Collecting Vintage Lunchboxes
When you collect a vintage lunchbox, you collect something from the past—a special piece of history lithographed on metal or plastic capable of bringing up nostalgia and historical references. Some lunchboxes are worth quite a bit of money while others are only worth the metal they’re printed on. From trading from your house to buying and dealing in lunchbox trade shows to dealing in online auctions, collecting vintage lunchboxes has never been as rewarding or as easy as today.
Can you remember the first real lunchbox? If you’re a vintage lunchbox collector already, then you probably know the answer. The first real lunchbox was created in 1950 with Aladdin Industry’s Hopalong Cassidy steel lunchbox. A few years later, Aladdin Industries poured out new lithograph designs, created to attract the attention of children and adults alike. Tom Corbett Space Cadet and Roy Rogers were some of Aladdin’s biggest sellers. Today, a collection of these vintage lunchboxes can fetch anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a few thousand.
Don’t worry, if you’re a newbie to vintage collecting, you’ll have a proper chance to get these and other lunchboxes in due time. The most important thing to do is to start your collection based on something personal, something you’ll enjoy for a long time. This is the time to start asking yourself questions: Do I like steel or plastic? Do I want to collect only one genre, band or character? Do I want to collect from a certain year? How much money can I afford? Having answers to these questions will get you started on a track of long lunchbox collecting because you’ll be sticking to something you really enjoy.
Often lunchboxes came with kits, such as trays, thermoses and models. You should strive to select those lunchboxes that are more intact, including all these extras is important (especially if you choose later to trade or sell). Vintage lunchbox collecting comes in varying degrees of wear and tear if you will. If you prefer perfection, then you should only collect those boxes that are in mint condition. If you are a purest rather, then you may not mind a rusty spot here, a scratch or dent there. The rules of collecting are up to you and you alone. Collecting vintage lunchboxes is a personal choice and it’s one of the few things that so flexible.
One of the greatest things behind vintage collecting is the sleuthing involved. It becomes a passionate time when you search through flea markets, hobby stores and antique shops looking for that perfect addition to your growing collecting. The work it takes to dig up that vintage lunchbox makes for some great traveler’s tales. Plus, the more you look, the more you’ll find. Start in grandma’s attic or basement and search from there. The best deals are found outside of trade shows, of course, as they know the “real” value of the merchandise. The best feeling is when you find that vintage lunchbox amid a box of goodies and pay a pittance of the so-called “real” value. Vintage lunchbox collecting is, however, a surefire way to start a collection that doesn’t flush away all your money. They are well worth more than anything money can buy when you find something you really cherish.
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