GenX Question of the Day 4/13/26
Posted by HotelDiva@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 16 comments
Do you remember digging into the bottom of a newly opened cereal box to get that cheap toy?
Posted by HotelDiva@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 16 comments
Do you remember digging into the bottom of a newly opened cereal box to get that cheap toy?
kam49ers4ever@reddit
Yes! Except my mom would NOT permit smooshing the box up, so if it was on the bottom i had to wait.…. Unless my dad was home. Mom still hated it, but dad would rescue me by dumping the entire box into a bowl to retrieve the prize. Only problem with that was if the prize was really cool dad wanted to play with it first!
CountHonorius@reddit
Forcing parents to buy godforsaken brands of cereal no one would eat...just for the prize!
CommunicationNew3745@reddit
Our mom wouldn't keep the sugar laden 'crap' on hand, opting instead for healthier options; if we wanted it, we had to pay for it ourselves - but our Grandma was a mensch who always had it waiting for us. I kept an old cigar box filled with all of the prizes I collected, and, now, kick myself for not keeping them as many or for $$$ today.
CommunicationNew3745@reddit
As the 80's wore on, yes, the prizes got cheaper and less thrilling, but, man, back in the 70's it was Grade A plastic paraphernalia Nirvana! I remember seeing a friend's 5 in 1 Pink Panther Spy Kit that came in every box of Pink Panther Flakes, and DROOLING over it - had to have one! My mom took me to 5 different grocery stores until I found a box (which, fair enough, I had to pay for myself.)
*BTW, these pieces of plastic bring in $50 to $100 bucks, today . . . smh.
CommunicationNew3745@reddit
Our mom forbid digging for it - we could either wait until it 'naturally' revealed itself (Oh, yeah, right!) or, we would pour it all out into a big popcorn/serving bowl . . . then struggle like hell to get it back into the box, which never quite worked.
Oh_No_Its_Dudder@reddit
CHEAP TOY!!! How dare you! I'll have you know that submarine was a high quality product.
0pensecrets@reddit
LOL that's the first one I thought of!
Admirable-Currency89@reddit
You called it cheap. Blasphemer.
Cinisajoy2@reddit
No, but only because mom didn't allow sugary cereals.
MaximumJones@reddit
The most important step was getting up 30 minutes before my brother to make sure I got the toy and he didn't.
Whipstich-Pepperpot@reddit
Nope, I opened the box from the bottom.
ONROSREPUS@reddit
Nope, work smarter not harder. Dump the box into a big bowl, get toy, dump bowl back into box. No crunching of the cereal.
Signal_Glittering@reddit
I had to take turns with my sister. But yes. Absolutely. Elbow deep in the Cookie Crisp
TC_Stock@reddit
Capn crunch, honeycomb and apple jacks had the best toys. It always sucked when a cereal I didnt like, like lucky charms, had a toy I really wanted.
TrickQuiet9630@reddit
i lived for those toys. mom would take me grocery shopping, park me in the cereal aisle, where i would take half an hour or more picking out that week's cereal based on the toy. like the diving sub bathtub toy that used baking soda to power it...
Genius-Imbecile@reddit
Opened from the bottom to get it.