THEY’RE GREAT AND SOMETIMES THE CEREAL IS TOO

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MANDATORY REMINDER:  tumblr_n5fhalvo1w1tumfuio1_r1_1280.jpg (1280×1712)

the two men–British professor or Scottish Laird…whom she has to pick from—which one do you think she’ll take????

 

Can ye ride?” Dougal repeated.
(Jamie)    “Aye, if ye’ll take the lassie off my chest and fetch me a clean shirt.”  Outlander

 

TODAY WE ARE LOOKING AT BREAKFAST CEREALS AND THEIR ICONS:

Vintage Wooden Capitol Mills Snow Flake Breakfast CerealSign:  $289.95
“Let Cocoa Krispies fill your spoon, and soon you’ll be gazing at a cocoa moon. sitting under a chocolate palm tree, by the cocoa sea.”
From Battle Creek, Michigan (home of Kellogg and Post) to Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Quaker Oats) cereal is big business:  The breakfast cereal industry has gross profit margins of 40-45%,90% penetration in some markets, and steady and continued growth throughout its history.In 2008, the total breakfast cereal sales were slightly over $13.3 billion in the U.S. alone.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_cereal
Antique Quaker Oats Porcelain Bed & Breakfast Cereal Food Store Grain $2,495.00
Coca Puffs Cereal Slogan
“I’m coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs!”
The development of cereal as we know it began in Battle Creek and was part of the early Seventh Day Adventist health and vegeterian movement.  Both Post and Kellogg were early converts to the new movement and developed cereal to help replace the heavy meats that were an intrical part of the diet in the 19th century.   In the late 1880s  Dr. Kellogg and his brother, W.K. were inspired by sales of granola (which was barely eatable at the time) to produce appealing cereals.  “After six years of experimentation, a kitchen mishap by W.K. yielded the breakfast staple known as cereal flakes.”  http://mentalfloss.com/article/20320/how-cereal-transformed-american-culture
Vintage Metal Signs Grape Nuts Cereal Advertising Self Frame Sign 
$1,950.00
“Kid tested. Mother approved.”
Another flake heard from:   “In many ways, the cereal flake is the perfect consumer product. It’s easy to produce, easy to sell, and surprisingly lucrative… These merits became clear to Charles Post, a failed suspender salesman …Post began selling knock-off versions of Kellogg’s products with a twist of his own—advertising. But Post, who had a background in sales, …He published pamphlets with titles such as “The Road To Wellville” and claimed his cereal, Grape-Nuts, could cure appendicitis, improve one’s IQ, and even “make red blood redder.” By 1903, he was clearing $1 million a year.” (op ed)

Boo Berry Vintage Bath Towel  General Mills 1973  Icon $100

“I vant to eat your cereal!”

“The First cereal trademark character was the Quaker Oats man (used because the Quaker faith projected the values of honesty, integrity, purity and strength) which dates from the late 1800s”  Antique Road Show/Sept 2014).  This along with the Cream of Wheat’s chef were among the earliest icons, but they lacked personality or direction.

Vintage Cream Of Wheat “the Worlds Fare” Print – Framed Oatmeal   $35.00
Roar, Boys, Roar, It tastes like more, What a flavor, Zippity-zow – its grand – and how!
The next step in cereal history was the endorsement angle.  Kellogg seems to have started this with “Our Gang” kids in the 1920.  ” Wheaties is the name of a breakfast cereal created in 1922 after a mixture of wheat bran accidentally spilled onto a hot stove producing some crispy flakes..at a Minnesota company named Washburn Crosby, later … General Mills.  .. was soon… sold as “Washburn’s Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes.”  After a time, … simply named Wheaties.  Early on in Wheaties’ marketing, the cereal began an association with sports, and baseball in particular.  In 1927, Wheaties advertising appeared on a billboard at …home the Minneapolis Millers minor league baseball team.  The first slogan for the cereal… became: “Wheaties — The Breakfast of Champions.” http://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/tag/1930s-advertising/
1936 Vtg Print Ad Quaker Puffed Rice Endorsement By Bette Davis 
$8.30
“Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids!”
According to Antique Road Show Insider with the exception of Snap Crackle and Pop (1930’s) the majority of the cereal mascots arrived in the 50’s and 60’s.
Funko General Mills 9 Inch Plush Figure Franken Berry  1971  $7.41
“I’m Rapmaster Barney and I’m here to say, I love Fruity Pebbles in a major way!”
Then there’s the cereal box prizes and send for items featured on the box themselves.  While the send away items are easy to find now the box prizes are not.
Star Wars Celebration V Mini-cereals Complete Set Of 16 –

$265.00

“Race for the taste, the honey sweet taste!, the honey-nutty taste of Honey Nut Cheerios”

Today “most cereal character items–even 1940’s  and 1950’s pieces–can be found for $10 – $125.  Exceptions include actual cereal boxes themselves and retail cereal displays which are rare.

Kell Cereal Box Store Display Sheet 1950s Tony The Tiger Sugar Frosted $84.99
Show’em you’re a tiger, Show’em what you can do, the taste of Tony’s Frosted Flakes, brings out the tiger in you, in you!

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