Do you remember racing your siblings to the kitchen to dig through the cereal box for a toy? Those vintage cereal box prizes might be worth a cool mint today.
The launch of cereal box prizes excited children to pester their parents for certain cereal brands. This marketing gimmick got its start with Henry Perky, who is credited with producing the first ready-to-eat cereal and offering a prize. The practice took flight from 1950 through the 1980s.
Here are six vintage prizes that, depending on rarity, age and condition, might be worth a pretty penny.
Quick Look: Old Cereal Box Toys Worth Money
- Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring (General Mills)
- Bo’sun whistle (Quaker Oats Company)
- Miniature auto license plates (General Mills)
- Miniature vinyl records (General Mills)
- Superman airplane ring (Kellogg’s)
- Freakies figurines (Ralston)
6 Vintage Cereal Prizes Worth Money
The array of prizes cereal manufacturers stuffed into their boxes seems endless, so if you have or run across any rare cereal box prizes, consider finding out their value. Here are six vintage cereal box prizes worth money.
1. Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring (General Mills)
The atomic bomb helped end World War II and launch the Cold War, and that somehow turned into marketing for Kix cereal. In 1947, General Mills offered kids a radioactive ring for $0.15 and a Kix box top.F-87 jet
The Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring’s silver warhead contains a trace amount of polonium-210, a radioactive isotope. A red tailfin completes the bomb, which is mounted on an adjustable gold band that features lightning bolts on the sides.
The company claimed the trace amount of radioactive material was safe, and Paul Frame, from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity, agrees. The ring could get you more than $400.
2. Bo’sun Whistle (Quaker Oats Company)
The bo’sun whistle distributed in Cap’n Crunch from Quaker Oats in the 1960s is so popular that retro cereal box collectibles mimicking the vintage collectible are being made on 3-D printers. If you run across a Cap’n Crunch bo’sun whistle, do your research to verify its authenticity.
Its popularity may have something to do with its interesting backstory. The whistle’s tone frequency was set at 2600 hertz, a level that could trick telephones of the day and allow free long-distance calls. (Yes, long-distance used to cost extra.) The telephone hack was discovered by a former U.S. Air Force electronics technician, John Draper.
The bo’sun whistle may get you $140.
3. Miniature Auto License Plates (General Mills)
In the 1950s, General Mills packed a miniature license plate in each box of Wheaties for each of the 48 states in the U.S. (Hawaii and Alaska had not yet been admitted to the union.) The solid steel plates were small replicas of each state’s plate.
Rival Post got into the act in the 1970s and 1980s, placing aluminum miniatures of all 50 states’ license tags in its Honeycombs cereal. You could also find the “See America” plate that won you and your family a trip.
Sets of the Wheaties and Honeycombs plates can be found online for $18 to $150.
4. Miniature Vinyl Records (General Mills)
The marriage of cereal and music may seem unlikely if you didn’t live during the era of miniature vinyl records inside or attached to boxes of cereal. However, General Mills joined forces with Disney in 1951 to place a six-inch disc of two songs from “Alice in Wonderland,” launching the phenomenon of the cereal box record that would last through decades.
General Mills led the way, with Post and Kellogg’s joining in later. The companies would partner with popular recording artists, produce original themes or promote cereal mascots performing.
The records are sought after, with most priced between $25 and $50 online. A Jackson Five cereal box record was offered on eBay in November for $500.
5. Superman Airplane Ring (Kellogg’s)
One of the most valuable collectible cereal toys is the Superman airplane ring that Kellogg’s stuffed into its cereal boxes in 1948. The company was the sponsor of the radio show “The Adventures of Superman.”
The airplane ring was offered in Pep cereal, which was introduced in 1923 and was one of the first cereals to be fortified with vitamins B and D in the 1930s. Pep was a rival to Wheaties, so Kellogg’s heavily promoted it.
The ring came in silver and black. Pressing a lever on the ring sends an F-87 jet flying. Some Superman airplane rings have sold online for as much as $700.
6. Freakies Figurines (Ralston)
For a cereal that only survived a few short years, Ralston’s Freakies, launched in 1973, offered what would become one of the most nostalgic cereal collectibles: its figurines used to promote the cereal.
Ralston created a team of monsters (BossMoss, Cowmuble, Gargle, Goodie-goodie, Grumble, Hamhose and Snorkeldorf) to promote the cereal. Copywriter Jackie End is said to have developed the monsters based on the personalities of her coworkers.
The cast of monsters were forever in search of the mythical cereal tree that would feed them for life. Ralston initially planned to release Freakies as flakes in 1972, but instead introduced it as a loop cereal in 1973, with the weird cast of characters and their own jingle.
You can find a complete set of Freakies figurines online for about $250.
Dig Out Your Vintage Cereal Box Prizes for Cash
Collectible toys may not appear as frequently in your cereal anymore, but the toys, books, gadgets and records of yesteryear are making a splash on the collectibles market.
If you’re a collector or investor, you can pursue items to build your collection or portfolio. Or you might have a stash of vintage cereal box prizes you want to unload. Either way, this list of rare cereal box prizes worth money can help start your journey to your small pot of gold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cereal boxes worth collecting?
Yes, certain cereal boxes can be worth collecting, with rare or significant examples fetching hundreds or thousands of dollars. The factors that make a cereal box valuable include its pop culture appeal (who is on the box), whether it’s a limited edition or has a promotional tie-in, or its rarity, age and condition.
What happened to cereal box prizes?
While making no collective announcement, cereal companies pulled back from placing prizes in cereal in the early 2000s because of safety concerns, environmental factors, regulations about marketing to children and cost-cutting. The biggest change came in 2005 with the voluntary Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, which sought to reduce the marketing of less-nutritious food to children.
What are some rare Wheaties boxes?
Created by accident in 1921, Wheaties has always been marketed as a cereal for champion athletes. Some of the most rare Wheaties boxes include the first 1934 box featuring an athlete, baseball legend Lou Gehrig; the 1991 “World Champions” box with basketball star Michael Jordan; the 1999 “The Greatest” box with boxer Muhammad Ali; undefeated NCAA wrestler Cael Sanderson’s 2002 box; and the 1984 box featuring Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, the first woman on a Wheaties box.
About Sarah Edwards
Sarah Edwards is a finance writer passionate about helping people learn more about what’s needed to achieve their financial goals. She has nearly a decade of writing experience focused on budgeting, investment strategies, retirement and industry trends. Her work has been published on NerdWallet and FinImpact.
