10 Cereal Boxes That Are Worth More Than You Might Think

How much would someone pay for an unopened 60-year-old box of cereal? Turns out that certain collectors will shell out a ton of cash for the boxed breakfast staple. People have been collecting the thick paper containers that hold all manner of bran flakes and toasted oats for almost as long as cereals have been around. Typically, though, it's not really about what's inside those rectangular packages. It's about what — or more precisely who — is emblazoned on the front of the box.

Pop stars, sports legends and cartoon characters that grace everything from Wheaties to cereals that have fallen out of favor — ever heard of Nabisco Rice Honeys? — tend to fetch the highest prices from collectors. History and auction records show some of the sky-high price tags people have paid for the ubiquitous cereal box –  some empty, some never opened, and at least one that never actually made it to a kitchen table to be consumed by a hungry family. If you or someone you know tends to hold on to little pieces of Americana, you may be genuinely shocked by how much some of these cereal boxes are worth today.

With an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000 before bidding started, a 1934-35 era Lou Gehrig Wheaties box up for auction in 2019 far exceeded expectations when it sold for $7,680. It took just nine bids to ramp up the price from an opening offer of $2,250 on that day six years ago, according to Julien's Auctions, where it sold. For those who may not know, Gehrig was a famous baseball player who spent his entire professional career playing first base for the New York Yankees. He also happened to be the first athlete to grace the cover of a Wheaties cereal box, which could also be why collectors were so eager to shell out some serious cash for the rare item.

The box that sold at auction featured a bold orange background with a profile image of the sports star in a batting stance, feet firmly planted. Gehrig's signature is found in white near the bottom left-hand corner of the image. Those who don't have more than $7K on hand for a similar cereal box can take heart. There are plenty of replicas of the vintage Wheaties box up for grabs on auction sites. Etsy recently had one such copy for sale at just under $104.

After appearing as the bad guy in the Sylvester Stallone film Rocky III, per IMDB, and before he was Hulk Hogan's tag team partner for Wrestlemania, the entertainer Mr. T was featured in a popular TV action series called The A Team and a Saturday morning cartoon (from 1983-1985) that likely helped land him on the cover of a cereal box as the plucky cartoon version of himself. Flash forward four decades and one of those empty containers that someone tucked away for safe keeping sold at auction for $550 in 2024, according to Heritage Auctions.

A description from the auction house reported the circa 1984 box was the original cardboard package without the crispy sweet corn and oats cereal. The breakfast food named for the actor who also used the stage moniker B.A. Baracus was manufactured by Quaker Oats, and simply called Mr. T. While not in perfect condition, the box showed crease marks, plus corner wear and some staining on the back, according to Heritage Auctions. The cereal box came from Mr. T.'s personal collection, and was shipped to the seller with a certificate of authenticity from Heritage Auctions.

Described as the most famous skateboarder of all time, Tony Hawk was just 14 years old when he turned pro. By the time he was a senior in high school, he was able to use prize winnings to buy his first house in California, according to the skater's official website. Today, he is known for his successful business ventures, such as popular video games and signature skate-board inspired toys from Mattel, and his philanthropic work. His charitable foundation, known as The Skatepark Project, has given more than $13 million in grants to more than 650 skatepark projects throughout America.

So it probably comes as no surprise that a portion of the proceeds of the limited-edition Tony Hawk-themed box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal that sold at auction for $512 benefitted The Skatepark Project, according to Julien's Auctions. The buyer received the box, which came from Hawk's personal collection and was also signed by Hawk. It was delivered with a certificate of authenticity.

Even today, decades after the Fab Four from Liverpool, England blasted onto the music scene in London and then the world, collectors still seem to get genuinely excited when rare Beatle's items come up for sale at auction, including when it's something as ordinary as a cereal box. In December 2014, a Beatles original Nabisco Rice Honeys box with six sheets of Yellow Submarine rub-ons inside (think temporary tattoos) — distributed in the U.S. in 1969 — sold at auction for almost $1,438, notes Heritage Auctions. The cereal was sold as a tie-in to the movie Yellow Submarine.

The box was a true blast from the past, with colorful cartoon versions of the singers featured on the front and back. The description from the auction site notes that a letter of authenticity from memorabilia expert Jeff Augsburger was included with the lot. This item was considered to be extremely rare because for a short period in early 1969, Nabisco offered free Beatles' rub-ons in specially-marked Yellow Submarine-themed packages of Rice or Wheat Honeys, according to Heritage Auctions. The cereal box also was described as "bright and sharp with minor creases and bends," and in "fine condition." The rub-ons were still in their original packaging and said to be in excellent condition.

Back in 1970, cereal makers and marketers seemed to be working overtime to make their packaging as eye-popping and appealing to children as possible. Enter a friendly-looking and very pepto pink character who adorned boxes of Quisp cereal some five decades ago. With a pre-auction value of $700 to $1,000, one of those vintage boxes was snapped up for almost $470 in March of 2018, according to Hake's Auctions.

Made by Quaker, the box in question featured a circle-shaped offer on the front, with the words "Send For The New Quisp Bank – See Back." On the top of the box, a rectangular offer. Flip the box over to the back and you were greeted with the headline "Quisp New Way To Save Your Pennies." The entire back side was devoted to the coin bank advertisement, showing an image of the pink and green painted bank in the shape of the Quisp character. Offered more than 55 years ago, the bank was available for $1 and one proof-of-purchase Quisp seal. The cardboard container had some "minor scattered creases," noted the auction house description, but was in excellent condition.

What's better than one unopened vintage cereal box from the 1960s? Make that 10 tiny little boxes. Then throw in a handful of rare (and well-preserved) baseball cards and you have the potential to bring in a ton of cash. That's what happened in August when an unopened 10-pack of Post brand cereals dated 1961 sold for a whopping $21,600 by REA, a specialty auction house. The reason for the high price was primarily because one of the baseball cards attached to the still intact packaging happened to be a Post cereal baseball card described as a #4 Mickey Mantle, according to REA.

The other two cards included in the breakfast multi-pack were #47 Pete Runnels, and #157 Charlie Neal. A description provided by the auction house explains the baseball cards were issued between 1961 and 1963, and were primarily offered on the back of the cereal company's larger boxes. "This is the first example we have ever offered! The Post-Tens pack displays extremely well overall, with tight seals and a large tear to the plastic wrapping on two sides," according to the REA description. The boxes made their way to auction after a California woman (who did not want to be identified) bought them for $75 as part of a lot of cereal boxes that had been stored in a nuclear bunker, according to Clict. She told cllct that after some research she discovered the box with the baseball legend's card would likely fetch a small fortune at auction. She was not wrong.

In his day, he was called the Splendid Splinter and often described as the greatest hitter who ever lived. Major League Baseball legend and hall of famer Ted Williams, who died in 2002, spent nearly all of his 19-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox. Some two decades after his death, a cereal box that never made it off the assembly line featuring his likeness sold at auction for $440, according to Heritage Auctions.

The auction house description of the 1951 Ted Williams cereal box, reported that it was still flat because it was likely never folded. The flat cardboard featured a head and shoulders drawing of Williams on the back with his signature in dark blue and the words "Boston Red Sox Slugging Outfielder" beneath the image. Those who want their own Ted Williams cereal box just may be in luck. There are currently numerous versions of the Wheaties boxes available on popular auction sites that range in price from $425 to $3,550.

With a starting price of $100, an original 1978 Wheaties box featuring Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner sold at auction on Aug. 31, 2019 for nearly $358. The box, which was still sealed, was signed by Jenner in black felt tip marker, according to Iconic Auctions, who sold the item. The cereal box featured an image of Jenner in motion from the 1970s. The auction description reported the box was in excellent condition with "trivial handling wear." The item was accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Beckett Authentication Services. Seven bidders vied for the Wheaties cereal container featuring Jenner, now known as Caitlyn, who publicly transitioned in 2015, according to Team USA.

After scoring gold, Jenner served as a spokesperson for the cereal brand from 1977 to 1979. Prior to that, Jenner earned a lone medal in the1976 Montreal Summer Olympics for the decathlon. A third marriage to the former Kris Kardashian moved the former athlete back into the public eye with the rise of the family's reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

Picture it. A kitchen table somewhere in America circa 1960. A mom in her apron grabs a few bowls from the cupboard and a cold bottle of milk from the icebox to pour over the Rice Chex she's serving to her family. The kiddos may be particularly interested in this box, maybe not so much because of the crispy morning meal set before them, but more because of the toys tucked inside. After all, this is no ordinary container of molasses coated carbohydrates. The box in question, which sold at auction in 2013 for $360, held precious prizes, according to Heritage Auctions.

The reason for the high price it earned was likely because inside the box was not one, but two special treats: a decoder belt and a small smoke gun. The auction site described the trinkets in more detail, explaining that the belt was made of plastic and featured a rocket ship with a gold plastic buckle. Then there was the space-age looking faux weapon, characterized as a red plastic space smoke gun. Details on the back of the box explained how to use the gadgets. The lucky collector who out bid others received the empty cereal box and original printed instructions for how to use the belt. Noted to be in very good condition, the box also came with the printed premium offer.

It's hard to beat the beloved music group the Beatles when it comes to their popularity with British collectibles. Maybe that's why even a cereal box prototype that was never actually manufactured still managed to bring in a tidy sum in recent years. On Nov. 3, 2018, a Beatles Fantasy Wheaties box novelty mock-up — with no cereal inside of course — sold at auction for $134, according to Heritage Auctions. The piece was from the Connie and Dennis Dailey Monumental Beatles Collection, the auction house noted. Featuring the signature bright orange color Wheaties cereal boxes are known for, the images of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison were presented in black and white. Beneath their likenesses were the words "Wheaties Champions."

There's evidence that the Beatles graced at least three different cereal boxes through the years that made it to market, and perhaps as many as six, though solid proof remains elusive. The boy band was emblazoned on the cover of a Rice Krispies box sold in the United Kingdom and the previously mentioned Nabisco Rice Honeys and Nabisco Wheat Honeys. Fun fact: Beatles member John Lennon was reported to prefer his cereal, particularly his Corn Flakes, coated in cream instead of the traditional milk. And when it came to Rice Krispies, according to Parade, the singer and songwriter liked them with a side of ice cream.