1950 Hopalong Cassidy Lunch Box, Nice Thermos; Historic First Edition. STRONG

Description

Note:
It's FREE !!!
The second photo
in blue above
is a fantastic smart phone app for collectors.  It enables instant, organized, visual access to your best collectibles on your phone, with room for written data as well.  Customizable to any collection, and self populates with a bar code for some.  See your app store for "
iCollect Everything.
"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The 1950 Hopalong Cassidy lunch box is perhaps the most historic collectible in America.
It was the first "licensed" collectible of a live TV character in the United States
, allowing an image owned by others to be used in merchandising by a third party (for an agreed price).   Every merchandised collectible today has its roots firmly planted in this 1950 Hopalong Cassidy Lunch Box, and is a "must have" collectible.  It is THE very FIRST.
In fact, the frenzy for Hopalong Cassidy licensed merchandise in the early 1950's led to more than 100 companies manufacturing more than million in Hopalong Cassidy merchandise alone!  The idea caught fire and changed the face of retail merchandizing forever. (
this from Hake's Auctions:
"A
laddin Industries Inc. ©1950 William Boyd. This lunchbox was issued in red and blue. This version w/nice 3.75x4.25" colorful (cloud shaped) decal w/"Hopalong Cassidy" name and Hoppy image showing him w/guns drawn in desert. This is "die-cut" design issued in 1950; a square decal was later issued in 1952").
(Also see National Museum of American History, Smithsonian)
The 1951-52 version of this lunch box is also collectible, and is much like the 1950 version.  It, however, has the square decal on the front, a rounded, thicker handle, a thermos with a lightly sculpted red cup top.  Many more of these were made, as the Hopalong Cassidy merchandising frenzy was running "full steam ahead" by then.
*************************************************************************
ABOUT THE EARLY VARIATIONS IN THIS LUNCH BOX
*  The very first 1950 edition of this lunch box
came in both
blue
and
red
.
*  The very first 1950 edition of both the blue and red lunch box came with a
Hopalong Cassidy
decal on the front panel in the shape of a cloud
.  Later editions, late 1951-52, used a square decal, much larger.
The first edition with the cloud decal is the rarer item.
*
The very first 1950 edition lunch box came with a thin metal handle, concave;
the 1951-52 handle changed to a more rounded, thicker handle.
*  The 1950 and subsequent lunch boxes came with a thermos, yellow and red matching the cloud decal.  The lunchbox has a space inside specifically constructed for the thermos,
which was also an innovation at the time.
*
The very first 1950 edition of the thermos also came with a simple red screw-on domed cup top
; later editions, 1951-52 and after, retained the red cup, but it was slightly sculptured with a design.
*
The very first 1950 edition of the thermos
came with a silver bottom indicating "Made by Aladdin Industries, Incorporated."
*******************************************************************
THE
RED
LUNCH BOX HERE
, WITH THE CLOUD DECAL ON FRONT, THE THIN METAL HANDLE, THE MATCHING THERMOS WITH SIMPLE DOMED RED TOP AND THE BOTTOM OF THE MATCHING THERMOS STATING "MADE BY ALADDIN INDUSTRIES" IS THE VERY FIRST EDITION, 1950, FAMOUS HOPALONG CASSIDY LUNCH BOX.
LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO APPRECIATE IN VALUE OVER TIME GIVEN ITS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
The 1950 first edition lunchbox for sale
here is in nice shape for a lunchbox 70 years old.  It shows care.
*  The photos show the outside edges with normal wear, and various minor small scrapes and scratches which would be expected.  Please review the photos.
*  The very bottom of the front right corner has a small dent underneath, hard to see when the box is standing as it's on the very bottom.
*   The flat panels front, back, and sides have no major dents, just minor dings, and are very strong.  The back has a bit of minor residue which appears to be from a sticker of some sort; see photo of back.
*  The correct collapsible metal handle and hinges are in excellent condition, and the original latch is tight and works perfectly.
*  The Hopalong Cassidy cloud decal on the front of the box is full, vibrant and colorful.
*  The interior of this 1950's lunch box is in overall fine shape.  There are some minor areas of missing paint inside, but the interior surface of the bottom, sides, and top remains quite nice.  See photo.
*  The color on the lunchbox is still quite vibrant and warm, including both exterior and interior.  Some areas of natural time-worn thinning.
*  The thermos shows only very light wear, a few tiny spots of missing paint, a very slight indentation near the bottom;  remarkable shape for being 70 years old; the decals are bright and clear, the top is spectacular and original, the inside of the thermos is bright, and the exterior bottom of the thermos shows "Aladdin Industries, Incorporated."  It even has most of the original "Good Housekeeping" sticker that was on many of the early versions when sold new.
Mailing cost includes packaging,
full insurance
, and mailing.