Barn Find: Original 1915 Cracker Jack Advertising Poster

Mile High Card Co.’s April 2016 auction begins on April 18th and leads off with an incredible find – a newly discovered 1915 Cracker Jack advertising poster in completely original and unrestored condition.

While it’s possible that one of these was prominently displayed in every candy store and five-and-dime that sold Cracker Jack in 1915, the number of surviving specimens can be counted on one hand, and the featured item was found it in a barn in the Midwest, where it likely sat for the duration of its existence.

Given the same attention to detail that has made the 1915 Cracker Jack series one of the most coveted collections of all-time, the front of the display poster features examples of twelve stars that appear in the series: Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker, Honus Wagner, Joe Jackson, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Stuffy McInnis, Vic Saier, Rabbit Maranville and George Mullen.

The reverse suggests "Millions of Pictures of the World's Greatest Baseball Players-Free, a picture in each package of Cracker Jack" and provides details on how customers can get the complete 176-card set via a mail-in offer. Store owners were instructed to “Place this show card in a prominent place. It will help sell CRACKER JACK.” and touts the series as “the finest collection of baseball pictures ever issued." Over a century later, even with the 1933 Goudey series and 1952 Topps set coming on to the scene decades later, many vintage card hobbyists still view the 1915 Cracker Jack series as baseball’s pinnacle assemblage.

While it would be difficult to place a value on this exceptional collectible, the last time one was offered was in 2009, when only two were known to exist, and sold in excess of $150,000.

This extraordinarily important piece of American history is one of many featured items in the upcoming MHCC auction, which runs from April 18-May 5. For more information, call (303) 840-2784 or visit www.milehighcardco.com.