Modern tin boxes have been used to hold items Gift Tins such as breath mints, throat lozenges, round tins instant coffee, cocoa and even CD-ROMs for an internet service provider. In the past even more products were stored in tins, many highly decorated. Businesses tried to encourage the re-use of tins they provided, with the effect of the tins advertising them. One common use of the tin was as a children's lunchbox and in the UK as biscuit tins.

Highly decorated "holiday tins", usually containing cookies, candy, or popcorn, are sold during the holiday season and are popular gifts. Similar festive containers are used in Europe for sweets, biscuits, cakes and chocolates, mainly at Christmas, rather than in the summer holidays and in countries with British associations, they are usually called biscuit tins. In the year 2007 the German company dosenwelten started a new concept with digital printing on already shaped tinboxes. In these days it is possibel to produce already printed tonboxes from one piece. The time of mass production has ended.