I saw this poster and said “I MUST HAVE THIS!” What makes this Peanuts Interstate Brands Poster so exciting? So many things, dear readers. Guess where I got it! Find out on the full Patreon article. It gets better…
What first attracted me to this poster? It’s obviously old and it’s a little odd. “Environmental quality control begins in the home,” is just not a catchy phrase or bit of Peanuts wisdom. “Keep the kingdom clean,” is also not a phrase you often come across. What an oddity!
Of course, after close inspection, it’s from Interstate Brands, makers of Butternut bread and Dolly Madison snack cakes, etc. Also, the date is 1971. Usually, I’m like “Of course that’s not the real date!” but this time, it is the real date. How do I know? It’s Linus, he has one date and it’s not 1971.
All these factors weighed together led me to one conclusion: this is a factory or grocery store poster, not a consumer item. Perhaps “Environmental quality control” was some forgotten catchphrase that didn’t catch on because it’s annoying to say. I think rather it’s a corporate buzz-phrase to make sure we didn’t have wads of paper in our enriched white bread. If you know more than me, please send me an email.
Back to the auction, I went through the usual process. How much to pay? It’s a one-of-a-kind poster I’ve never seen and probably will never see again. At the same time, I don’t want to break the bank. $60? $100? $200? It’s far from perfect, but so rare. To get this poster you’d have to know a guy, or be that guy. You couldn’t just buy this awkward poster!
And so I bid. Then I raised that bid. Then I waited and waited. Surely, I would enter a bidding war soon. Auction ends. Just two bids and they were both mine. I got it at the opening price of just $4.99. Maniacal laughing ensued!
That was just the beginning…
After a long wait, the package arrived. I hauled it out of the box and stared at my beautiful poster. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. Time to look at the backside. I was not disappointed.
All along, I’d been thinking… Why save Linus? I love Linus, but he’s not going to be the first choice of most people. Where did Snoopy go? It’s time for that Antiques Roadshow moment where you reveal the humble origins of a lost treasure. Yes, this frame held a secret. Behind Linus was a hidden SNOOPY!
I’ve never been so tickled pink! My instincts were right. Whoever owned this was just like me. With limited wall space, I often have multiple posters in one frame so it’s easy to swap them out. Plus, it keeps them flat. There he was. The Prince of Sandwiches telling me to “Keep the Kingdom Clean”!
Obviously, if Snoopy had been on display, someone would have sat up and taken notice at the Auction. Poor Linus didn’t get a second glance. That’s ok, I appreciate you, Linus! Also, thanks for the bargain.
Explore more Peanuts Interstate Brands Promos in our online collection.
