PRIZES (a.k.a « Cadeau Bonux »!)
« Prizes » or « premiums » are small items or collections offered when buying a product (washing powder, cereals, etc.) In France, the Bonus washing powder – since renamed Bonux – was the first to launch this concept in a massive way in the late 50s. Unlike Pif Gadget, whose gadget was a part of the product sold, the prize was a marketing support to the sale of the product itself. Of course, submarines don’t escape the trend; some have even become cult items, so much so that an American collectibles firm re-issued a 50s cereal box with its small chemically-powered sub inside! All things being equal, those are the most expensive submarines if they really are from the 50s-early 60s, with the original Quaker’s or Kellog’s box. The earliest ones were of Bakelite, then plastic.
I have not yet found any website dedicated to them, but have a look at the one dedicated to chemically-powered subs.
To start, here is the archetypal prize: a small yeast-powered sub. It was the prize for a washing powder pack (chemicals traces) of unknown brand. Made in China (Hong-Kong) in the 70s.
Plastic, length: 4”, **
Ferrero, with its “Kinder Surprises,” issued a few rubber-band submarines; see also the funny diorama derived from “The Abyss”. Length: 2”.
For its giant Easter eggs, that brand also issued these rubber-band submarine sub and robot. Length 5”.
A fast-food brand – I think Quick, but nothing is written on the item, unlike MacDonald’s items – issued this small Nautilus with Nemo as a cat. This is a bathtub toy.
Length: 4”
But one of the main prize purveyors is of course MacDonald’s with its “Happy Meal” formula, the toys being even sold separately!
I found this small mechanical bathtub sub, part of a series of three with differing colors and names; length: 5”.
*
And of course, McDo’s was long a licensee of Disney’s, and for the release of the “Atlantis” movie, as for any Disney production release, the firm issued this rubber-pump bathtub Nautilus, as well as the main characters from the cartoon. Length: 7”.
Notice that all Disney/McDo’s prizes have a specific copyright marking carved on them. All those toys are made in China, but the product may be designed locally; and as there is a huge market for Disney/McDo’s collection, ladies, please do not throw anything away without asking! Disney/McDo’s French-designed toys are the most beautiful and are highly quoted on the Internet.
Have a look at the “Bathtub submarines” section that neatly completes this chapter.
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