Did you know?

•  In the 1930's milkcaps were a popular game invented by kids in Hawaii. The children looked forward to a fresh bottle of milk! Beneath the milk cover was an icy-cream layer, which they enjoyed as a tasty treat! Kids collected the milk covers to play the game, which they called “Milk Covas.”

•  In 1991, Blossom Galbiso, a Waialua Elementary School teacher introduced the milkcap game to her fifth grade students as a way to learn math. This event sparked a craze known as the “Milkcap Revival” which spread like wildfire throughout the State of Hawaii. Blossom Galbiso is also known as the “Mother of Milkcaps.”

•  In 1992, the milkcap game became so popular that milkcap tournaments were held and milkcap collecting became a phenomenon known as “Milkcap Mania.” The phenomenon created such frenzy; it made CNN's national headline news.

•  In the 1990's almost every school and company in Hawaii made and distributed milkcaps. The logo item was amongst the most impressive fundraiser and business promotion ever! It created long lines at check out counters, like a magnet people came to collect the newest milkcap release. There is an estimated 2 billion milkcaps sold in an 18 month period.*

•  The milkcaps frenzy has gone around the world! Milkcap popularity started in Hawaii, and then spread to North and South America, Europe and throughout Asia.

•  An international company reached $150,000,000 in sales in the United States * and Milkcaps won the “Toy of the Year” in the UK *

•  By 2000 there were up to 10 pages of milkcap auctions online at Ebay.

•  In 2001, the U.S. military issued milkcaps as a form of currency during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. It is stated that metal coins were too costly and heavy to ship to the Middle East. The milkcap currency for the War in Iraq is still used today and accepted at exchanges worldwide. For coin and milkcap collectors there are 8 different printings sought after.

•  Today, many milkcaps made in the 1990's especially from Hawaii, are considered rare and hard to find.

•  By estimate, there are thousands of milkcap collectors in the State of Hawaii. Many tutus (grandparents) and parents who started a milkcap collection for their keiki (children) to inherit. There are many households in Hawaii that possess albums of collectable Hawaiian milkcaps. While many milkcap enthusiasts around the world enjoy the fun of milkcaps, they do not know that it originated in Hawaii. Like any timeless collectable, milkcaps are a sleeping giant soon to awake from its second slumber.

•  The milkcap game has a mystical appeal because it is fun and challenging for all ages. It is very simple to learn, non-violent and a truly wholesome game. The milkcap game has helped kids develop math skills, eye-hand coordination, self-confidence and physical stimulation. The game of “Milk Covas” is a timeless treasure of Hawaii to be remembered as an innovation, created by the keiki of laborers during the plantation days in Hawaii.

*From media release, Global POG Association