Are Your Childhood Cereal Box Toys Now Worth a Fortune?

If you are a person of a certain age then you’re almost certain to remember the joy of opening a new box of cereal and rummaging through its contents to discover its hidden treasure.

For those not of the required age, this must sound entirely bizarre. But the inclusion of gifts inside our cornflakes, frosted flakes or rice pops was a small moment of magic throughout a lot of childhoods. Yet it’s a tradition seemingly lost forever.

Were Cereal Box Toys Banned for Safety Reasons?

Quite why we stopped getting cereal box prizes seems a bit of a mystery. The internet will tell you that it is all about the health and safety regulations now. Social media might suggest that they are linked to political correctness—though I'm not sure how.

Certainly, there’s plenty of evidence of kids choking on toy parts, or at least a fear of that occurring. Indeed, the U.S. still bans the sale of Kinder Eggs. This is because of regulations about food that contains non-edible parts.

And there was in fact a recall of almost a million cereal boxes over concerns the wheels may fall off the NASCAR models inside. Although there was no incident of this actually happening.

In short, there is no concrete proof that such concerns actually led to the demise of cereal box toys. Regardless of the cause, however, time seems to have erased the art itself.

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Which Cereal Box Toys Are Most Valuable?

Nowadays these toys more often than not crop up at car boot sales. However, the cereal collecting scene on eBay is surprisingly active. Boxes and toys are often fetching more than you might imagine.

At the time of writing a complete set of the Kelloggs Pokemon Battlestop Stadium Game, which was given away in 2000, fetches £80+. A trio of flat Italian Nestle cereal boxes along with Spider-Man toys is currently on sale for almost £60.

In general collectors can find original toys in their in-pack plastic seal for prices ranging from £5 to £20. Higher priced items do crop up, however. A flying Superman toy from the 1950s in currently on offer from a US seller for £157.

Many of the items tend to sell to collectors of the associated licence rather than collectors of cereal toys themselves. Sellers often determine prices based on the size and popularity of the fanbase.

When Did Cereal Box Toys First Appear?

It will come as no shock that cereal giant Kelloggs first introduced cereal box toys. While the brothers Dr JH and Will Keith Kellogg share joint credit for the invention of the corn flake, it is younger brother Will who hit upon the concept of bringing their products to wider audiences. Having added sugar to their creation to lure in children, he eventually had the idea of including toys in cereal boxes.

In the early days, back in 1909, this took the form of a book that buyers could receive through the post if they provided proof of purchase. Another method was to turn the outside of the boxes themselves into toys. Often with templates for cut out shapes printed onto either the rear or inside of the cardboard.

Once cheap plastic manufacturing became popular in the ‘50s, the inclusion of toys in the box became financially viable. The idea of offering sets that would require the purchase of several boxes to complete was the commercial masterstroke.

The dawn of commercial licensing grew the trend further still and throughout the ‘80s virtually every kids movie and toy launch would be accompanied by a cereal toy promotion.

What Were the Most Popular Cereal Box Toys?

Most children of the 1980s (and perhaps before) will have fond memories of cereal box prizes. Favourites include:

•    Kelloggs’ Bike Reflectors: A mainstay found on the wheels of every kid’s bike in the period

•    Jaws 3D Glasses: The specs themselves were found in the box and could be used to see the 3D images printed on the outside

•    Spooky Spoons: Included with Shreddies, these would change colour when put into hot water or tea

•    Tony the Tiger Holograms: These were stuck on the box, making completing the set a lot easier than most.

Are Old Cereal Boxes Worth Collecting?

Not just cereal toys that spark the interest of collectors – cereal boxes themselves remain surprisingly collectible. They can fetch incredible prices, too. In 2015 an unopened pack of a US cereal brand called Post Ten dating back to 1961 sold for an incredible $2,550 on eBay. A year later a box of US Quaker (Quaker oats) Quisp from the same decade reached $2,100.

Collectors in the scene most commonly cite nostalgia as the source of their interest. Interestingly, many pristine examples of cereal boxes come from collectors who originally stashed them away. They thought that the included gifts would one day be worth something. Few realised that it was the boxes themselves that would become the actual prize.

Today, companies like General Mills are reviving the tradition of breakfast cereal toys. This gives a new generation the chance to experience the excitement of discovering a gift inside their breakfast.

If you are a toy collector or enjoy collecting toys, you can get the latest collecting news by signing up for the Collectors Club of Great Britain’s newsletter.