care bears lunchboxThe other day as I was running around my apartment trying to find a container in which to cart my peanut butter and jelly to work, I was thinking about my very first lunchbox. It was royal blue, plastic, Care Bears-themed -- all in all, it was very spiffy. A quick search on eBay turned up the very same one (see right, $25) and transported me instantly back (I won't tell you how many) years to grade school lunches of Capri Sun juice pouches and sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Those were the days!

If you'd like to take a similar trip down memory lane, check out eBay for yourself: I bet you have a pretty decent chance of finding your very first lunchbox, too. Not only that, but several stores are offering adorable retro-style lunch carriers for modern times. We rounded up some of the best old school lunchboxes guaranteed to give you waves of nostalgia. Check 'em out:

capri sun lunchbox

Speaking of Capri Sun, did you know those drink pouches were non-recyclable? Well, at least not until TerraCycle got ahold of them to make this retro-looking, up-cycled Capri Sun Drink Pouch Lunch Box ($14.99).

 

tin lunchbox

Nothing says vintage quite like a tin lunchbox. I like these updated personalized ones from OInkDesignStudio ($28); there's even a chalkboard on the inside so you can write notes to your kids.

 

strawberry shortcake lunchbox

My childhood best friend had this very same awesome Strawberry Shortcake Lunchbox (now $25) and she was the envy of all the girls in first grade.

 

old navy

If you're digging the retro-theme but don't want someone's old, used lunchbox, check out Old Navy's offerings. In addition to the one above, these lunchboxes come in a variety of themes including Batman, Kermit the Frog, and The Smurfs, but at $10 each are much cheaper than the true vintage versions.

Do you remember your very first lunchbox?

 

Images via eBay.com; TerraCycle; Etsy; Ruby Lane; Old Navy