Lunch Box Memories
Do you remember your favorite lunch box? Today's kids have as many options as ever but nothing will take the place of the Partridge Family or Scooby-Doo.
Lunch boxes have changed in design and shape over the years, but the basic idea is the same. Along with space inside for a cold drink, sandwich and snack, the cover is devoted to a favorite cartoon, character, TV show or movie.
That's why Justin Bieber and Darth Vader and Japanese cartoon characters are staring out at shoppers from the shelves of Target.
Back in the '70s, the lunch boxes were aluminum. In the '80s, they gave way to plastic. Vintage lunch boxes now are highly collectible. They are displayed as collections in people's homes, and sometimes they get their own art gallery shows. (Yes, I've gone to one.)
Do you remember a favorite lunch box? What was it? Have a picture handy? Share it with Patch!
Susan Manning
4:02 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Mine was a metal Holly Hobby one with a Thermos inside! Loved it!
Leslie Bishop
6:30 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Me, too!
Susan Petroni
10:24 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
I started Kindergarten with a metal Peanuts lunch box with a Thermos inside.
Donald Wendt
6:23 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Star Wars... wish I still had it.
Mary MacDonald
7:48 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Don, Darth Vader is one of the few lunch boxes now for sale that I recognized. The box is just his head, and it's advertised as "un-crushable." Which I guess is a problem with these new softer containers. They got rid of the metal lunch boxes by the 80s because kids were hitting each other in the heads with them...
MrMilford
6:23 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Susan, there are allot of peanut allergies with kids these days, I'm sure that you lunch box would not longer be allowed in most schools.
Joe Rizoli
6:23 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My brother and I had wagon train lunch boxes. The writing on the side could have said Western Trails. I uploaded the pictures if they come through.
Joe Rizoli
Gina Fishman
10:31 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
That is pretty cool Joe!
Al Goss
7:05 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
I think mine was plain green metal with the thermos in the lid......What I wanted was a Superman lunchbox, but that must have been too expensive;-]
Michelle Garber
7:45 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Al, your parents didn't buy you something you wanted and you lived to tell about it? I wish more parents would do that these days!! Loved my metal Donny & Marie lunchbox with the matching thermos!!
Lisa Vasile
7:52 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Sean Cassidy w/ the thermos =)
Mom in Northborough
8:27 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
I had Welcome Back Kotter !! ;D
Kevin Mullen
8:27 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My son starts kindergarten this year and he is excited to have his own lunch box. I think Darth Vader will win the day. I had a few through the years as the metal ones got banged up pretty quickly. My favorite was a Duke of Hazzard lunchbox.
Chris L.
8:50 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
As a youngin in the 80s: Empire Strikes Back.
Susan Manning
8:43 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Joe: I LOVE the pics! The shape was different than mine, but still so nostalgic. And MrMilford: Good one!
Lois Black
8:50 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
I had two lunch boxes that I wish I still had: Peanuts and Yellow Submarine! Wouldn't they be great collectors items! My kids want "no nuthin' " lunch boxes. No characters, no whimsy, just plain.
Les Masterson
9:16 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
I remember I sometimes had to take my lunch in a Cerretani's bag!
Dan Fredonia
10:27 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My mom gave me a Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In lunch box!!!! Can you imagine???? And that was years after the show went off the air!!! LOl
It wasn't until i got the Scooby-Doo lunch box when i started to heal the wounds....(whimper)
Photos above
Frank D'Urso
11:50 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
I had the LOST IN SPACE metal lunchbox, with a round top, the thermos fit inside the top, I think I lost the thermos or wasn;t allowed to bring it to school. I also had the LAUGH IN and that made me cool with the older kids when I was in 2nd grade.
unclkebuck
1:46 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Hot Wheels!