I don't think they were manufactured as paper weights. For one thing, the bases are very generic and free from any markings. And in the case of the Reach ball, attached to the ball a bit off-center. I could be wrong, but I have seen more of them in their unmodified state than repurposed.
I haven't yet seen a definitive write-up of their original intended purpose, but have always taken them to be promotional items of some sort, not intended for game use of any sort (unless maybe midgets with mini bats...?) I've had 3 different recognizable specimens in the past (Frick, Harridge and Cronin) along with a couple that were either unmarked or had been played with enough to wear the markings off. These are somewhere in between, with just enough of the markings showing to tantalize me
