Wednesday, May 20, 2009

A 100 year old Cracker Jack treasure

I am working in a house this week that is just jammed with great stuff. It's a tiny unassuming war time bungalow in Scarborough. When I walked in the door I was greeted by a $15,000 Handel lamp and a $4,000 Handel ceiling fixture - I knew it was going to be good!

What we have been finding is a treasure trove of mementos and heirlooms from many generations, lovingly packed away in boxes, some for over 50 years. Tiny tin soldiers in original boxes from the 1930s, American silver souvenir spoons from the late 19th century, ancient books and the list goes on and on.

Up on a shelf in the kitchen was a collection of miniatures, many old, some new but all interesting and with some kind of story to tell. My favourites were these three little glass dogs, tiny, less than an inch high. To the average person you'd skip by them mistaking them for plastic trinkets but I had seen them before and knew what they were.

Remarkably these charming little doggies were early Cracker Jack prizes, found nestled in at the bottom of one of the original junk food treats. Imagine a time when they were putting tiny Czech art glass dogs in Cracker Jacks?! I just love their detail and thinking about the child that almost 100 years ago first discovered it and what a treasure it must have been for them.

Sometimes my greatest joys are not in the high value items like silver or jewelry or art, but rather in a simple item of yesterday that would have meant so much to its original owner.


It is interesting to note that these little guys are highly sought after by collectors today and came in a variety of colours and breeds. An emerald green daschund recently sold for over $150 US!

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