Anyone help identify this? Today's Estate Find

[bwild22]

I found this at an estate sale today and cannot find any additional information about it - Does anyone have any idea on it? Any information would be appreciated - unsure what I intend to do with it yet...The 2nd picture is on the inside of the lid

[perezfan]

Nothin' comes up on Google, and nary a mention in Mark Cooper's Book.

Must be rare :eek:

[thecatspajamas]

My guess is some sort of pseudo-gambling device/game.

[bigfanNY]

MY thought is that it is a box that held punch boards based on inside lid. I have a few tucked away I will look and see if any have this name. JMHO

Regards
Jonathan

[Butch7999]

Ramer's was a manufacturer of chocolate confections. In all our years of researching baseball games, we've never seen hide nor hair
nor even any mention of a tabletop game or handheld game associated with Ramer's, although one of the many "5 cents a play"
punchboard-type gambling games that don't name a specific product or manufacturer is certainly a possibility.
It might also be possible that the candy bar itself was actually named "Baseball Game," just so they could use the tag-line
"Everybody enjoys a Baseball Game."

We've seen an example of this wooden crate before; the text that's been torn off the label inside the lid of your case reads:
Ramer's BASEBALL GAME
40 Bars in this box are FREE
for advertising.

Here's a current auction for a Ramer's candy box:
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7014946

and here are two old ones:
http://bid.showtimeauctions.com/Ramer-s-Vera-Sweet-Chocolates-Sign_i11127956
http://www.ebay.com/itm/c1920s-Ramers-Banquet-Chocolates-Advertising-Cardboard-Box-Candy-/300907447080?nma=true&si=3J4H2hl1B1GWNI4vpBI4G83tLmg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[bwild22]

Thanks for all the info.

I did see RAMERS show up on a large internet list of baseball games. It said ti was from the 20s. I also read an article somewhere online that leads me to believe that they sent this display box full of chocolate candy bars to PROMOTE their baseball game..... This seems to make some sense - but even if the chocolate bar was called BASEBALL GAME that would make sense too!!!!!

I figured it was a tabletop game, or punchboard game when I bought it - then looked under the lid and was confused again :)

I thought it was cool - i saw that wood baseball game box buried on a wagon at an auction and instantly was praying for a very very early parlor baseball game in wood crate, but either way this is pretty cool and an unexpected find for the day

[Butch7999]

That was probably our list you saw, and we should delete that entry from it until there's any real evidence that an actual game existed.
It appears we were a little careless, or overeager, or both, in including both verified and unverified games from our records on our on-line list.
We don't want to be in the business of perpetuating baseless rumors...

We also don't wish to be remiss in saying that no matter what the box contained or offered, it is indeed a very cool artifact!
By the way, although punchboards aren't quite squarely in our wheelhouse, we do catalogue them, and a cursory search of our records
turns up a few baseball-themed boards made from the 1920s through the 1940s offering candy bars as winning payouts for a 5-cent play.
Most punchboards pay off in money, cigars, or some nebulous quantity of "points" or "in trade," and of those offering candy bars as prizes,
several are specific to brand (Schrafft's, Ideal, &c'). The 5-cents-a-play boards paying out in unspecified candy bars, however, could,
maybe, might, possibly, be associated with the Ramer's game/offer. The pertinent punchboard manufacturers include W H Brady,
Charles Brewer & Sons, Harlich, and Fergussom.