Lunch Boxes - They’re Not Just for Food Anymore

Cavemen probably carried a lunch box when they trudged off in search of something to drag home for the evening meal or when hightailing it away from the local T-Rex. Well, maybe not, but the concept of a portable food container has existed for a long time. Japan's bento, for example, dates back several centuries. Early lunch boxes from the 19th century were woven baskets with handles, and not much later, American industrial workers carried sturdy containers. But it wasn't until people began using tobacco tins to carry meals in the early 20th century and lithographed images on metal came along that the containers became a staple of youth and a marketable product. You may know them as lunch boxes, lunch pails, lunch buckets, lunch bags, lunch sacks, tin totes, tote bags, or cooler bags. But whatever you call them, they sure are handy! The first lunch box decorated with a famous licensed character was introduced in 1935 and featured Mickey Mouse, but nowadays you can find one themed to just about any fandom you can imagine, from Star Wars, Harry Potter, DC Comics, Marvel, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Disney, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sesame Street, and Peanuts to anime/manga, One-Punch Man, and Attack on Titan. Lunch boxes aren't used only to carry food these days. Many people collect them, and they're a great way to store or haul around your small collectibles, toys for the kids, and whatnot. Plus, they're just plain fun. Find one or more for yourself below!