Cracker Jack Trivia

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Luke
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Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by Luke »

Let's see if we can stump the Cracker Jack experts. Feel free to ask and/or answer any Cracker Jack related question. Remember, no question is too easy, or too hard.

I'll get things started with a few questions...

1. Who is the only CJCA member that has designed a prize for Cracker Jack, and what was it?

2. What year did Cracker Jack first started putting prizes in paper wrappers?

3. What year did Cracker Jack go to all paper prizes?

4. During WWII, Cracker Jack stopped putting prizes in the boxes. What date did they stop putting them in, and what date did they put them back in?
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by larrydw »

Who are the "experts" that we are supposed to stump??????
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by larrydw »

I'll take some stabs:
1. I believe Ann Brogley won a design contest and her design appeared as a prize. However, I also believe Ron Toth may have designed one as well. Certainly Mike Kolodzyk and Comet could be considered to have designed the Best Dog contest winner.
2. The paper wrapper is tricky as the early marbles were put in twisted paper "wrappers".
4. I would have to test the tester on this - what about "A prize in every box?" Can't believe they stopped COMPLETELY?

By the way, I am back from vacation - and it was FANTASTIC. 200 feet from the ocean. So great that we are going back in August (maybe our car will wash up on shore by then).
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Luke
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by Luke »

larrydw wrote:Who are the "experts" that we are supposed to stump??????
Perhaps you didn't know this, but in the CJCA there are two members who are published authors in this field. Not to mention all the members who've been collecting for years. I won't even mention the name of a wonderful lady that lives in Florida with the initials of H.J. If I knew half as much as she did, I'd be ten times as smart.
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Luke
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by Luke »

larrydw wrote: 1. I believe Ann Brogley won a design contest and her design appeared as a prize. However, I also believe Ron Toth may have designed one as well. Certainly Mike Kolodzyk and Comet could be considered to have designed the Best Dog contest winner.
2. The paper wrapper is tricky as the early marbles were put in twisted paper "wrappers".
4. I would have to test the tester on this - what about "A prize in every box?" Can't believe they stopped COMPLETELY?

By the way, I am back from vacation - and it was FANTASTIC. 200 feet from the ocean. So great that we are going back in August (maybe our car will wash up on shore by then).
1. I didn't realize there were more than one member who designed a CJ prize. If anyone has pics of the prizes, I'd love to see them.
2. I realize that a few of the older prizes such as the marbles, and toothpicks had envelopes. I was hoping someone knew when it was that CJ decided to wrap every prize.
4. Oh, don't test me, I'm just a student, much to learn. I thought the soldiers complained about there not being prizes, so for moral they were put back in. Am I wrong on that? I do remember seeing a Harry Carey YouTube video, with him complaining about not getting a prize. He still seemed bitter after all those years as a kid. :)

Welcome back from your vacation. I hope you're not too burned from your time on the beach.
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by larrydw »

So, Is this post dead?????
The earliest wrapped prize that I would say were wrapped with consistency (i.e. all prizes wrapped at that point) are some of the NOSCO stand-ups which would put it in the 50's. I think (well, I don't usually think, but let's call it a passage of neurons) that earlier stand-ups were put in a tan waxy-like paper as were some of the tops. None of my paper prizes from the 40's have any caramel staining, so I would suspect that they were in a wrapper.
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by Luke »

larrydw wrote:So, Is this post dead?????
I sure hope not, I've have many questions, as I'm sure others do. Hopefully they'll overcome their shyness and post.
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

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larrydw wrote:4. I would have to test the tester on this - what about "A prize in every box?" Can't believe they stopped COMPLETELY?
I'm still looking for more information on rationing in World War II, and whether or not Cracker Jack partially or completely stopped putting prizes in the boxes. This is what I've found so far.

On NPR.com it mentions... This tin "Keep 'em Flying" Blow Spinner was a Cracker Jack prize in 1941-42 before rationing in World War II curtailed the use of metal in making the prizes.

The only other website that mentions rationing and Cracker Jack toys is on Answers.com, where it says... After the Fair and until World War II, prizes were actually packed in the boxes, although this practice stopped during the War because the prizes were made in Japan. After the War, a bonus prize returned to every box.
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by larrydw »

OK, let's complicate things a bit. Probably Cracker Jack still put a prize in every box - it's just that there were not as many boxes. The war had sugar (among other things) rationing, so the sugar/molasses could not be used solely for candy. To keep the plant open, Cracker Jack started producing the "K" rations. I would also imagine that this "patriotic" effort was coupled with the "patriotic" wish to supply our troops with boxes of Cracker Jack. I can also imagine that in producing CJ for the troops that a lot was made for the "non troops", the regular public. There may have been some production runs with no prizes and I doubt if there would be much evidence, probably the only source would be the minutes of meetings, etc of the corporation. I know Ron Toth has some records, but I do not know if they include the early war years.
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Re: Cracker Jack Trivia

Post by Cyndy Boesch »

Hi folks!
Jim Davis and I have chased the story about prizes being discontinued during WWII (also the story about the clickers used by paratroopers on DDay came via the Cracker Jack Company) without much luck. Most of us first learned about the story regarding toys being discontinued when reading Cloud Nine by Carey Cloud (see pg. 52). If anyone has any more information (Ron?), it would be a fabulous find!
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