, ▁gas ▁stations ▁and ▁later ▁super mark ets . ▁S & H ▁Green ▁St amps , ▁as ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁commonly ▁called , ▁opened ▁its ▁first ▁re dem ption ▁center ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁Custom ers ▁could ▁take ▁their ▁filled ▁book lets ▁of ▁" green ▁st amps " ▁and ▁re de em ▁them ▁for ▁household ▁products , ▁kitchen ▁items , ▁and ▁personal ▁items . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁G . I . s ▁returned ▁from ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁trad ing ▁st amps ▁business ▁took ▁off ▁when ▁numerous ▁third - party ▁companies ▁created ▁their ▁own ▁trad ing ▁stamp ▁programs ▁to ▁offer ▁to ▁super mark ets ▁and ▁other ▁ret ail ers . ▁ ▁Mark eting ▁through ▁children ▁ ▁Mark eters ▁of ▁ret ail ▁products ▁used ▁programs ▁target ed ▁at ▁children ▁to ▁sell ▁to ▁their ▁parents ▁through ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁prem iums . ▁ ▁Kel log g ' s ▁Corn ▁F la kes ▁had ▁the ▁first ▁c ere al ▁prem ium ▁with ▁The ▁Fun ny ▁Jung le land ▁Mov ing ▁Pictures ▁Book . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁originally ▁available ▁as ▁a ▁prize ▁that ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁customer ▁in ▁the ▁store ▁with ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁two ▁packages ▁of ▁the ▁c ere al . ▁But ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁Kel log gs ▁changed ▁the ▁book ▁give - away ▁to ▁a ▁prem ium ▁mail - in ▁offer ▁for ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁a ▁d ime . ▁Over ▁ 2 . 5 ▁million ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁were ▁distributed ▁in ▁different ▁ed itions ▁over ▁a