Retsy Series 1 · Card 0117 · 80-BRK

Glow-Code Decoder Ring

Crack the code before the cartoon ends.

A glow-in-the-dark plastic decoder ring mailed for three box tops, made for secret cartoon messages.

Card no.: 0117 of 1,280
Set: 80s Cereal & Breakfast · 80-BRK
Year: 1987
Type: Mail-away cereal prize
Found at: Mailbox, six to eight weeks later
Cost back then: 3 box tops and 50¢

Rip a pack Find it in the checklist

Nostalgia9/10

Hype8/10

Weirdness5/10

Trade value8/10

The story · 1987

The story of Glow-Code Decoder Ring

During commercial breaks, a cartoon would flash a string of letters, and only the Glow-Code Decoder Ring could crack it. You mailed three box tops and waited six to eight weeks, checking the mailbox every afternoon. The secret messages usually said eat your crusts, but holding the glowing ring under a blanket felt like spy work.

Fun fact

The ring glowed for about four minutes after being held near a lamp, exactly long enough to decode one message.

Six finishes

187 copies of Glow-Code Decoder Ring exist

Glow-Code Decoder Ring comes in six finishes: 100 Base, 50 Holo, 25 Laser and 10 Gold copies, plus one Super Laser and one Misprint that exist exactly once. Every copy is minted to the wallet that rips it, with its own serial number.

Glow-Code Decoder Ring, Retsy card 0117 in the Base finish — **Base**100 copies · Common

Glow-Code Decoder Ring, Retsy card 0117 in the Holo finish — **Holo**50 copies · Uncommon

Glow-Code Decoder Ring, Retsy card 0117 in the Laser finish — **Laser**25 copies · Rare

Glow-Code Decoder Ring, Retsy card 0117 in the Gold finish — **Gold**10 copies · Very rare

Glow-Code Decoder Ring, Retsy card 0117 in the Super Laser finish — **Super Laser**1 copy · 1 of 1

Glow-Code Decoder Ring, Retsy card 0117 in the Misprint finish — **Misprint**1 copy · 1 of 1

80-BRK

More from 80s Cereal & Breakfast

Glow-Code Decoder Ring is one of 32 cards in the 80s Cereal & Breakfast set. Here are the other 31.