INTRODUCTION
Aladdin Ind., LLC closed its doors in 2003 and donated much of their original lunch box art to The Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, DC. The Smithsonian has archived much of the artwork along with documented photos and historical information. The complete inventory list can be found online, listed in their directory as original lunch box artwork, in the lunch kit archives series 9. Alison Oswaldo is one of several archivists for the Museum. It is estimated that around 100+ original art pieces are in the museum's possession. These pieces will never be bought or sold to the public and have become a part of American Pop Culture history. The pieces that are available on the market are very scarce and seldom found. For the most part, pieces that are not in the museum, have only been in private collectors hands since about 2006. Other pieces may have been taken home by the artists themselves years ago or destroyed.
HOW RARE IS ORIGINAL LUNCH BOX ART WORK?
There were only about 550 metal lunchboxes produced between 1950 to 1987. Each lunchbox has a front, back and side panel. If we relay that to lunchbox art we can estimate that there is a maximum of 3 pieces of art X 550 metal lunchboxes =1,650 pieces of original art. According to one book, 80% of lunchbox factories destroyed their art when the factories closed decades ago. With that percentage in mind, this means that 1,320 pieces of the 1,650 produced could possibly be destroyed leaving about 330 pieces of original art. Another note to mention is that some side panel art was made to be generic and used more than once by the artist to go on similar boxes. This brings our total closer to 300. In addition, a number of boxes had the same art for the front and back (ex. Smurfs). Lastly, we must consider that the Smithsonian has 100 pieces on their inventory list and perhaps more unarchived or a couple pieces in some folders. With that said, the pool of available art to collectors tops out at about 150 or less, original pieces of vintage metal lunchbox art worldwide.
There was also 1 piece of art produced for each thermos and we can estimate that approximately 80% of those were destroyed along with the box art. Metal thermos art is more sought after then plastic thermos art. Metal thermoses were only produced from 1950 - 1973. Not every lunchbox had a thermos and not every thermos had a character on them. There was approximately 165 vintage metal thermoses produced by the major factories. Some had generic art and some went with more than one lunchbox. With the estimated 80% destroyed we can estimate that only a few dozen original vintage metal thermos paintings exist today. Once again, the Smithsonian most likely has several of the pieces. It's safe to say that original lunchbox art, whether for the lunch box, or the thermos, is art that is "one of a kind" and "museum quality".
LUNCHBOX ART WORK IN THE MARKET PLACE
Original lunchbox art is very rare and highly collectible. The value on most pieces from the 1950s - 1980s is in the $1,000s! Certain pieces have already broken the $5,000 price mark. A few of the art pieces that have reached these heights are Dr.Seuss' - The Cat in the Hat metal lunchbox art by Aladdin (SOLD ON EBAY FOR APX $12,100 IN 2007, later appriased on Antiques Roadshow with an appraised value of $10,000 - $15,000) and Land of the Giants and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea metal lunch box art, also by Aladdin (SOLD ON EBAY FOR APX $5,000 EACH IN 2007).
Other pieces of final original lunchbox artwork for vintage metal lunchboxes that are confirmed to exist in the open market and other than in a museum are:
- 18 Wheeler original lunch box art work
- The Archie's original lunch box art work
- Back in '76 original lunch box art work
- Batman and Robin original lunch box art work
- Battlestar Galactica original lunch box art work
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks original lunch box art work
- The Beverly Hillbillies original lunch box art work
- The Black Hole original lunch box art work
- Bonanza original lunch box art work
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century original lunch box art work
- Bugaloos original lunch box art work
- Care Bear Cousins original lunch box art work
- Charlie's Angel's original lunch box art work
- Chavo (La Vecindad Del Chavo) original lunch box art work
- Cracker Jack original lunch box art work
- Daniel Boone original lunch box art work
- Dick Tracy original lunch box art work, Drag Strip original lunch box art work
- Dragon's Lair original lunch box art work
- The Dukes of Hazzard original lunch box art work
- The Fall Guy original lunch box art work
- The Flintstones original lunch box art work
- The Flying Nun original lunch box art work
- Gentle Ben original lunch box art work
- Gunsmoke original lunch box art work
- H.R. Puffnstuff original lunch box art work
- Hopalong Cassidy original lunch box art work
- The Incredible Hulk original lunch box art work
- It's About Time original lunch box art work
- James Bond 007 original lunch box art work
- Johnny Lightning original lunch box art work
- Kellogg's Breakfast original lunch box art work
- Kroft Supershow original lunch box art work
- Land of the Lost original lunch box art work
- Legend of the Lone Ranger original lunch box art work
- Lidsville original lunch box art work
- The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams original lunch box art work
- Masters of the Universe original lunch box art work
- Miss America original lunch box art work
- NFL Quarterback original lunch box art work
- Pebbles and Bamm Bamm original lunch box art work
- Planet of the Apes original lunch box art work
- Police Patrol original lunch box art work
- Popeye original lunch box art work
- Popples original lunch box art work
- The Rat Patrol original lunch box art work
- The Rifleman original lunch box art work
- Robin Hood original lunch box art work 1956
- Ronald McDonald: Sheriff Canyon original lunch box art work
- Rose Petal Place original lunch box art work
- Rough Rider original lunch box art work
- School Days original lunch box art work
- The Secret of NIMH original lunch box art work
- Secret Wars original lunch box art work
- Sesame Street original lunch box art work
- Sigmund and the Sea Monsters original lunch box art work
- Six Million Dollar man original lunch box art work
- Sport Goofy original lunch box art work
- Strawberry Land original lunch box art work
- Strawberry Shortcake original lunch box art work
- Street Hawk original lunch box art work
- Super Friends original lunch box art work
- Super Heroes original lunch box art work
- Super Powers original lunch box art work
- Thundercats original lunch box art work
- U.S. Mail original lunch box art work
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea original lunch box art work
- The Walton's original lunch box art work
- Welcome back Kotter original lunch box art work
- The Wild Wild West original lunch box art work
- Woody Woodpecker original lunch box art work
- Yogi Bear and Friends original lunch box art work
The rarest of lunch box art is the metal lunchboxes of the vintage era 1950s - 1980s. Vinyl and plastic lunchboxes were not as significant to the history of the lunchbox and therefore the art for them may not hold as much value as the metal box art. In general, all lunch box art is rare and each piece is considered "one of a kind".
HOW DID THE ARTISTS DO IT?
The artists would design the pieces according to the client's requests and specifications. After each pieces was finished and approved,ht e art would go to the printer who would then make color seperations. Once the color seperations were approved the printer would make a test proof. If the test proof looked good, the client would sign off and the factory would go full force into production. Some art was painted on illustration board using tempera or perhaps acrylic, some art was done on heavy paper stock using water colors. Some pieces were painted as a single panel and others would have the colors on a background piece and the dark outlines on a seperate acetate overlay. At times it was necessary to create seperate parts and glue them onto one piece. Most original pieces have notations on them for the printers as well as copyright information glued or taped on. Some box titles were done on seperate acetate and placed over the art. Each piece is unique. Back then the artists used their creativity to get the jobs done, and this was all done by hand.
FINAL THOUGHTS...
Each painting was responsible for the production of hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of actual vintage metal lunchboxes and thermoses that collectors still seek to this day. What would you rather; the 1970 Dr.Seuss lunchbox they produced over half a million of, or the "one of a kind", actual painting, that was used to make the box as we know it today?
REFERENCES
SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY - http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8844c.htm - art inventory pg 4 of 8
To sell your lunch box art contact: sales@lunchboxcollector.com and please include pics.
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