Plastic Canadian Cracker Jack Prizes

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Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Plastic Canadian Cracker Jack Prizes

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

Here are a couple of giraffes that I have added to my collection. They came from Canada in a collection that consisted of all plastic Canadian prizes from the 1950's.
CA CJ Giraffes.jpg
CA CJ Giraffes.jpg (147.31 KiB) Viewed 8569 times
Until recently, I didn't pay much attention to Canadian Cracker Jack prizes, but this is one of the items that secured my interest in the topic. I was able to buy a couple of accumulations directly from Canada that peaked my interest. I have dozens of the "CRACKER JACK" base giraffes, but I had never seen this shape without the base -- and very thick.

Have fun!
Jeffrey Maxwell
Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Re: Plastic Canadian Cracker Jack Prizes

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

CRACKER JACK TRAIN DEPOT

I recently showed this in a Facebook page, but I think it is important enough to put here also as part of a discussion on Canadian prizes. I have never seen this Cracker Jack Depot before, and I think probably a lot of collectors haven't either. As Ann Brogley pointed out, at least it is marked. That and the fact that it is the same plastic and color of other pieces, and it has the same base as the telegraph/telephone poles makes it easier to identify.
Canada Cracker Jack Train Depot
Canada Cracker Jack Train Depot
crackerjack depot.jpg (82.63 KiB) Viewed 8566 times
This is one of nine different shapes in the "CRACKER JACK" Train series made and distributed in Canada. Here are the nine shapes:
1. Engine
2. Tender or Coal-Car
3. Boxcar
4. Tanker
5. Caboose
6. Curved Track
7. Straight Track
8. Telegraph Pole
9. Depot

[I have put the photo of items in my collection in the next post in this thread.]

The reported 2" tree and 3.2" telephone pole have been removed from my list until the confusion is cleared up. (Please post photos of possible candidates if you have any.) Years ago on this forum in a discussion of black colored prizes, Larry White identified a telegraph pole as a tree, but a close look reveals that the two arms of the pole have glass insulators on the ends that would have held the wires. The poles I have are 1-1/2" tall, and not 2" as he lists in the CD-ROM.

[EDIT: I just saw an old post by Gail Sullivan as a follow up to Larry's that shows a black Canadian Cracker Jack Train Depot. Shucks, I thought I had a real original discovery, because I didn't find it listed anywhere before. She also correctly identified the poles.]

To tell whether or not a train engine or car is Canada or USA, just look inside. The Canada pieces have no inside markings that I have ever found after buying multiple accumulations from Canada. The engine of USA has "CRACKER JACK" inside the hollow bottom. The USA cars have a mold number inside -- all the ones I have are marked 1, 2, 3, or 4 for each shape. EXCEPT one tanker that I have looks like the American molds, but does not have a number.

Have fun!
Jeffrey Maxwell

Here are links to the old posts on black colored prizes I referred to above. I put them here so you will read my post before you go wandering elsewhere (based on personal experience):
viewtopic.php?p=802#p802
viewtopic.php?p=865#p865
Last edited by Jeffrey Maxwell on Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:38 am, edited 4 times in total.
Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Re: Plastic Canadian Cracker Jack Prizes

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

CANADIAN CRACKER JACK STEAM TRAIN

Here is the photo of my collection of the Canada Cracker Jack Steam Train I have so far.
Canadian Cracker Jack Trains
Canadian Cracker Jack Trains
cjcanadatrainrikker.jpg (119.95 KiB) Viewed 8561 times
Last edited by Jeffrey Maxwell on Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Re: Plastic Canadian Cracker Jack Prizes

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

CRACKER JACK DIESEL TRAIN

Here is the "other" Cracker Jack train set (left) that came with Canadian Cracker Jack accumulations that I have been able to collect. I put some USA counterparts in the photo (right) for comparison.
LEFT: Canada.  RIGHT: USA
LEFT: Canada. RIGHT: USA
CJTrainDieselCAandUSA.jpg (184.03 KiB) Viewed 8555 times
One can study the outsides of these pieces all day and find subtle differences. The bottom line is that the detail on the USA versions is noticeably finer and crisper than their Canadian counterparts. However, I will give the easiest two ways that I have found to tell Canadian versions apart from USA versions:

1. The top of the INSIDE of the prize is flat on the USA prizes from this set. The tops of the inside of the Canadian prizes are rounded. This really is the easiest way to differentiate between the two. (Unlike the Steam Train set, both versions have mold position numbers, so that is not a factor with this Diesel Train set.)

2. The connectors between the cars (not found on the rear car) are longer and thinner. Look at them from the bottom, and you can notice the difference right away.

I might note that I have identified 35 prizes (five different shapes in multiple colors) from this set as being made in Canada and ALL 35 are prizes I acquired directly from Canada.

(Note only to OCD people like me: I found the lowest mold number I have is "4" and the highest "26" and have two different shapes with no mold number that I could locate.)

Happy Collecting!
Jeffrey Maxwell
Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Re: Plastic Canadian Cracker Jack Prizes

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

HOKI ASIAN GOD OF CANADA

Here is a photo of three different Hoki figures I have:
cacjhokifront.jpg
cacjhokifront.jpg (30.37 KiB) Viewed 8540 times
caCJHOKIBACK.jpg
caCJHOKIBACK.jpg (28.87 KiB) Viewed 8540 times
LEFT: Is the CANADIAN version that I purchased directly from Canada. The OBVERSE has two round injection marks -- one on the belly button, and one on the forehead -- that do not appear on the USA versions. Held to the light it is thinner in places around the body. On the REVERSE are large upper case letters, "HOKI GOD OF CHILDISH MISCHIEF" and some of the letters have been obscured by a repair to the mold to fix "holes" in the finished figure. The back is sort of smooth not allowing for support of indentions in the front.

CENTER: This is the USA version that has, on the REVERSE , in smaller type face than the Canadian prize, "HOKI GOD OF CHILDISH MISCHIEF". Below, near the back side of the belly button is the registered trademark -- "SP" in a circle -- of Sterling Plastics. Below that is tiny "CRACKER JACK" curved around the bottom of the belly. Vertically (top to bottom) on the right (looking at the reverse) is one of the following mold marks: "8-A", "8-B", or -- as in the case of this specific piece -- "8-C". In both this and the third example here, there is inside sculpting on the back that shows support for carved indentions on the front design, unlike the mold for the Canadian version. Another difference that is only found on this example is the thicker base with two round injection marks on the back bottom corners.

RIGHT: Here is the version of which I have the most examples. It is more like the SP version, but it is void of any markings. It is also definitely a different mold -- in fact it is probably more than one mold position, but I have not noticed what the differences are. There is a single circular mold mark on the back directly BEHIND the belly button.

Has anyone a Canadian Hoki in their collection?
I found two old threads on this series that might be of interest:
1. "Looking for a buddha and siva CJ prize"
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=570&hilit=hoki
2. "Theory on the F-4300, F-4400 Oriental figures"
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=779&hilit=hoki

Happy Collecting!
Jeffrey Maxwell
Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Re: Plastic Canadian Cracker Jack Prizes

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

CANADIAN TOPS

Here are some tops I got from Canada (left) next to similar tops from the USA for comparison (right). The Canadian versions do not have markings on the back like the USA versions with the Sterling Plastics (SP in a circle) logo and a mold number on the back. You might notice that the mold injection points are also in different places. Also, the spiral on the last example goes a different direction on each variety.
20181031_144100.jpg
20181031_144100.jpg (2.64 MiB) Viewed 8519 times
Happy Collecting!
Jeffrey Maxwell
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