If a kid wanted to share a secret with someone else or learn something special about their favorite show, they could do so with secret decoder rings and badges. In toy form, secret decoders can be used to decode messages or encrypt them for someone else.

Starting in the 1930s, they were used as premiums for radio and TV shows, and promotional toys for retailers. The first well known decoders were created by the Ovaltine company in 1934 to promote their Little Orphan Annie radio show. A fan club was created for the program called, Radio Orphan Annie’s Secret Society, which gave members a handbook that had a basic substation cipher.

A membership pin was then created with a cipher disk that included the letters A-Z and the numbers 1-26. The Little Orphan Annie program would then connect with listeners by including a secret message in the broadcast. Kids could decode the message for a preview of the program’s next episode.

The Captain Midnight radio program also started making pocket decoders around this time. Some of the other popular decoders were the Don Winslow Undercover Deputy, the Junior Justice Society of America, and the Davey Adams Shipmates Club.

Soon after the badges were made, decoder rings and secret compartment rings followed. The decoder premiums for radio also gave way to TV show promotions, including items for the Jonny Quest TV show. Then cereal brands began using secret message rings as their premiums, starting with Kix Cereals.