358. Boxed: THE BEATLES

The Holy Grail of lunchbox collecting has got to be this original Beatles Lunchbox that dates back from 1965by Aladdin Industries. It has great embossed panels which feature the faces and facsimile signature of the Liverpool lads, Paul McCartney,John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. Lunchboxes in pristine condition can go for as much as $1,000!! Without the thermo, the box can still command more than $300!

Beatles Lunchboxes, even at those stratospheric prices, are easily snapped up by both boxers and Beatles memorabilia collectors. Locally, it is next to impossible to find these pop culture boxes--I have only seen 2 of them for sale here, with one rusty example carrying a Php20,000 price tag at a collectible show.

This lunchbox in fine condition, was purchased for just a fraction of that price from a local thrift  shop that specializes in used U.S. flea market goods. The items are shipped on a regular basis in several balikbayan boxes, and are promoted thru its facebook page--which was how I came to know of this rare lunchbox.

It now sits on a shelf along with my Osmonds and Bee Gees lunchboxes (I'm still missing the Monkees), my collecting tribute to the bands and their music I grew up with. John and Geroge may have passed on, but this Beatles box--with their four young happy faces--is a constant reminder of the force of the fab Four, and how they rocked and rolled our world.

62. Hey, You've Got to Hide this Tray Away: BEATLES TRAY

Now you can eat your cake and ogle at the Beatles too. This is Beatlemania to the extreme! John, Ringo, Paul and George immortalized on a metal tray. If you're a fan, would you dare use this funky piece of moptop memorabilia and risk rusting the smiling likenesses of the Fab Four. Of course not, in fact, this enameled serving tray made by Worcester Ware hangs in my room, like a treasured painting. And this circa 1964 tray has an authentic provenance--I got this from a trip from the famous Portobello antique strip in long-ago London trip. Yeah, yeah, yeah!

11. A NOD TO THE BEATLES

I had these plastic Beatles nodders for the longest time, purchased while I was a Bangkok resident. The Chatuchak shop had an amazing collection of Western collectibles (to this day, I regret not having bought the '70s Charlie's Angels dolls the shop had for sale) and one of the prized pieces were these 3 in. Fab Four figures that I can't find in any Beatles collectible books. Maybe they're unlicensed items. Maybe they're cake toppers. Or even voodoo dolls. But I love them yeah, yeah, yeah!