Seeing all the back-to-school sales makes me long for my old metal lunchbox. Maybe it’s still out there somewhere, picked up by a Holly Hobbie collector. (I hope they were able to get my name in Mom’s bright red nailpolish off the front.) Of course, metal lunchboxes are probably classified as weapons in elementary schools today, but collectors are still snatching them up whenever they get the chance!
There probably aren’t any real surprises here – metal is more popular than vinyl, having the original thermos to accompany the lunchbox is important, and examples from the 1950s, 60s and 70s are the most popular. And, of course, the more iconic the image captured, the better! Dudley Do-Right will get you around $3500, but Superman, of course, can fetch over $11,000, especially early images like the 1954 one pictured above. And, of course, it’s hard not to love the kitschy appeal of The Monkees, perhaps appropriately in vinyl. From Roy Rogers to Star Wars, there is really something for everyone, so, if you’re getting bored with brown bags, get on eBay, track down your first-grade lunchbox and bring a little zip to your lunch hour!
