Remember that old lunch box you had in school?
Do you remember what you did with it?
Well maybe you will find it here...
Lunch Boxes
Books, Links, and other stuff!
Remember that old lunch box you had in school?
Do you remember what you did with it?
Well maybe you will find it here...
Be it a Hopalong Cassidy or a Beatles lunch box
they were much more than just something to carry food in.
They were a statement to others of what we liked or thought was cool.
HISTORY
| The first metal lunch box was the Hopalong Cassidy box. It came out in 1950 - 1953
and was blue or red with a scallop or a square decal. In 1954, Aladdin came out with the
full litho box and is the box by which we came to know lunch boxes and is shown to the
right. There were other lunch boxes prior to this, but mostly tins and these came in a
variety of shapes and sizes. |
 |
There are approximately 450 metal lunch boxes that were created. Most people think
there were many more. The creativity and the artwork made a very lasting impression!
 |
In 1985 the final metal lunch box was made. This was due to a group of concerned
Florida mothers who began a campaign against the use of steel in lunch boxes because kids
were using them on each other (we're not talking just for lunch). The Florida legislature
agreed steel boxes could be "lethal weapons". It is ironic that the last box
made was Stallone's "Rambo". |
An extremely valuable book is the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Metal Lunch Boxes, by
Allen Woodall and Sean Brickell. It contains a lot of information about the Manufacturers,
Artists and Designers, History, Care and Cleaning, and Grading of Metal Lunch Boxes. It
also contains color photos of a lot of the lunch boxes. A must have for the serious
collector! You can order it through Amazon books by clicking button below.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Metal Lunch Boxes
Allen Woodall, Sean Brickell
Paperback
Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
Publication date: March 1997
The author, Sean Brickell brickel@infi.net, 12/30/96:
Happy Hunting!
The book was developed as the definitve source on metal lunch boxes. We
were careful to use the very best examples of each box and bottle available and provide
profesional color photography to illustrate the front, back, sides and bottom of each box
and bottle.
People continue to ask about updated price guidelines, but we refuse to accept the
challenge. We have no interest in setting the market on the prices of the collectable. We
prefer to share our love and enthusiasm for the great pop art rather than its business
aspects. Nonetheless, the guide is still fairly close. Also, it's amazing how many people
contact us asking about lunch boxes that never existed. We've had people swear they had an
Elvis box, a Mr. Ed box, a Leave It To Beaver box. Sorry, but they were never produced.
Lunch Boxes, Vinyl & Plastic
Paperback - 168 pages 1 edition (August
1995)
L-W Publishing & Book Sales; ISBN:
0895380153
Book Description
Once again, our friend Mr. Aikins is eager to be our tour guide through
the colorful landscapes of childrens' lunch boxes. As the companion to "Metal Lunch
Boxes", this edition focuses on lunch pails of the plastic and vinyl variety. All of
those lunch boxes dotting the shelves at collector shows, flea markets, and dealer shops
can be identified and assigned a value with ease using this colorful guide! 1995 VALUES
Links Below are additional sites with more information
Allen Woodall and the
Lunch Box Museum
The Trading Post
A place to
buy and sell Lunch Boxes
EBAY
Auctions of Lunchboxes
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