Collectible of the Day 266 - Special Edition Chips from the UK

[darthskellington]

Today we'll take a look at Crisps and other snacks from the UK that were released for the Star Wars Trilogy: Special Editions. Snack chip promotions for the Special Editions were quite prevalent in the US, and could also be found in Mexico, the UK, and even Thailand. Walkers, the UK licensee of Frito-Lay chips, produced no less than 47 different packages, including a few large foil chip bags, plastic multipack sacks, and the foil snack sized pouches found within.

All of the UK bags offered free Tazos inside, which were small photo discs not unlike American pogs. An album was available for them to be stored in. A total of 50 tazos were in the set, with 2 additional Tazos with wording variations documented.

To start off with, Walkers offered three flavors of French Fries: Worcester Sauce, Salt & Vinegar, and Ready Salted, all of which could be found in a 6-pack containing 2 of each flavor.

They also offered Quavers in three flavors: Salt & Vinegar, Original Cheese, and Tangy Tomato. These could be found in a mixed 6-pack, or as a solid 6-pack of Original Cheese.

 

[darthskellington]

Doritos were also offered, in some flavors a little different from their American counterparts: Sizzlin Barbecue, Cool Original, and Tangy Cheese. These could be found in a mixed 6-pack, or a solid 6-pack of Tangy Cheese. Larger "Movie Size" bags of Cool Original and Tangy Cheese were also available.

Not pictured, but also available were Double Crunch: pan-cooked crinkle cut chips, not unlike Kettle-cooked chips that are popular today. These came in a mixed 5-pack, containing Original Salted, Chargrilled Steak, and Smoked Cheddar.

Another snack available was Monster Munch, a baked corn snack available in Pickled Onion flavor.

 

[darthskellington]

Last, but not least, are Walkers Crisps, the equivalent of the American Lays Potato Chips. These were available in large resealable bags for Ready Salted, Cream Cheese & Chives, and Salt & Vinegar flavors. Smaller bags could also be found in a variety of 6, 10, and 15-packs. Snack-sized pouches were available in a variety of flavours, including:

Cream Cheese & Chives (Crinkles)
Barbecue
Beef & Onion
Cheese & Onion (regular or Lites)
Prawn Cocktail
Roast Chicken
Salt & Vinegar (regular or Lites)
Ready Salted (regular or Lites)
Smokey Bacon
Tomato Ketchup
Worcester Sauce

 

[darthskellington]

There are a number of great things about collecting snack chip packaging: they are relatively inexpensive, and take up little room. They come in a variety of cool flavors, that at least to the American collector, are usually off-beat and interesting. They also usually feature great artwork or phto designs. The Special Editions saw a huge release of packaging worldwide. The Phantom Menace would provide an even greater selection, with worldwide offering for Episodes II and III also to be found. If you are interested in collecting or learning more about international food packaging, a quick search of ebay will turn up a world of collectibles at your fingertips.