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Are these vintage trinkets from Cracker Jack boxes?

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:54 pm
by GriffinClar1
Hi all!
I just purchased these on eBay, I'm planning on adding them to the brooches and hair clips I make. While they are seemingly vintage, i was wondering if they are possibly old Cracker Jack toys. While selling my accessories, I always like to have some knowledge about the vintage pieces I use! Any help would be greatly appreciated....THANKS!

Re: Are these vintage trinkets from Cracker Jack boxes?

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:41 pm
by Cyndy Boesch
Hi, Welcome to our forum! None of the charms in your pictures are Cracker Jack. Some are gumball and peanut machine prizes; some of the celluloid ones in the second picture are bread ties. Originally, they had a short piece of satin type cord and they were looped around a bread bag to seal it. So much cooler than those wire ties we all accumulate. When you get your pieces made, why don't you post them here--they'd be fun to see.

Re: Are these vintage trinkets from Cracker Jack boxes?

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:58 am
by GriffinClar1
Thanks so much for letting me know where the charms came from! I still love them though, any piece of history is great! Since I 1st posted my question, I did a little (ok, a lot!) of searching around to see what I could learn about the charms, it didn't take too long to discover that it's quite common for these charms and many others to be labeled as Cracker Jack prizes, I guess because people just assume they are. That's actually how I came about owning these, and instead of doing my research in advance(oops!) I went ahead and purchased them. Another thing I learned from searching around, is that it could possibly be quite an insult to collectors if I were to alter these charms in any way, which I completely understand! My plans were to sew the charms( as is) onto the hair bows that I make as the center piece to add a bit of "flare", but now I'm on a standstill until I can find a way to not upset anyone! With that being said, I would love to hear from anyone willing to share(especially from you expert charm collectors/appreciators out there!) how they view my plans, because my intentions are to be nostalgic of the past, not destroy it!

Thanks!!

Re: Are these vintage trinkets from Cracker Jack boxes?

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 10:00 am
by Cyndy Boesch
Hi again,
Remember you're the new owner of these items and can do with them what you want! Everybody's a critic. If you are sewing them onto something, you won't do any harm and it is way better to re-purpose something old, than put it in the landfill. Your plan of tying or sewing these on, is a good one. Today's glues often destroy early plastics or paint. Go for it!

Re: Are these vintage trinkets from Cracker Jack boxes?

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:16 am
by Luke
Bread ties???? I've often seen them, but never knew what they were for, thanks for the info Cyndy!

Re: Are these vintage trinkets from Cracker Jack boxes?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:25 pm
by CJFLASH
Hi-
It sounds like a great idea to use the charms to enhance a brooch or hair clip. Plus it would be a great conversation piece!. Cyndy is right when she said to tie or sew the charms rather than use glue.
Post a picture of your final project - we would love to see it.
Nancy