Take Me Out to the Ball Game

 

QUESTION: One of the fondest memories I have from my childhood was going to an amusement park and the circus and buying a box of Cracker Jacks. Even though I loved eating the caramel corn inside, I was more excited to see what the surprise toy was hidden within. As I grew older and frequented flea markets, I noticed some of these little toys in glass cases with other small objects. I started buying them and now have quite a collection. I’d really like to know more about the origin of Cracker Jacks and when and where the idea of the toy inside originated.

ANSWER: Did you know that Cracker Jacks have had over 17 million little toys inside their boxes since 1912?

The Cracker Jack story began when a young German immigrant. Fritz W. Rueckheim, went to Chicago to help clean up debris from the Great Fire of 1871. With only $200 in his pocket, he and partner William Brinkmeyer started selling popcorn from a one popper stand. They made their popcorn by hand, using steam equipment. Sales were brisk, and in 1873 Fritz bought out Brinkmeyer and brought his brother, Louis, from Germany to join in his venture, forming the company F.W. Rueckheim & Brother to manufacture "Popcorn Specialties." 

Two years later business was better than ever, so they added marshmallows and other confections to their popcorn specialties. Between 1875 and 1884. The Rueckheim brothers moved their company five times, doubling and quadrupling their manufacturing space as demand for the confections increased.

But the Rueckheim brothers weren’t the first to make sugar-coated popcorn mixed with peanuts. The manufacture and sale of sugar-coated popcorn in America dates as far back as the early 19th century. 

The Rueckheim Brothers produced a new recipe including popcorn, peanuts, and molasses, and first presented it to the public at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. And though he confection was a smashing success, garnering international acclaim from the fair goers,  the molasses of this early version was too sticky. 

In 1896, Louis discovered a method to separate the kernels of molasses-coated popcorn during the manufacturing process. As each batch mixed together in a cement-mixer-like drum, Fritz added a small quantity of oil which became a closely guarded trade secret. Before this change, the mixture had been difficult to handle, because it stuck together in chunks.

That same year, a salesman munching on the snack exclaimed, "'That's a cracker jack!” which was a popular saying of that time meaning it was really good. Fritz took those two words and coined the name Cracker Jack .He also adopted as a slogan from this comment from a satisfied customer: “The more you eat, the more you want.” He registered both the name and the slogan that same year.

In 1899, Henry Gottlieb Eckstein developed the "waxed sealed package" for freshness, known then as the "Eckstein Triple Proof Package", a dust-, germ-, and moisture-proof paper package. He joined the brothers. Later, he developed a moisture-proof package that retained the crispness. freshness. and flavor of the delectable confection. Now the treat could be sold in handy boxes. setting the stage for distribution off Cracker Jack nationally. In 1902, brothers reorganized their company as Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein.

But what catapulted Cracker Jack to fame nationwide was the release of the song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", written by the lyricist Jack Norworth and composer Albert Von Tilzer in 1907. To this day, the lyric “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack” still echoes throughout ballparks. 

Beginning in 1910, Cracker Jack offered consumers an additional enticement, with coupons that could be redeemed for p. A rare 116-page postcard-sized catalog of over 300 desirable articles is one of the most sought after collector’s items by Cracker Jack collectors.

But it was in 1912 that Fritz dropped the coupons and introduced a prize in every box. The Idea was an immediate success. In addition to a lot of fun for kids, Cracker Jack prizes have been a reflection of history, manufacturing processes. entertainment, and popular culture in miniature.

Cracker Jack originally included a small "mystery" novelty item referred to as a "Toy Surprise" in each box. Early "Toy Surprises" included rings, plastic figurines, booklets, stickers, temporary tattoos, and decoder rings. Books have been written cataloging the prizes, and a substantial collector's market exists.

In 1914, Cracker Jack included the first of two baseball card issues, which featured players from both major leagues as well as players from the short-lived Federal League.

Until 1937, Cracker Jack toy prizes were made in Japan. From 1938, Carey Cloud designed them. Tootsie Toy, which made Monopoly game markers, also produced many metal toys for Cracker Jack, During World War II, the prizes were made of paper.

Cracker Jack's mascots Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo were introduced as early as 1916. and registered as a trademark in 1919. Fritz modeled Jack after Robert Rueckheim, grandson of Frederick. Robert, the son of the eldest of the Rueckheim brothers, Edward, died of pneumonia shortly after his image appeared at the age of 8. The sailor boy image acquired such meaning for the founder of Cracker Jack that he had it carved on his tombstone, which can still be seen in St. Henry's Cemetery in Chicago. He based Sailor Jack's dog Bingo on a real-life dog named Russell, a stray adopted in 1917 by Henry Eckstein, who demanded that the dog be used on the packaging. Russell died of old age in 1930. Sailor Jack and Bingo have appeared on Cracker Jack boxes with only slight modification since 1918.

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Batter Up!

QUESTION: My grandfather loved baseball. Somewhere—no one seems to know where or how—my grandfather obtained a special bat on which is the image of Mickey Mantle, as well as his signature. I’m not really into baseball and have no idea if this bat is worth anything. I’m not sure the signature is real. Can you help me?

ANSWER: From the photo you sent, it looks as if you have what’s known as a decal bat. These were specially made bats onto which the manufacturer affixed a decal of a famous player. There are also lots of other varieties.

A decal bat is a bat in which a bat manufacturer has applied a decal showing the image of a famous player and perhaps his signature. They come in large and small sizes, with vibrant colors and model names appearing on both the barrels as well as in the center of the bat. Hillerich & Bradsby, (H&B) Stahl & Dean, Spalding, and A.J. Reach were some of the top makers.

H&B came out with a player series of decal bats in 1905 after signing Pirates slugger star Holm Wagner as a Louisville endorsee. The beautiful images on the barrels of these bats resemble the portraits on early baseball cards. Manufacturers offered them  on several full-size player bats as well as on smaller souvenir varieties.

The most desirable of these bats pre-date World War I. The likenesses of players such as Hank Gowdy, Ty Cobb, Joe Jackson, Rogers Hornsby, and Harry Davis adorn these bats. But finding one is another story—and finding one that’s in good condition is very hard indeed. A Joe Jackson bat from that time period is currently up for auction at $3,750.

With decal bats, as with many collectibles, condition is everything. A full-size Joe Jackson in 90 percent or better condition sold in the past for $3,500. Any Wagner, Cobb, or Lajoie in top condition should be worth about as much. Near-mint examples of the other Hall of Famers would be in the $2,000 range. Non-Hall-of-Famers, although rarer than their Hail of Fame counterparts, would sell in the $1,200-$1,800 range.

In addition to these early decal bats, H&B revived the decal player model bats in the mid-1950s with a series of bats that included Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Ferris Fain, Jackie Robinson, and Joe DiMaggio. The Mantle and Fain have turned up in lengths of 34 inches while the others have all  been Little League bats 'at least to date. Each has a head portrait of the player set against a contrasting background. The Robinson, Ruth, DiMaggio, and Mantle bats are all very desirable if in like-new condition with prices in the $400 range; Others might sell in the $200 range.

Values for full-size bats are always greater than their small souvenir counterparts or bats shorter than 32 inches, the shortest offered as a full-size decal bat. Generally, the smaller souvenir bats sell for anywhere between 30 percent to 50 percent of their full-size counterparts in like condition. Decal bats picturing Hall of Fame players are worth a premium over their non-Hall of Fame competition, but not as much because the decal bats of these players are sometimes scarcer than the Hall of Famers. And while Joe Jackson is still not a member of the Hall of Fame, his bat will bring as much or more than any other.

Restoring an old decal bat may add to its value, but it could also subtract from it, depending on the quality of the work done. Cleaning an old decal bat isn’t classified as restoration. If an artist restores missing portions of a decal by painting them in, that’s restoration.

What’s All the Confusion About American Parian?

QUESTION: Can you tell me if the cream pitcher and sugar bowl I have are authentic pieces of Parian ware? Someone told me they might be American.

ANSWER: Parian ware is a type of salt-glazed pottery made in England beginning in the 1840s. The English pottery that originally developed it, W.T. Copeland, named it after Greek Parian marble since they intended to duplicate expensive marble sculptures for the growing merchant class who wanted to emulate decorative pieces owned by the wealthy. While it has the same ingredients as porcelain–white clay and feldspar–the proportions are two of clay to one of feldspar, instead of equal ones as in porcelain.

Victorians who were climbing up the social and economic ladder loved the statues of classical figures and such, made to resemble those of ancient Greece and Rome. After Copeland, the most famous maker of Parian, perfected the process, other English potters, including Boote, Minton, and even Wedgewood began producing it.

British potters, who immigrated to America in the 19th century, brought with them the skills to make Parian and established potteries from Vermont to South Carolina where they made Parian ware using English techniques. Just as their British counterparts, American women loved it because it resembled expensive marble at a fraction of the price. Most pieces are a dull, gray-white and unglazed.

Parian really took off in the United States after the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia where several American potteries set up exhibits of their works. Potteries such as Ott & Brewer of Trenton, New Jersey and Union Porcelain Works of Brooklyn, New York created Parian statuary with truly American themes. Since the Civil War had ended a little over 10 years before, many of them celebrated the heros of it. The game of baseball had also gained national popularity, so Ott & Brewer produced a statue called “The Baseball Pitcher,” sculpted by Isaac Isaac Broome for their exhibit at the Centennial Exhibition.

What gets many collectors confused is that the Bennington Pottery, founded by Christopher W. Fenton, operated under the name Fenton’s Works from 1847 to 1849, and then as the United States Pottery Company from 1849 until 1858. It produced not only Parian statuary but also 16 different styles of pitchers to hold everything from water to ice tea and milk.

While the potters back in England marked their pieces, many in America did not. The United States Pottery in Bennington, Vermont, one of the most noted American Parian makers, marked only about 20 percent of their pieces and then mostly pitchers with either “Fenton's Works,” “U.S.P.,” or “UNITED STATES/ POTTERY CO."

So the creamer and pitcher above would most likely have come from one of the American Parian makers rather than one in England.

For more information on Parian ware, read Parian Ware–Affordable Art for the Masses.