Page 37 - 0317

March, 2017 The Antique Shoppe Page 37
Lucky the Leprechaun

He’s “Magically” Collectible

By Larry LeMasters
LeMasters’ Antique News Service

If you live in Boston, you might argue there are two In 2001, PEZ offered a Lucky the Leprechaun Mini-
Lucky the Leprechauns running around the United States PEZ dispenser, offered as a set of four cereal brand
since Lucky the Leprechaun has been the official mascot dispensers. Today, Lucky’s mini dispenser is valued at $4.
of the Boston Celtics since he debuted on its logo in the If you are into Leprechaun magic, the first boxes of
early 1960s. Lucky Charms cereal contained marshmallows in the
But if you are a kid, you know shapes of pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars,
there is only one genuine Lucky and green clovers. Over the years, General
the Leprechaun-- the mascot of Mills has introduced new marbits and
Lucky Charms cereal. Lucky the removed some nostalgic favorites; of the
Leprechaun, also known as Sir original marbits, only the pink heart remains.
Charms and originally called L.C. The marshmallows are meant to represent
Leprechaun, was created in 1962. Lucky’s “magical charms,” each with its own
General Mills food company special meaning or “power.” Here is a small list
wanted a cereal that would of “powers” Lucky Charms marbits may give to
appeal to children, so it mixed you:
toasted oat pieces (much like 1. Hearts - power to bring things to life
Cheerios) and multi-colored 2. Shooting Stars - power to fly
marshmallow shapes (called 3. Horseshoes - power to speed things up
“marbits,” which is short 4. Clovers - luck, but you will never know
for marshmallow bits). what kind of luck you’ll get
The first box of Lucky 5. Blue Moons - power of invisibility
Charms featured Lucky 6. Rainbows - instantaneous travel from place
as a leprechaun mascot, to place
proving the cereal was “Magically 7. Balloons - power to make things float
delicious!” 8. Hourglass - power to control time.
Marketing for the new cereal was originally centered on When looking to expand your Lucky Charm collection,
the idea of charm bracelets, thus the cereal’s name—Lucky don’t forget in addition to original Lucky Charms, both
Charms. Among other “firsts,” Lucky Charms was the first Chocolate Lucky Charms and Berry Lucky Charms have
cereal to include marshmallows in the recipe. been offered.
Some Baby Boomers may recall Lucky the Leprechaun On occasion, Lucky has even gone “green” with his
was actually given his pink slip in 1975, at least in New promotions. In 1983, General Mills offered a Lucky the
England, when Waldo the Wizard as Lucky Charm’s Leprechaun mini farm with real seeds to grow crops. And
mascot replaced Lucky. In 1991 Lucky Charms boxes featured a mail-in promotion
Waldo was an imperfect wizard, who was absent- for a free “real tree” to plant. The mini-farm, hard to
minded, but nice to children. His endearing quality was find with all of its accessories and in mint condition, is a
his forgetfulness, which children enjoyed because it was a collector’s dream.
human quality. Buying and selling Lucky Charm collectibles may not
Lucky’s catchphrase was, “They’re magically result in a leprechaun’s pot of gold, but Baby Boomers will
delicious,” but General Mills decided Waldo call Lucky attest to the nostalgic “charm” of having some of the cereal
Charms, “ibbledebibbledelicious,” which may have led to around, especially if one has a sweet tooth.
his temporary employment. And since both Lucky Charms and Lucky the
Today, all Lucky Charm collectors strive to have a Leprechaun recently passed their 50 birthdays, they are
th
box of Lucky Charms with Waldo as its mascot in their becoming true antiques, and having a stuffed Lucky the
collection. Leprechaun in your home may be as close to a charming
Waldo did not last long, though, and soon Lucky the antique as you will ever get.
Leprechaun was given the job as mascot full-time and
forever. To cement the deal, General Mills offered lots of
Lucky the Leprechaun promotional items, which collectors
still readily search for today. Shown Top to Bottom:
—Set of three Lucky Charms cereal bowls; $15.
Hot Wheels produced enough Lucky Charms collectible —Lucky the Leprechaun beanbag toy and coffee cup; $20.
cars and trucks to fill a small toy chest. Offered in 1:64 —General Mills giant PEZ dispenser—12 ½ inches tall.
th
scale, these promotional vehicles include the Lucky One of only 900 made: $140.
Charms 2004 VW “Drag Bus” ($14 - $27), Lucky Charms —Lucky Charms character watch, circa 2000; $90. th
Ford F-150 ($12), 1971 Plymouth GTX Lucky Charms —2004 Hot Wheels Lucky charms customized 1:64 scale
VW “Drag Bus;” $14.”
#43, ($20), and a really hot looking Hot Wheels 1997 —“Lucky’s Magic Mini-Farm” from 1983 encouraged kids
Lucky Charms Corvette Stingray ($20). to grow real crops, using Lucky’s mini farm, magical
There are even Lucky Charms cups, bowls, and plates. seeds, tools and even animals. This farm is very
In 1964, General Mills jumped right on the promotions difficult to find in mint condition, making it a rare
collectible.
bandwagon with a Lucky Charms 25-piece coffee set
featuring everything from cups to silverware. Individual Above:
—Lucky Charms cereal box from 1976 with Waldo the
bowls and cups abound, usually costing about $3-6 on Imperfect Wizard as mascot.
today’s secondary market.