I am new to this forum and wanted to share something you all might find interesting. I used to work with Borden in Columbus Ohio and when the brand was sold, several original items went with several people. I have wanted to share this information for over a decade and recently almost died and decided it is time to share it all.
I wanted to share with you awesome fans some unique and very rare items that were destined for the boxes but did not make it due to licensing issues. Licensing in the early to mid 1970’s was expensive and so when the price became too high, the plan was scrapped.
Starting in 1970, there was a proposal that we begin inserting tattoo or sticker items in the shape of baseball players. The initial contact was with an agent that said they did not have any of the big names of American baseball at the time but they could get us connected with the World Boxing Assoc. The connection to even speak to someone took several years just because this was not a priority and was an idea.
In 1975, the first contact happened and the association asked that we submit some proposed samples. So, we were making stickers and tattoos with a company in Spain and since we knew we did not to accidently add these to a print run in the US, we sent design work to Spain and had a full series printed. Several sheets were made and sent back to Columbus. The sample sheet we sent to the WBA and they were slow in responding. They had cut the sheet into several smaller sheets and were showing them to current members. Everyone of the boxers thought it was a neat idea (so it goes).
The WBA came back and said yes and sent a contract. I can’t disclose the details but basically it would cost us 20x’s our normal price just to show the likeness of the stars AND we had to get EACH boxer to sign-off on a contract. That meant that some boxers could ask for more money. So, the sheets would cost a manufacturing element and then a licensing element and a contract element. This meant death to the idea. It was a big blow. By the time we decided to even consider it again, almost all the original members of the team had retired. Luckily baseball was more open later with the re-make of the mini cards. Never got to do this cool boxer series.
I have ALL of the designs in the series. I have already contacted COSI here (has a huge CJ collection) and will donate a set to them but wanted to show them here. The test tattoo test stickers have a metal sheeting on the reverse and they have designs from other plates that were used in Spain that the printer just flipped a plate and added a thin metal coating on the back of the boxer series to keep the ink from seeping through the paper.
2.25 x 1.5 inches
Some of the boxers:
Ali
Foreman
Hearns
Tunney
Louis
Sugar Ray
Marciano
and more
Unreleased and Amazing TEST Cracker Jack Sticker or Tattoos
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Unreleased and Amazing TEST Cracker Jack Sticker or Tattoos
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Re: Unreleased and Amazing TEST Cracker Jack Sticker or Tatt
Meant to add the reverse image too. Sorry. Hit the wrong button.
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Re: Unreleased and Amazing TEST Cracker Jack Sticker or Tatt
The cartoon samples shown was to show the type of "normal" work the printer did for the European market. They were really good at making multi-color mini panels with precision colors.