1. Records on cereal boxes
Before loyalty apps and digital downloads, brands gave away real treasures you could touch, trade, and collect. From cereal boxes to bank counters, these freebies often outshined the products themselves, and many are worth a small fortune today. In the 1960s and ’70s, cereal companies like Post and General Mills printed playable vinyl records directly onto their boxes, giving kids an unexpected bonus at breakfast. These cardboard singles featured artists like The Monkees and The Jackson 5, and all you needed was a turntable, a steady hand, and maybe a spoon to carefully cut them out. The sound quality wasn’t perfect, but the novelty of getting free music with your cereal was unbeatable. Many kids collected the different titles, while parents tolerated the crackly tunes because it kept the children entertained. Today, uncut cereal boxes with these records are considered valuable collectibles, proving that sometimes the packaging was more exciting than what was inside.
2. Frito Bandito erasers
During the late 1960s and ’70s, Frito-Lay used the Frito Bandito character to promote its corn chips, and one of the most memorable giveaways was a set of molded erasers shaped like the cartoon mascot. Kids clipped them to pencils or traded them at school, turning a snack purchase into a mini-collectible event. Although the Bandito character was eventually retired due to controversy, the erasers lived on in lunchboxes and desk drawers long after. Today, surviving sets are rare and can fetch surprising prices from collectors who remember them fondly. What started as a playful snack-time prize has become a quirky piece of advertising history that’s treasured by fans of retro ephemera.
3. Star Wars Burger King glasses
When the original Star Wars trilogy hit theaters, Burger King jumped on the craze by offering full-color collectible glasses with the purchase of a Whopper. Between 1977 and 1980, these tumblers featured detailed artwork of Luke, Leia, Darth Vader, and other characters, making them a must-have for both kids and adults. Many families collected the entire set and proudly displayed them at home, not realizing they’d one day become highly sought-after memorabilia. While the fast-food promotion was short-lived, the glasses endured, with complete sets now commanding serious collector prices. For many fans, these freebies remain one of the most nostalgic tie-ins from the early days of the Star Wars empire.
4. McDonald’s Changeables
In the 1980s, McDonald’s Happy Meals included one of their most creative toys ever: the Changeables. These small plastic figures looked like burgers, fries, or shakes but transformed into robots, echoing the popularity of Transformers at the time. Kids loved the mix of fast food and sci-fi fun, and the toys became instant playground treasures. Each new wave introduced different menu items, encouraging kids to collect them all. Decades later, they remain some of the most recognizable Happy Meal toys, with vintage sets often resold to nostalgic adults. The Changeables perfectly captured the spirit of the ’80s, turning a simple meal into a miniature adventure.
5. Cracker Jack prizes
Long before the small paper slips of the modern era, Cracker Jack prizes were serious treasures. In the early to mid-20th century and up through the early ’80s, boxes included tiny metal toys, puzzles, rings, and even miniature board games. Kids eagerly dug into their caramel popcorn and peanuts not just for the snack but for the thrill of discovering a real prize. Collectors now value the early prizes highly, especially those in mint condition, as they represent a golden age of promotional giveaways. For many, these little surprises were more memorable than the snack itself, cementing Cracker Jack as the brand that made “a prize inside” famous.
6. S&H Green Stamps
From the 1950s through the ’70s, S&H Green Stamps were a staple in American households. Shoppers collected the stamps at grocery stores, gas stations, and department stores, pasting them into booklets to redeem for catalog items like toasters, lawn chairs, or even bicycles. It was a loyalty program that turned everyday purchases into long-term rewards, and families often made saving and trading stamps a household project. The catalog was like a treasure chest, filled with everything from kitchen gadgets to furniture, making the stamps feel like a form of alternate currency. Today, old stamp books are nostalgic keepsakes, reminding people of a time when collecting tiny green squares could land you something big.
7. X-ray glasses
While not technically a freebie (but pretty close), these specs, Advertised in the back pages of comic books during the 1960s and ’70s, X-ray glasses promised the impossible: the ability to see through objects. Kids mailed away a few dollars and waited eagerly for a pair of cardboard specs with plastic lenses that created the illusion of double vision. While they didn’t deliver on their wild claims, they became iconic symbols of childhood curiosity and the magic of comic book ads. The glasses embodied the era’s mix of innocent gullibility and playful marketing, and nearly everyone who grew up in those decades remembers at least wanting to try them. Though they never gave superpowers, they remain one of the most famous mail-order gimmicks of their time.
8. Cap’n Crunch license plates
In the 1970s, boxes of Cap’n Crunch cereal included miniature metal license plates featuring U.S. states. These little collectibles clipped onto bike frames or hung from backpacks, instantly becoming a playground trend. Kids compared their states, traded duplicates, and tried to complete the full set. The plates added a sense of adventure to a breakfast routine, turning cereal into more than just food. For many, getting a rare state plate was as exciting as pulling a prized baseball card. While simple in design, these giveaways sparked a collecting craze and are now remembered fondly as one of the most charming cereal-box promotions of the decade.
9. Honeycomb mini plates
Honeycomb cereal joined the mini-license plate craze in the 1970s with its own colorful plastic versions. Unlike the metal Cap’n Crunch plates, these came with clip-on reflectors and even maps so kids could track which states they had collected. They were tailor-made for bikes, letting kids show off their “road trip” progress to friends while riding around the neighborhood. The promotion encouraged collecting and trading, making breakfast feel like a gateway to adventure. These little plates were simple but effective, blending fun with just the right amount of geography to keep kids learning while they played. Vintage sets are still remembered fondly by those who pedaled proudly with them attached.
10. California Raisins figurines
In the 1980s, Hardee’s restaurants gave away California Raisins figurines with kids’ meals, inspired by the wildly popular claymation commercials. Each raisin had a funky personality, wearing sunglasses, playing instruments, or striking cool poses, which made them irresistible to kids and adults alike. Collecting the full band became a mini-obsession, and the toys quickly turned into cultural icons of the decade. For a time, the Raisins appeared on lunchboxes, T-shirts, and even in a Saturday morning cartoon. Decades later, the figurines are sought after by collectors who appreciate their nostalgic charm. They remain a prime example of how a simple giveaway could become bigger than the product it promoted.
11. Bazooka Joe prizes
From the 1950s through the ’70s, Bazooka bubble gum wrappers doubled as tickets to a secret treasure chest of mail-away prizes. Kids could save up comics featuring Bazooka Joe and his gang, then send them in for decoder rings, spy glasses, mini radios, or other fun trinkets. Unlike digital rewards of today, these prizes were tangible, tiny, and instantly exciting once they arrived in the mailbox. The thrill wasn’t just in the chewing gum but in the promise that each wrapper was a step closer to something bigger. Today, original prizes and preserved comics are treasured by collectors who grew up chasing these small but unforgettable rewards.
12. Wacky Wall Walkers
In the early 1980s, kids discovered a new kind of toy hidden inside cereal boxes: Wacky Wall Walkers. These sticky, octopus-shaped figures clung to smooth surfaces, slowly “walking” down walls in a mesmerizing, wobbly way. Over 200 million of them were distributed, making them one of the most popular giveaways of the decade. Children threw them on windows, refrigerators, and even classroom walls, often driving parents and teachers a little crazy. Despite their simple design, they became an instant fad and are still remembered as a perfect example of how something inexpensive could spark endless hours of fun.
13. Marvel mini comics
In the 1970s, even doing laundry came with a surprise. Tide detergent boxes sometimes included miniature Marvel comics featuring Spider-Man, Hulk, and other superheroes. Kids could sneak a comic while parents were busy washing clothes, turning a chore into a treat. These tiny books introduced Marvel heroes to households in a unique way, making them both fun and collectible. Many families didn’t realize how valuable they’d become, and surviving copies are now rare pieces of comic history. For children of the era, however, they were simply a bright spot in the laundry room and a reason to root for dirty socks.
14. Bank toasters
During the 1950s and ’60s, banks often gave away household appliances like toasters, blenders, or knife sets to encourage new savings accounts. The toaster became the most famous of these incentives, symbolizing a time when financial institutions used practical gifts to win loyalty. Families proudly brought home their “free” appliance, which often lasted for years and served as a reminder of the bank where they saved their money. It was an unusual but effective marketing strategy, blending necessity with reward. Today, vintage bank toasters and advertisements are quirky collectibles that capture the spirit of mid-century promotions.
15. Spokey Dokeys
In the late 1970s and early ’80s, Spokey Dokeys turned ordinary bike rides into noisy parades. These colorful plastic beads clipped onto the spokes of wheels and clattered rhythmically as kids pedaled, creating a sound that became instantly recognizable in neighborhoods everywhere. Companies like Kellogg’s and Nabisco promoted them through cereal boxes, ensuring nearly every kid had a handful at some point. Collecting different colors and filling up your wheels was part of the fun, and they became as much a badge of childhood as a baseball glove or jump rope. Today, they’re remembered fondly as one of the simplest but most joyful giveaways of the era.
This story 15 Giveaways From the ’50s–’80s That Were Cooler Than the Thing You Paid For was first published on Daily FETCH
