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Art slick. A black-and-white drawing for newspaper advertising of lunch kits. They are usually produced every season by lunch box manufacturers and sent out to retailers.

Back. The minor side, also called the "bottom," of a rectangular lunch box. The back usually features art inferior to the front or face of the box.

Band. Also called the body, saddle, or sides, it's the waist-like part of the lunch box going around between the front and back.

Body. See "Band."

Bongo Bag^TM. A zippered, oval, vinyl bag with a long, purse-like handle made by Ardee Industries. Same shape as Aladdin's Brunch Bag^TM and KST's Munchies Bags^TM.

Border. See "Rim."

Bottle. The steel/glass, plastic/glass, or plastic container for liquids included with a lunch box. See Anatomy 101 for more information about the bottle.

Bottle retaining wire. The device inside the lunch box which keeps the bottle in place.

Bottom. See "Back."

Boxer. A collector of lunch boxes.

Boxing. Lunch box collecting.

Boxman. An artist, salesman, or engineer employed by a lunch box manufacturer.

Boxography. A chronological list of manufactured lunch boxes.

Boxstory. The history of lunch boxes.

Brunch Bag^TM. Aladdin's name for their zippered, vinyl bag, with a long strap handle.

Cap. The cork or plastic thermos bottle stopper. The cap prevents the contents of the bottle from spilling out.

Carry-all. An oval or rectangular lunch box with one or two movable metal strap-like handles. Also known as "carry-all tins."

Catalog. Consisting of several pages, showcasing the many available products for that year, including pictures and information.

Catalog page. A colorful, letter-sized page sent by lunch box makers to prospective retailers, trumpeting the season's available kits.

Clasp. See "Latch."

Collar. The plastic or metal piece that threads onto the top (open end) of the thermos sleeve and conceals the glass filler. The stopper then fits onto the top of the collar. The cup then fits onto the collar, covering the stopper.

Color separation. The photographic process whereby original lunch box art is broken down by primary colors (usually yellow, red, blue, and black) in order to be lithographed onto steel sheets.

Comprehensive. The rough design for lunch boxes as sketched by an artist. The final art is called "finished" and often done by another artist.

Cover. The front, face, or best side of a rectangular lunch box, usually featuring the most eye-catching art to promote brisk sales.

Cup. The plastic drinking cup which fits on top of the thermos bottle. The cup is securely held in place by fastening to the collar.

Designer. The individual or individuals responsible for the look of the lunch box or bottle.

Dome. The rounded top type lunch box. More commonly steel, but vinyl examples exist. Also known as "dome top."

Edge. Area of the (usually steel) lunch box which is perpendicular to the rim. The edge can be seen when viewing the box from the band.

Embossed steel. Refers to lunch boxes made by Aladdin from 1962-1986. Although 99% of lunch boxes produced in this time-frame were embossed, there were some boxes that were released as "embossed" and "flat steel."

Embossing. The process whereby the metal stamping dies are contoured to produce a raised 1/16 inch "3-D" surface on the front and back of lunch boxes. Used exclusively by Aladdin since 1962 for dramatic action figures.

Face. The front, or important side of the rectangular lunch box. The face includes the primary design and art for the kit.

Feet. The four raised "pads" on the bottom of a dome lunch box. The feet protect the bottom of the box from resting on the surface.

Finished art. The final, or completed art for a decorated lunch kit. Based on "comprehensive" or rough design.

Flat steel. Metal lunch boxes by KST, Universal, and others. The lunch box front and back were flat. Artwork or actual photo images were lithographed onto the surface of the box. Before 1962, Aladdin produced only flat steel lunch boxes.

Flip 'n' Sip^TM Top. KST's thermos stopper that featured a pour spout for liquids, also capable of allowing a straw to be inserted.

Front. See "Face."

Generic. A lunch box design or model created by a manufacturer to avoid paying royalties for the use of a licensed character or series. Examples of generic kits included Junior Miss, Red Plaid, Cable Car, and Corsage.

Glass filler. The breakable glass insert of a traditional vacuum bottle. Injection molded plastic bottles brought glass fillers to extinction.

Glass liner. See "Glass filler."

Golden Age. Term refers to lunch kit production between 1950 and 1987.

Handle. The metal or plastic device used to carry a lunch box.

Hang tag. The manufacturing tag Aladdin and other manufacturers placed on every lunch box produced. The tag often describes some new feature of the lunch box or thermos.

Hardware. The metal or plastic pieces of the lunch box, consisting of the bottle retaining wire, handle, latch, and the fasteners that connect the handle to the box.

Heavyweight boxer. An advanced lunch box collector with over 500 individual boxes.

High spot wear. Scratching or chipping of paint on the elevated surfaces of embossed lunch boxes.

Holtemp^TM. Series of generic steel/glass vacuum bottles sold by American Thermos in the 1950s.

Humpback. See "Dome."

Icy hot^TM. Series of generic steel/glass vacuum bottles sold by American Thermos in the 1950s.

Injection molded. The process whereby plastic lunch boxes and bottles are manufactured.

KST. King Seeley Thermos, one of the largest lunch kit makers in the United States from 1953-1987. Now operating under the name of Thermos Co., they still produce lunch kits today.

Information courtesy The Official Price Guide to Lunch Box Collectibles.
Additional information provided by Lunch Box Pad.

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