1936 Buck Rogers Solar Scout Premium Pennant
Hake's Guide to Pop Culture Memorabilia lists the Buck Rogers "Solar Scout" Premium Pennant as "Rare. Only 2 known". Well, here's the 3rd! The Solar Scout pennant was originally available for a short time only as a Cream of Wheat premium. It's a "checkerboard" pattern consists of two orange and white felt pennants stitched together horizontally across the center. The stitching is all original. It has both original steel ferrules (metal rings) in the upper and lower left corners. Printed on the top half is the emblem of the Buck Rogers Solar Scouts at the rank of "Space Ship Commander". This emblem was also used as the silvered/brass Cream of Wheat premium badge. "Buck Rogers" is printed in orange on the top half of the pennant. "Solar Scouts" was printed in white on the lower half. Why is it rare?? At a time when most kids didn't have a nickel to their name this premium cost 20 cents plus one Cream of Wheat boxtop. It was one of four possible premiums made know on a separate Spaceship Commander Leaflet which included the Wilma Handkerchief, Buck Rogers Compass, and Sweater Emblem, along with the Pennant. The Leaflet was provided only after becoming a Solar Scout member. Initial membership required 10¢ plus a Cream of Wheat boxtop. However once you became a member you were also made aware of some of the most coveted premiums through the Buck Rogers Solar Scouts Premium Booklet. The booklet, which was separate from Leaflet contained pages of neat toys like the helmet, telescope, ray gun, and loads more. Although premiums from the Leaflet and Booklet were all available once you joined; my guess is that Depression-era kids would skip stuff from the Leaflet in favor of the toys. There may have been other factors, but most likely it's a good supposition. Fast-forward 75 years and today the pennant has become THE rarest Buck Rogers Premium. In comparison to other super rare Buck Rogers premiums there are 10 known examples of the Sweater Emblem and several more of the Cut-Out Adventure Books (although the latter wasn't a Cream of Wheat Premium). In fact, there was no example of the pennant at the recent (Feb. 2011) large auction of Buck Rogers memorabilia from the Wayne Jagielski collection. Size: 17½" x 11". Date Sold: Jan. 2011
Price Sold: $ 1125
