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How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:50 pm
by edteach
Has anyone done a rarity for CK pieces? The sea captain seems to be a bit rare. Thanks for any help.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:07 pm
by Cyndy Boesch
The sea captain is a harder piece to find. It took me a long time when I first started collecting, but that was before I discovered ebay. Supposedly this piece was only produced for about three months and then it was recalled. If you look in Alex Jaramillo's book, "Cracker Jack Prizes" there is the story on pg. 51. Hope this helps.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 7:02 am
by edteach
Thanks for the info. I picked this one up on ebay last night for 9 bucks. I wanted it and although it was a bit high I picked it up because I just do not see them often. Is 9 a fair price for this.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 12:29 pm
by Cyndy Boesch
Don't second guess yourself. Sooner or later you will probably run across a cheaper Stalin, but the question is whether you want to wait that long for a prize that may or may not show up. The old bird in the hand... adage. If you are buying as an investment, then worry about price. I buy for my own enjoyment and the price I pay always depends upon how badly I want the piece, not necessarily the price. Hope you can come to Convention sometime--more than anything it is a fantastic learning experience and great fun, to boot. Hope this helps.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 6:46 pm
by dianep2
Hi Edteach,

I feel the price you paid for your sea captain is very reasonable. I have two and I paid $20 & $25 for mine. I was fascinated by the story behind this Stalin look alike prize and I knew it was rare so I was willing to pay the price. I'd say you found yourself a deal. Good for you.

Yes, do try to make it to a convention sometime. You won't regret it.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 9:46 pm
by edteach
what is this stalin story, do you mean Joe Stalin? Love to hear it.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:30 am
by Cyndy Boesch
If you don't have Alex Jaramillo's book, it's a "must have". It has the Stalin story and its pictures alone have started many along the collector's path. If you don't have a copy, I can try to scan that page for you, or maybe your local library has a copy. In a nutshell, when this prize was produced, America was in the midst of the McCarthy era and people were looking for Communists under every stone. Cracker Jack was accused of promoting Communism among America's youth by providing a prize with Joseph Stalin's likeness--hence the sea captain. For that reason, it was pulled and became one of the few prizes ever "recalled" by the company. That is why it's a hard one to find.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:55 am
by Luke
In the book Popped Culture, it's mentioned on page 113. You can read it online -> here.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 2:02 pm
by edteach
Thanks, I guessed that was it. It does not to me remotely look like Joe Stalin, but many under the drunk idiot from Wisconsin were using the communism to create a fictitious enemy to gain power. I have studied about McCarthy and his todie Cohen and they were the most un American bunch of criminals we have seen in this nation. He should be dug up and buried in Red Square. Just as many today try to throw out the he/she is a socialist, I have been to places like Central High Museum and seen the crowds of racist radicals holding signs saying race mixing is communism and socialism. Idiots who know nothing of history or what communism and socialism are, nor do they even understand what our Republic is nor where Capitalism came from. It scares me how many people think this nation could not degrade into another Nazi Germany if the right David Duke came along at the right time[depression] and said the right things. Heaven help us from Sara Palin. Sorry if this is a bit off topic but when I see people like the slant head hannity rewriting history saying Joe McCarthy was just a good American, is like people now saying that Himmler was just a good old chicken farmer. Sorry you are entitled to your opinion but not your own facts.

Re: How hard is the sea captain to find?

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:18 pm
by Jeffrey Maxwell
edteach wrote:I picked this one up on ebay last night for 9 bucks. I wanted it and although it was a bit high I picked it up because I just do not see them often. Is 9 a fair price for this.
Hey Ed! I only had one of this prize in my collection after 20 years of collecting, because I never found more for a price I would pay. Even I would say that $9.00 is a very good price for this item. It really is a harder plastic prize to find.
Cyndy Boesch wrote:If you don't have Alex Jaramillo's book, it's a "must have".
I bought Alex's book for the photos when it came out in 1990. I had casually collected plastic trinkets for over ten years before that, but never really took it seriously because I was more into bakelite and celluloid at the time. When I found out how many of the items I had in my collection are Cracker Jack, I was hooked. I have always given Alex credit for inspiring me to become serious about collecting Cracker Jack, first through his book and later through his friendship.