My husband found this in the crawl space of our house yesterday. Our house was built around 1910, so I'm not sure when this made it's way down there, or if it's even a CJ toy. Thought this would be the best place to ask Thank you!!!
That looks like the type of ring found in Cracker Jack boxes in the early 1960's. I can't be 100% sure, but perhaps one of more seasoned collectors could weigh in on this.
Thank you for your inquiry on the plastic ring your husband found. It appears to be from the 1950's-1960's and is a gumball machine trinket or a cereal premium. I believe it is not a Cracker Jack ring. The ring is interesting and thank you for sharing it with the CJCA forum.
Interesting. I have passed up the opportunity to buy many rings like this over the years, because I did not believe they were Cracker Jack. I have seen similar rings in collections of gum machine prizes. But I also found similar ones listed in Larry's CD-ROM.
Larry, can you tell us if this is the prize you have listed as G-1220-7? You did not include a photo of this particular item, and it does not say where you got this info. Can you give your source that led you to list this as Cracker Jack? Thanks!
Alex, have you seen Larry's listing? Do you disagree with him? Just curious.
Jeffrey Maxwell wrote:Larry, can you tell us if this is the prize you have listed as G-1220-7? You did not include a photo of this particular item, and it does not say where you got this info. Can you give your source that led you to list this as Cracker Jack? Thanks!.
To me it looks like G-1220-4, Indian face wearing headband, page 166 of Larry White's book Cracker Jack Toys. I had to use a magnifying glass, but even then the image wasn't clear enough to know for sure.
I don't know if these are Cracker Jack, but I have a "collection" of nine different ones. I especially like them as there are three rings that each have a monkey face with the hands indicating, "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" gestures. I don't have the one pictured, so there are at least 10, maybe many more. Each has the three little hatch marks on either side of the setting. They are definitely sized for a child's finger. Another mystery prize!
It is a cool set of rings, Cyndy. I have seen some of these rings before. My first impression, both from the photo and seeing this design in person, is that it is a pirate.
Luke, I think "Indian wearing a headband" in Larry's list means American Indian. (Just writing train-of-thought here. Keep in mind that I am talking about racial stereotypes as depicted in popular culture in America 50 years ago.) I could see how someone might possibly interpret the image on this ring as "East Indian wearing a turban." But the person on this ring is not wearing a headband (which is generally only about 1 to 2-1/2 inches wide -- I have been to many pow-wows in Oklahoma, where there are many tribes, and never saw an American Indian with a cloth on top of their head like that) or a turban (which has a distinctively different wrapping method and uses a much thinner material -- I have watched a friend wrap his turban, which is a well-established, precise method, so they always look the same). To me it looks like either a stocking cap, like that of a fisherman, or a loose head wrap from a heavy bandana, like a pirate. Also the mustache is not like that normally depicted in mid-century America as either East Indian (often with wax tips pointing upwards) or as American Indian (who would never be depicted with a mustache like that -- I have many friends who are Native American and cannot grow enough facial hair to form a mustache.) Most pirates were British, Dutch, and French, all very capable of such a mustache. But we have no pictures with the listings, so we can only guess as to what Larry means.
Thanks Luke. I haven't looked at Larry's book since I got the CD-ROM, so I forget there are other pics in there. This pic isn't much help is it? I find this to be an interesting conversation, but I don't think I will be able to add anything more without more input from someone else. I hope we will hear from Larry or Alex (again) or JD on this.
I will have to do some searching, but I know I have some rings like these somewhere. My tendency is to hold onto something that is "possibly" Cracker Jack, in case I find further information that leads me to believe it is in the future. I have a big collection of things that turned out to be not Cracker Jack. No big deal -- just more fun for me.
Cyndy, I know I don't have the monkeys, and I would love to see a pic of those sometime.
I was just thinking that the person to talk to about rings is Ron Toth. I know he has written a number of articles for -- and provided photos to -- ring collectors publications over the years about Cracker Jack rings.
The light blue ring on the bottom left in Luke's photo is one of the "hear no evil..." monkeys. I just can't tell which--it isn't really clear. I will photo my nine and post them, but it won't be real soon--I will have to figure out how to get them to stand up so they will all show the setting.