| The picture below shows side views of the (3) Old Cracker Jack Pop Corn Confection Pot Metal or Lead Toy Prize Fire Pumper & Early Automobiles in this lot. The fire engine, or early pumper wagon is in the center, and the other two are early or antique automobiles with drivers. All three of these have a charm loop on them. The auto on the right had one of the wheels come off, but it can be repaired. These prizes are from before 1928. Many of the pot metal or lead prizes were manufactured by the Tootsietoy Company of Chicago, Illinois. There were other companies, including from Japan prior to World War II. Some of these type prizes were made specifically for Cracker Jack, while others were made as novelties, bought in volume, and used as prizes by The Cracker Jack Company. Pot metal or lead prizes were some of the earliest prizes that were used in Cracker Jack boxes from the 1910s to the late 1940s. Many of these type prizes or novelties were also sold out of old Johnson Smith & Company catalog as well as some other early novelty catalogs, also used in fortune telling sets, and some were also sold and used as board game parts. Many of these can be found factory painted, inked, or with no finish at all. All three of these for one price! To judge the sizes, the fire wagon prize measures about 1-1/4'' x 7/8'' x 3/8''. Two of these appear to be in near mint to mint condition. The right auto has a wheel that fell off, as mentioned above, and some spokes on the other front wheel that didn’t mold properly as pictured. |
