I can't believe how famous these crisps got in just 10 days. For more than 17 years, they haven't even seen the light of day, and now they were being broadcast to millions!
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Radio Ga Ga! - They got a shout on Radio 2!
Unbeknown to me, two of my friends, Craig and Pete, had taken it upon themselves to let Radio 2's Chris Evans know about my listing today and he read out Craig's message of goodwill wishing me the best of luck. Whilst it was exciting to hear them get a mention on BBC radio, I was absolutely gutted!! My listing had been pulled this morning, so none of the listeners would be able to find it!
The story so far...
I listed this bag of Monster Munch on eBay as a bit of fun exactly 10 days ago. Word quickly spread and before I knew it, talk of this shiny little bag was spreading and they soon gained celebrity status! 5000+ views, over '150 watchers' and bids of over £20.00!
1990….. The first series of The Simpsons came to our TV screens, Macaulay Culkin was left ‘Home Alone’ in cinemas. Vanilla Ice hit the charts, and Margaret Thatcher resigned. 1990 was also the year that this unique bag of Monster Munch was born!
This is your chance to own a classic slice of nostalgia. This 100% genuine bag of Pickled Onion, Monster Munch ‘crisps’ has a sell by date of February 23rd, 1991. I discovered them, unopened, around 10 years ago in the back of my bedroom cupboard. It may not be the holy grail, but I was excited by the shiny ‘discovery’ I had unearthed. The thought of throwing them in the bin made me feel strangely uneasy and I felt compelled to put them somewhere safe. I’m really not sure why, but that’s what I did and 7 years later I still have them in my possession.
It’s almost unbelievable to think that I’ve had these since I was 12 years old. I will be 30 next month, and after more than 17 years of service, I feel the burden of protecting these snacks should be bestowed upon another. Could it be you?
NOTE: Although I’m sure I’m stating the obvious – UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THESE MONSTER MUNCH BE EATEN.
They are more than 17 years old and are obviously no longer fit for human consumption.
The bag is in reasonably good condition considering it’s age and is not too faded, as it has been kept in a cool, dry and dark environment. It is however, quite creased and crumpled with some scratch marks. I guess this is to be expected for something of this age though. Most of the snacks within the bag also appear to be surprisingly.
You can see from the photos that these were made by the ‘Smiths’ company as opposed to Walkers, who make the Monster Munch of today ( I think they re-released them relatively recently – I’m not quite sure on this though). They were advertised at the time as ‘The Biggest Snack Pennies Can Buy'. This item is from the pre foil-fresh packaging days, where the snack could be seen through a transparent window in the packaging, making them an extremely rare acquisition. I personally find the design on this packaging a lot more appealing than those of today, probably because of the monsters that these packets used to feature, which somehow have more character than their modern counterparts. They featured heavily in the advertising for the product and as a child I can recall this being a major selling point for me.
I couldn’t find a TV ad from 1990, but here’s on from just a few years earlier in 1986 which should bring back some memories for those of a certain age: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7CpMITDLYc
I can’t really think of anything else to say about these crisps but if you have any questions at all, just ask and I’ll do my best to answer.
Good luck and happy bidding!
Then, almost as soon as they appeared, they were gone! The powers that be at eBay decided to pull the listing for breaching their terms on selling foodstuffs (despite me clearly listing it as a collectible, and stating that under no circumstances whatsoever were these fit for human consumption). Here's the description:
1990….. The first series of The Simpsons came to our TV screens, Macaulay Culkin was left ‘Home Alone’ in cinemas. Vanilla Ice hit the charts, and Margaret Thatcher resigned. 1990 was also the year that this unique bag of Monster Munch was born!
This is your chance to own a classic slice of nostalgia. This 100% genuine bag of Pickled Onion, Monster Munch ‘crisps’ has a sell by date of February 23rd, 1991. I discovered them, unopened, around 10 years ago in the back of my bedroom cupboard. It may not be the holy grail, but I was excited by the shiny ‘discovery’ I had unearthed. The thought of throwing them in the bin made me feel strangely uneasy and I felt compelled to put them somewhere safe. I’m really not sure why, but that’s what I did and 7 years later I still have them in my possession.
It’s almost unbelievable to think that I’ve had these since I was 12 years old. I will be 30 next month, and after more than 17 years of service, I feel the burden of protecting these snacks should be bestowed upon another. Could it be you?
NOTE: Although I’m sure I’m stating the obvious – UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THESE MONSTER MUNCH BE EATEN.
They are more than 17 years old and are obviously no longer fit for human consumption.
The bag is in reasonably good condition considering it’s age and is not too faded, as it has been kept in a cool, dry and dark environment. It is however, quite creased and crumpled with some scratch marks. I guess this is to be expected for something of this age though. Most of the snacks within the bag also appear to be surprisingly.
You can see from the photos that these were made by the ‘Smiths’ company as opposed to Walkers, who make the Monster Munch of today ( I think they re-released them relatively recently – I’m not quite sure on this though). They were advertised at the time as ‘The Biggest Snack Pennies Can Buy'. This item is from the pre foil-fresh packaging days, where the snack could be seen through a transparent window in the packaging, making them an extremely rare acquisition. I personally find the design on this packaging a lot more appealing than those of today, probably because of the monsters that these packets used to feature, which somehow have more character than their modern counterparts. They featured heavily in the advertising for the product and as a child I can recall this being a major selling point for me.
I couldn’t find a TV ad from 1990, but here’s on from just a few years earlier in 1986 which should bring back some memories for those of a certain age: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7CpMITDLYc
I can’t really think of anything else to say about these crisps but if you have any questions at all, just ask and I’ll do my best to answer.
Good luck and happy bidding!
They may have been rejected by eBay, but for now at least, this is their new home. I don't quite know how this blog will develop (or what to do with the bag), but I'd really love to hear your views or suggestions on what to do with these vintage snacks. Perhaps you could be the one to give them a loving home!? Either way, comments are welcome.
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