DESCRIPTION
A small die-cut cardboard prize toy of a little blonde girl at the wheel of a kiddie car, from the era when every box of Cracker Jack carried a surprise. A separate printed wheel, red with a pinwheel pattern, is fixed to the body by a metal grommet, and it still turns freely. The figure is printed in bright color on the front. The reverse is plain dark blue-green stock.
The piece carries no maker's name. It is identified as a Cracker Jack prize of about 1950 from the same design being sold elsewhere as a 1950s Cracker Jack spinning toy; that identification is by design, not by a mark on the piece.
Die-cut, irregular outline, approx. 3.05 x 2.15 in. overall (bounding box, wheel included); wheel approx. 1.2 in. across.
Read the full description
Historical Context
Cracker Jack began putting a prize in every box in 1912, and the toy surprise became as much a part of the brand as the sailor boy and his dog Bingo. In the years after the war, the prizes were often simple paper and cardboard novelties: punch-outs, spinners and little moving figures like this one, made by the millions to be played with and then lost. Few survived the children who found them.
Condition
Age-toning and light surface soiling to the unprinted areas; light edge wear and rubbing at the rim of the wheel. The grommet is intact, with a small split in its flange. A light crease across the narrow tail, visible on both sides, where it was once bent. The reverse shows light scuffs and marks. Colors remain bright on the front. Please view the images carefully, as they are part of the description.
About The Printing
This is a color lithograph of the twentieth century, printed by a more modern commercial method. The exact process cannot be determined with certainty from a scan, so none is claimed here. Under magnification the image resolves into a regular, fine dot pattern rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of an 1880s chromolithograph.
That screen is exactly what a piece of this date should show, so it is not a sign of reproduction here. The evidence of an original is the piece itself: its die-cut construction, the metal grommet that holds the turning wheel, and the wear of its age.
Provenance
From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.
Disclaimer
Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.