a snuff box… ?  I am seeing a lot of boxes with an ID as a pill box, but look to me like could be snuff boxes…

My first thought is a snuff box, like a snuff bottle would need to have a good seal for keeping the snuff fresh…  Maybe that is a good rule of thumb when trying to tell if an item for sale as a pill box, could well be a snuff box ?  Just misidentified ?

Hey… Never mind guys…

I found this topic here… Going to read through it… Looks like just what I was looking for…

http://snuffhouse.org/discussion/4727/buying-snuffboxes#latest

Snuffhouse double post gremlin at work, see below.

@George Possibly the premier collectors site anywhere is www.snuffbox.com If I was considering a costly purchase beyond my small amount of knowledge I would go straight to this site. Simon Handelsman is the resident expert for the Snuff Takers Ephemeris and one of the few genuine, specialising experts on snuff boxes.

The occasional pill box is of a high enough quality to use as a snuffbox but can be tricky, impossible if you are not holding the item, to spot and unless you were given a specific recommendation I would leave well alone. Stay well clear of anything sold as having a ‘useable depth’ - for that just read ‘unusably small’ - there are some on sale by people that should (I would say do, but I’ll be generous) know better.

I have scored some magical boxes and bottles while not knowing what I was getting. It is true some are duds but at a few dollars a pop I have some good representatives of quite a few styles. I still have not squeezed a silver box but for one tiny little precious that is full of Dholakia White. 

I would need several refills of that a day.

Snuffster,

Thank you for the link… Looks great !

Juxtapser,

Really nice find !