May Finale Auction: Private Collections Sale Closed (#28486661)

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Lot # E754

1982 G.I. Joe "A Real American Hero" First-Year Metal Lunch Box with NFL Thermos View Watchlist >

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Winning Bid: $18.99
16 Bid(s) View Bid History
High Bidder: Gmatele

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Lot # E754
System ID # 28641203

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Description

1982 G.I. Joe "A Real American Hero" First-Year Metal Lunch Box with NFL Thermos

The 1982 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero lunch box is the first-year edition of one of the most collected character lunch boxes of the entire metal-box era. Made by Thermos Division, King-Seeley Thermos Co. under license from Hasbro Industries, Inc., the front panel carries the now-iconic team portrait — Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Stalker, Hawk, and the full Joe squad assembled against a desert battlefield with a Dragonfly helicopter banking overhead. The reverse panel depicts the MOBAT tank firing across a fiery sky, an image drawn directly from early Hasbro packaging art. The yellow plastic handle and original Thermos-branded latch hardware are present and functional. Interior is white-painted steel with a removable tray shelf.

Paired with this is a 1975 NFL thermos — also King-Seeley, mustard-yellow plastic body, red cap, classic NFL shield decal with © 1975 National Football League Properties, Inc. copyright. The mismatch is historically authentic: these lunchroom kits were routinely reshuffled by kids, parents, and thrift stores across the '70s and '80s, and a Joe box arriving with a stray NFL thermos is exactly how they travel. Collectors focused on the box will note the thermos is mismatched; buyers who just want the complete experience of a fully equipped 1980s school lunch kit will appreciate that both pieces are present and functional. The thermos bottom is marked Stopper 722 / Cup 28A53 / King-Seeley Thermos Co., confirming manufacture.

CONDITION

Good overall, with honest, well-documented playground wear. The lunch box shows scuffing, scratches, edge dents, and finish wear throughout; rust and oxidation are present along the rim, hinge area, and interior corners, with paint loss to bare metal in those zones. The lithographed exterior panels remain bright and fully legible — image quality is strong for the grade. The NFL thermos shows light surface scuffing and minor decal wear; cap, stopper, and cup are all present.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

Lunch Box