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Yes, Superman is faster than a speeding bullet. The value of the 1954 Superman lunch box might also be soaring as fast.

Of the major lunch box manufacturers, there were four different metal Superman lunch boxes made. The 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1990s have all produced our hero's box. But the most sought after and valuable of them all is the 1954 box produced by Universal.

It's not so long ago, 1989, that this lunch box was listed in Scott Bruce's "Official Price Guide to Lunch Box Collectibles" for $85 - $160. Oh, how times have changed. The average value of this box in excellent condition is currently around $800.00. But collectors pay multiples of that price for near mint or mint condition pieces.

On March 2 of this year, a 1954 Superman in mint condition sold for $11,500.00 at Skinner Galleries in Boston, MA. Up until that time, this was the highest price on record paid for a Superman lunch box. Like all records, it was meant to be broken.

The record was broken at 11:57 PM EST on September 8, 2000. Larry Aikins, who sells as "texasboxer@aol.com" on eBay, auctioned off what he called a "pristine" example of this great box. The box came out of a case and had never seen daylight. The box was truly a masterpiece.

"Each time I list this lunchbox, I will raise the reserve by $1000.00 until it sells. The first time I ran it on eBay, my reserve was $9,000.00", explained Larry in his auction description.

There were 16 bids by five people. The final bid, $11,999.99, was almost double the next highest bid at $6,200.00. The high bid was placed some five hours before the auction ended, so there was plenty of time for someone to come along and "snipe". But when you're dealing with 12k, even the best of us snipers were staying away.

For those of us who are familiar and purchase boxes regularly on eBay, these are extremely high figures. You can buy entire collections for these prices. As a side note, this record price is a bit higher than half value of my entire collection. And that's 95 boxes and thermoses all in near mint, mint or unused condition. I'd have to give up about 53% of my collection just for the price of this box!

From 08/26 - 09/10 there were six listings for the 1954 Superman box on eBay. Four of those listings actually sold. Besides the record bid, the other prices were for $1,999.00, $1,500.00, and $407.99. For the record, I was high bidder for the $1,500.00 auction.

The record box was purchased by Jeffery Landes (jslandesmd@yahoo.com) for $11,999.99. A relative newcomer to eBay, Jeffery has just 8 lunch boxes in his collection, but explained he has no intention to collect them all. "Each was purchased for a specific reason."

He started his lunch box collection with an Incredible Hulk box autographed by Lou Ferigno. Incredibly, he also has a Kung Fu box autographed by David Caradine.

Spending 1-2 hours a week on-line, Jeffery always leaves a maximum bid. This practice usually leaves people open to "sniping", but Jeffery says he was comfortable with his maximum bid.

"I am relatively new to eBay and have only bought a few items to date. Not too many items are of the caliber or condition I am looking for."

Jeffery has been collecting comic character toys since 1975. His collection consists mostly of tin mechanical toys dating from the 1920's to the 1960's-- including wind-ups and battery operated toys. His collection was reported in a 1994 issue of Antique Toy World magazine.

When asked if some people might think to call him "crazy" for paying so much for a box, Jeffery explains, "To paraphrase the former toy guru Bob Lesser-- you can always get more money, but you may never find this toy (or box) again. I collect the things I love to look at. I don't buy with the intent to invest or make money, because you never know what the value of these things will be in the future. Life is too short to worry about it. Collect what you love, enjoy and preserve these treasures while you can."

If the last 10 years are any indication, this Superman box will most certainly increase in value.

And was this Jeffery's most expensive purchase? "No. Many rare Disney and Popeye toys are far more expensive... unfortunately." These Disney and Popeye toys make up a large part of his collection.

This is not the first time he had the chance of purchasing a mint 1954 Superman box. "I originally saw Larry's Superman box at an Atlantique City show. This was about 10 years ago. He had it isolated in a plastic cube with a price of $7,000.00. I should have bought it then. I thought the price was crazy!"

What did he think when he saw Larry's latest Superman offering? "I decided this would be my only chance and I wanted one in this condition."

And are there any other boxes that have caught Jeffery's eye? "I would like to find a Yellow Submarine, Underdog, Dudley Do Right, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Toppie and Casper-- all mint with thermoses. I would also consider Peanuts, Popeye and the other Superman boxes."

Yes, you and every other lunch box collector out there!

Related Article: Superman Lunch Box Soars to $11,500 Record
Related Article: MastroNet, Inc. Auctions (1954 Superman Lunch Box)

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