Cap’n Crunch Toy Store Shopping Spree

Toy store shopping sprees as a contest prized peaked in popularity at some point in the Eighties. I entered many of them, but sadly never one. Still, for most of my life, whenever I enter a toy store, I start to strategize on how I would maximize any potential shopping spree haul.

I remember vividly wanting to win the Cap’n Crunch Toy Store Shopping Spree. It combined my love of breakfast cereal and shopping sprees into one activity. As a memorable bonus the entry form was a glow in the dark poster!

While I never one the memory of that poster and this commercial are burned into my brain. My favorite part is the kid’s simulated shopping spree.

A few great toys from the era make an appearance but before I talk about them I want you to take a look at this pitiful haul. It is filled with low priced ticket items and for some reason an unboxed Atari 2600. Is this a used toy store? Just some advice, if you did win a toy shopping spree, don’t you dare bother filling your valuable cart space with Checkers.

I was able to pick out a few recognizable toys during the shopping spree scene. They are placed prominently for the camera and they were toys at the time that were very well known. We so the beloved robot toy 2-XL.

And a Coleco Handheld. The choice was a surprising one, Galaxian. Which never seemed to be one that any of my friends had. So my exposure to it was very limited.

The real treat is the hero shot when they are summarizing the rules. Here you see Barbie, a Fisher-Price Alpha Probe, a Nerf Football, and an Atari 2600.

As retail continues to move online, the toy store shopping spree will fade into obscurity. Which is a real shame, it was a fun dream to have as a kid and it gave window shopping at toy stores a new purpose. I can only hope that whatever form toy shopping takes in the future, that they figure out a way to make this form of contest possible.