The 1999 CJCA Convention  Hunting for ALPHABET ANIMALS in Kansas City

Those who are proficient in Animals to English translation will instantly recognize that this picture spells out "Jeffrey and Diane Maxwell." It is part of the poster we put on our room door at the Fifth Annual Convention of the Cracker Jack Collectors Association held in Kansas City in June 1999.  Alphabet Animals were everywhere!  It is as great a hunting expedition we have had for Alphabets.

This year, we were able to complete our second set of one color.  We had the good fortune of buying, not one, but two yellow Eagles from Jeff and Julie Lallathin.  This was nearly as much fun as finding the red Rabbit last year, but the second time to complete a set in one color is not quite the same.  We were also able to pick up quite a few Type I Alphabet Animals.  We were within only one of completing one set in mixed colors of Type I Alphabet Animals upon our return from the convention.  We were able to complete the set by opening our mail after returning home from the convention.  A package with a mail order purchase proved us with the lone Wolf that we needed to have one of each example in the Type I set.  I also picked up a number of Alphabet Animals this year for our collection so that I am close to finishing three more of the six regular colors. Diane and I are already making plans to attend the Y2K CJCA Convention in Dallas this next June.  It will be a great time, and I hope you will plan to join us.  For more information on the CJCA, visit my Links Page.  Happy Hunting!

The 1998 CJCA Convention  Hunting for ALPHABET ANIMALS in Minneapolis

By Jeffrey Maxwell

Cracker Jack collectors are among the finest people I know.  I have enjoyed contact with them through this site, e-mail, letters, and telephone calls -- but nothing could compare to hanging out with them for three or four days.  Diane and I did just that the last weekend of June, 1998, where nearly 80 members of the Cracker Jack Collectors Association (CJCA) got together in Minneapolis to swap prizes and stories of collecting -- but mostly to catch up on each other's lives and collecting progress since the last time we saw each other.  The convention is the absolute best benefit of being a member of the Cracker Jack Collectors Association.

As with the convention I attended in 1996, the 1998 CJCA Convention was an ALPHABET ANIMAL safari for me. And I was ready for a big game hunt.  I managed to capture my share of ALPHABET ANIMALS.   I acquired the Type I variation COW -- the second in my collection.

I also ran across some great "type III" ALPHABET ANIMALS that are not marked.  I got the ELEPHANT, which I had never seen in person, and the BEAR, which I had previously known of only two.

What is cool is that several collectors have since told me about their BEAR or COW or ELEPHANT, so that now I have been able to find numerous examples of these and all of the "type III" ALPHABET ANIMALS. I now have two ELEPHANTS and seven BEARS.

The big news, I believe, is that I finally found that elusive red RABBIT I needed to complete the set of one shade of red ALPHABET ANIMALS.  Imagine, a set of ALPHABET ANIMALS collected all in one color -- in only two years of active collecting!  I am very proud of the accomplishment, but at the same time, I am aware that there are other sets of colors yet to be completed.

-- JEFFREY MAXWELL

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Page created 07/02/1998
Copyright © 1998-2000
By Jeffrey Scott Maxwell
Cracker Jack Collectors Association - CJCA