c.1936 Wyandotte, Streamlined Cracker Jack Flatbed Truck with Sealed 1930's Box
Unbelievable example of a pressed steel toy truck that was available only as an in-store product premium from the Cracker Jack Co. Beautiful original condition. It comes complete with an original sealed box of mid-1930's Cracker Jack. The time period for the manufacture of the truck and the package design correlate correctly. This was not a prize inside a box. It's an 8" long steel truck with wooden wheels. After many days of research on the truck I could find no reference to it except for a single newspaper clipping. The clipping is from a Sunday funnies page featuring the comic strip Apple Mary. Below the comic is the advertisement for the truck. Apparently it was a promotional item for the new larger size (and price?) of Cracker Jack. When I purchased the truck and box of Cracker Jack the clipping was included. It's actually an 8" x 10" photograph of the newspaper. Everything about this truck points to Wyandotte as the manufacturer. Like many Wyandotte toys it's unmarked. The design and style of the "teardrop" front fenders and running boards, the box-like cab roof and windows, the slanted V-shaped front grille, the concave wooden wheels with rounded rims, the method used to assemble the axles to the frame, and the ribbed bed were all used by Wyandotte during this same time period. Everything including paint, parts, and wooden wheels are original. Several color variation were produced by Wyandotte. The sealed box of Cracker Jack is just awesome! To think that it still has 75+ year old popcorn and peanuts inside is mind boggling. A quick shake and I can tell that it has a large metal prize inside the box. All you need is an x-ray machine. The box features the Cracker Jack logo on one side and Jack and Bingo on the other. Unlike the glossy waxed paper used today, all of the box elements were printed directly onto the cardboard. One side panel advertises the product with "toy or novelty in each package...". A premium advertisement for "Silverine President Coins" from George Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt was featured on the opposite panel. The endflaps include the product name, address, company motto, and patent dates. The claim that "package may be opened and examined before Purchasing" has long since gone the way of the dinosaur. Size: Truck 8" x 2¼" x 1¾". Box 6½" x 3" x 1-3/8".
Price Sold: $ 411
