One thing you can say about most Ball products over our 125-year history is this: Even if we don't make a product anymore, somebody somewhere wants more of it.

You are probably thinking about Ball home canning jars. And yes, we still receive several dozen calls, e-mails and letters each year from avid home canners who want more lids, or Ball jar collectors who want us to tell them how much an old jar is worth. Even though it has been 11 years since Ball spun off its home canning business to Alltrista Corporation (now Jarden Corporation), the Ball name – used today by Alltrista under a licensing agreement – remains on new jars and it is understandable that some folks wouldn't realize that Ball no longer actually makes or sells the jars.

But that's just part of the story. Did you know Ball made a phonograph record care product line for vinyl LPs in the 1970s called Sound Guard? It grew out of internal research into properties of dry lubricants for use in aerospace applications. We sold Sound Guard to Audio Technica Kabushki Kaisha of Tokyo, Japan, in 1980, but vinyl fans continue to contact us asking if we still make it or know where it can be purchased.

How about Christmas ornaments? Back in 1975, Ball made limited edition acrylic plastic ornaments in eight designs, including a holiday candle, Christmas tree and a verse from the carol, "Silent Night." When people ask us about the ornaments today, it is often to find out whether we still make them so they can add to their collection. Ball sold its acrylic giftware business to Princeton Industries, Inc., in 1980.

Ball also owned a display monitor business in the 1980s. It was sold in 1987 to a company called Dotronix, which exists today. In fact, on the Dotronix Web site it notes, "Dotronix repairs and provides parts for CRT display monitors manufactured by …" and lists 11 company names or brands … including "Ball Electronic Display Division."

There's lots more. Pressure cookers. Time and frequency devices. High-speed inspection systems. Even zinc roofing. Ball made them all at one time, and every so often someone will call our corporate headquarters and ask for a replacement part, or for additional units. When we tell them we no longer make that product, they almost always ask, "What do you make today?" Sometimes they even tell us fondly of a memory that involves a former Ball product. It may sound corny to some, but we think it is pretty special that a company is part of so many memories.

When you have been around for 125 years, you leave a long and varied trail through history.