| The picture below shows larger left and right side views of the (3) Old Cracker Jack Pop Corn Confection Metal Toy Prize Roadster or Race Cars in this lot. The Cracker Jack prize ID number for these is unknown, but the maker is is believed to be the Tootsietoy Company of Chicago, Illinois. We believe that these, in the order pictured, were a progression of when they were made. First made with the driver area closed, then partially opened, the third has the roof opened, but it is closed inside. The fourth way, not shown or included, has a fully opened roof and inside. The fourth version is the way that most of these style race cars were made. Because of this, the three varieties in this lot, are much harder to find. These cars have a silver finish. These do not have drivers inside. The fourth version (in silver) is also the same race car design that was used as a game piece in the Parker Brothers game of Monopoly. 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. These race car prizes measure about 1-3/16'' x 7/16'' x 3/8''. They appear to be in excellent to near mint condition as pictured. |
