1960s-1970s Lunch Box, value?

[asteriastar]

My fiance has a letter from the original maker's daughter of this old antique alumunium lunch box comfirming that it is indeed from the 1960s-1970s. We were wondering what the value might be on it? It was used in the Sudbury Nickle Mines, it was made from L. May MFG .. Leo May is the makers name..

[greenacres]

It looks like Herman Munster's lunchbox, lol I'll check and see what I find.

[greenacres]

I can't find your exact design. How about taking pictures with it open. Then check and see if there are any labels. Meanwhilr you made me $100.00 Thank you. I just found out my "Donny Osmond" Lunch box is worth that. You need more info.

[rockandrollrods]

I tried to sell one last year that was similar. It was older, but it was in far worse condition. I didn't have any luck at $20 when I tried. And contrary to what the "expert" said on Auction Kings once, having the thermos DOES add to the value. I don't know if this one even came with a thermos, but if you have it and the rubber seal is still intact, then that will increase the value. Being a miner's lunch pail, and knowing what mine it was used in helps. There is one pail of the same manufacturer on eBay right now that has a $10 bid on it. You're appears to be taller, and the eBay one was clearly polished. Assuming the condition is still good, I would venture a "not-so-expert" guess of at least $50 for it.

More pail collectors like TV shows, musicians, and old movie ones that kids used to carry. I got $60 for an old banged up Aladdin pail and thermos last year that had Zorro on it. Pictures of the inside and a description of the condition would be quite helpful as well.

[asteriastar]

More information coming from the fiance.. "My Uncle worked in the Sudbury Mines, this is how I have one. This lunch box was handmade by Leo May himself, this was comfirmed by his daughter in the personal e-mail I have who now owns the company. The L May company still exists, but their lunch pails are now mass produced in the 80s and are the standard lunch pails for all construction companies. It never came with a thermos. The owner only hand made these lunch pails from 1956-late 1970s from my understanding. He's passed away now. Hope this helps some.. please let me know, thank you!"

[kysfinest]

how big is your lunch box? Seems they were made in for different sizes, this might help in putting a value on it....



The lunch box, initially built by hand, features stainless-steel hardware. May originally sold it for $2.50 at a time when miners earned $1.25 per hour. The original design was 10-inches wide, and four-and-a-half inches deep, constructed to fit around a sandwich and accommodate a vacuum bottle.

As more requests filtered in, May experimented with different sizes. Eventually, four sizes were sold in two-inch increments from eight-inches wide for school children up to the jumbo 14-inch wide size. May had said it was for people who liked their rhubarb pie or their rhubarb whole. As miners’ shifts extended to 12 hours, the boxes increased in size in order to hold more food. Langin said many people used them as brief cases and lunch boxes. May also built other aluminum products, because a "box was a box was a box."

[mart]

There is one on ebay that is like yours but didn`t check size !! Its $9.99 with one bid and couple of days to go !!  Just watch the listing and it will give an idea of what actual selling price would be !!  Value is one thing,,,what an item will actually sell for is another thing entirely !!!

[asteriastar]

10 inches wide, 7 3/8 inches high, 4 inches 3/4 deep are the measurements... here is a picture of the inside. seeing that it's hand made, the measurements are off/different. This has more sedimental value to myself, no interest in selling it at the moment just wondering of the value of the lunch box.

[mart]

They should be pretty consistantly sized as he handmade quite a few and probably used a template !! Might vary 1/8 an inch or so but that would also depend on what he used to bend or form the metal !! Hand made does not mean he wouldn`t have used tools that would make it easier !!