If you have a question not covered within this text, please send us a message.
Q: Are any of your lunch boxes for sale? I can offer a really high price.
A: No. I frequently get requests from people who would like to purchase one or more of the boxes they see on this site. My primary collection is off limits. I do however upgrade from time to time, and I will make those boxes available for sale. Since I only buy near mint or better condition items, I very rarely upgrade. All lunch boxes and other items listed on this site are owned by Bryan Los.
Q: I have a few lunch boxes that are on your want list. Are you interested?
A: I only buy near mint/mint items. My standards are very high, and most boxes that people may have for sale probably won't meet them. Basically, I always will look to purchase a mint piece first. If the box is rare, I will consider a lesser quality, but nothing ever less than C8 (excellent) condition-- no exceptions. If you feel you have a great box, please e-mail.
Q: You have a great site with lots of info. Is there any way I can find books on the subject of lunch boxes?
A: There are quite a few good lunch box books. Click here for a list of must-have books.
Q: I have a (XXXX) lunch box that was produced in (XXXX). Can you tell me how much it's worth?
A: To quickly find the value of a lunch box, visit the Price & Information Guide-- with over 470 listings! If you need help with a box not listed, or require more info, you can always e-mail.
Q: Great site! Will you be adding anything else to the web site in the near future?
A: We always have at least two projects in the works for LBP. Time, energy, and concentration determine how fast they get on-line! Upcoming projects can be found by reading the Web Site News.
Q: I see a lot of metal lunch boxes coming out now. There are TV show boxes, reproductions, and collectible tins. Should I be buying up all that I can find so I won't have to spend more $$$ in the future?
A: It depends. Lunch box purists often will only collect vintage lunch boxes, or new releases that are made by any of the remaining "original" box makers, like Thermos Co. (last one left). There has been a box explosion recently, and you can find hundreds of new lunch boxes on the internet. Should you collect them all? Well that's up to you AND your wallet. Personally, I stay away from the new boxes-- except Thermos Co. metal releases. There are plenty of vintage boxes left to find, and I would rather spend my resources finding those gems.
Q: Why did they stop making metal lunch boxes?
A: This question is surrounded by rumor and half-truths. It's a widely held belief in the lunch box community that steel lunch boxes were "banned" by Florida legislation in 1972, thus phasing them out for more "safer" plastic. The story goes... Some parents were concerned that kids could hurt themselves by hitting each other over the head, and decided to take their fight to the Florida Legislature (maybe they should have hit their parents over the head to knock some good sense into them!). I have done some research into this subject, and have found no law or legislation pertaining to steel lunch boxes in Florida. I have contacted several individuals within the State Legislature and Archives, and have been unable to find any information pertaining to such a law. I also spoke to Scott Bruce, the author of two lunch box books, in which he states the existence of this law. Bruce told me that he never confirmed the law, but heard it from an Aladdin employee. No proof of this law has ever been presented in any lunch box literature. From 1972-1987, steel and plastic box production were almost on equal pace. If a law did exist, it was poorly enforced! You can read the full text of an article on the subject.
Q: I just recently started collecting and was amazed at the high prices that boxes were selling for on the eBay auction site. Why are the prices so high?
A: It's true, some prices are very high. This is due to the fact that you may have a mint condition lunch box that is sought after by collectors, coupled with the potential for millions of bidders in that auction. Someone is always willing to pay more than what a box may be worth. When you get a few of those people bidding on the same item, the prices can get high very quick. You can find web sites that sell boxes rather than auction them off. Visit the On-Line Resources for some great web sites.
Q: What is the best way to clean/preserve your lunch boxes?
A: You need a how-to guide!
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Wednesday . May 14 . 2008
