1915 Cracker Jack

[BostonRedSox-PreWar]

Hi Friends,

Today, I wanted to share my 1915 Cracker Jack Red Sox Set (work in progress), but also get some feedback on this set in general. I know many collectors and enthusiasts rank this set pretty high, so I've treated it more as an investment collection. The reason I bring that up is that these cards get pricey! For example, I paid $2K for the Speaker which I feel was a bit over priced, but was genuinely concerned on being able to find one in a price range I could afford in the future, as I rarely ever see this card come up in auctions at a low grade.

How does everyone else feel about these cards? Do you think they'll retain their value and potentially grow? Either way, they are iconic and just beautiful to look at it.

Thanks in advance for the feedback! Best Regards,
-DHutch

[Madi$on18joshua]

In my biased opinion, you cannot go wrong with collecting this set.

I made several mistakes of not bidding more for key cards, I can remember I was there under bidder on 3 different 1915 Cobbs, when I finally did get it I over paid at the time for a lower quality Cobb but after losing those three I was determined to get the next one. I actually bid a couple thousand over the going rate at the time to make sure I won it.

After that I often "overpaid" as I was acquiring the cards needed to complete the set and not one of my over priced purchases are over priced any longer - lol.

Good luck and enjoy the journey of collecting, there is at least for me never a finish line!

[ChasingPaper]

Beautiful cards and great sub-set!

I also have a very biased opinion as this is my favorite set ever made.
I do not see their value going down, ever.
Ive also collected a few sub-sets so far. Cubs, Chi Feds and all the horizontals minus the '14 Mathewson, which is unobtainable for me.

[Aaron Seefeldt]

I’ve been buying, selling, and trading strictly vintage for just shy of 30 years. In my experiences Cracker Jacks are 1 of the 2 most coveted/beautiful sets in the hobby with the other being Rose Co. Postcards. There’s something intoxicating or hypnotic about the deep red backgrounds. It’s rare to get a “good deal” on CJs… over pay today and tomorrow you’ll be glad you did!

In my opinion they are still relatively cheap.

[JimC]

Great looking collection. I agree that they seem like a solid bet long term.

[53toppscollector]

its an iconic set that will never "fall out of favor" and Id imagine will only continue to increase in price. great looking cards you've got

[Rhotchkiss]

In my opinion, the 1914 CJ set is one of the top 4 baseball sets of all time (t206, 1933 Goudey, and 1952 Topps). To boot, 1914 CJ are super rare/tough bc they are not only old, but so fragile and they were distributed in boxes of sticky and perishable Cracker Jack candy. Just to be clear, the 1915 CJ set, which is basically the 1914 set run back a year later (with a few material picture/card/player differences and upside down text), is NOT on par with the 1914 CJ set. That said…

I think the 1915 set is a great investment. 1914 CJs can be crazy expensive. 1915’s look almost exactly the same and are more affordable than 1914s. Thus, you can get that classic pose of Jackson, Cobb, Wagner, Wajo (and a better looking Matty pose), for a fraction of their 1914 counterparts. For this reason, and bc the 1914 set is so iconic, I believe the 1915 set will always be in demand. I say to go for it, in earnest!!

However, one bit of advice, if I may- get the HOFers and low pop cards first. And, spend the money on the higher grade HOFers and buy the commons in lower grade - like all HOFers in a minimum of 4 and commons in a 2 or better. All the value and almost all the upside is in the HOFers. Taking it further/specifically, get the very best Jackson, Cobb, Wagner, Johnson, and Mathewson you can.

[Brian]

In my humble opinion, Cracker Jacks are the most beautiful cards ever produced, and the 1915 CJ Cobb is probably my favorite card of all, a tall order since I have many favorites.

I liked them so much that I decided to collect the set in early 2003 and started picking up cards from '15 and '14, mostly HOFers. However, after buying many of the commons, I gave up on trying to complete the set. I just could not see myself buying the vast number of commons to get to the finish line. At the same time, they are all beautiful (and some are downright humorous).

How could you not love these cards? My advice is: go for it. Like others have said, they are totally mesmerizing, and the journey is really fun.

Brian

[Peter_Spaeth]

It's a great project as a collector. But as was said above, if your real goal is "investment," then buy HOFers.

[Kidnapped18]

Congrats on the team set DHutch!
I collect the '14s and not the '15s and they can get expensive really fast especially for 4s, 5s and 6s. All the HOFers are great cards to get in either set! Good luck on your CJ journey!

[cgjackson222]

The rarity of 1915 Cracker Jack seems underrated to me.

Yes 1914s are rarer, but there are not many 1915s either.

For example, there are a combined 151 graded '14 Cobbs between PSA and SGC, and 213 '15 Cobbs (there are actually more '14 Cobbs graded by SGC than '15).

There are a combined 66 graded '14 Jackson between PSA and SGC, and 197 '15s.

A combined 112 '14 WaJos, and 183 '15s.

A combined 91 '14 Wagners, and 187 '15 Wagners.

A combined 72 '14 Alexanders, and 143 '15s.

So yes, the '14s can be twice as hard to come by as the '15s, but there aren't a ton of '15s out there either.

[Lorewalker]

Great set and my favorite (along with the 1914) prewar set but I caution you about commons in lower grades and the investment potential. Just as a for instance here is Hoblitzell in a PSA 3 over the last 10 years.

2/4/2021 $181.20
5/21/2019 $169.00
9/28/2018 $177.73
7/31/2017 $178.25
5/17/2016 $208.50
11/26/2013 $195.00

At the end of the day, screw the investment and buy what you like. Sometimes buying what you like clashes with buying for what is the best investment.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Not exactly Nvidia.

[icurnmedic]

Not sure how to ask the question , and probably does not make sense to most, but given that the 15's were both distributed in set form as well as in candy packs, does this fact increase the value of a mid/high grade card that was obviously distributed in a candy pack as compared to one that was clearly out of a set?

I know most would disagree and that's fine, but I feel that the ones that come out of the CJ boxes are more on par with the 14's , other than paper stock I guess.

Would be really interesting to know how many of the ( insert player name here)
from 1915 were inserted in boxes vs sets.
May find that for some players the inserted are actually as or more rare than their 14 counterparts.
Not sure if that adds value though.

FWIW I collect both 14 and 15's.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Here is a 15 with some honest product stains.

[Rhotchkiss]

Good question Thomas. I do not think it really matters whether it was or was not in the candy/pack. The higher grade is the higher grade, and, the ones not in packs are usually the higher grades. So, I would think a PSA 7 Wagner without stains is more valuable than a PSA 5 with stains, and, I think a PSA 5 without stains is probably more valuable than a PSA with stains. Personally, i like the stains. On the 1914 CJs, I am a little skeptical of cards without them

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Good question Thomas. I do not think it really matters whether it was or was not in the candy/pack. The higher grade is the higher grade, and, the ones not in packs are usually the higher grades. So, I would think a PSA 7 Wagner without stains is more valuable than a PSA 5 with stains, and, I think a PSA 5 without stains is probably more valuable than a PSA with stains. Personally, i like the stains. On the 1914 CJs, I am a little skeptical of cards without them

And I have seen far too many 14s in PSA and SGC holders that have no stains. Highly suspect. Seen lots of 15s too with stains you can tell were attempted to be removed but still graded numerically.

[parkplace33]

DHutch, nice collection. In terms of future value, for HOFers, definitely. For commons, not sure about that. While they are collectable, many are not working on the set and may want just a type HOF.

[3-2-count]

And if the cards are out of your financial reach, Cracker Jack memorabilia is aces too!

[JollyElm]

FYI: Went to Wikipedia to see what in heck the brand name means, and how it's connected to sweetened popcorn and peanuts...

Naming and packaging
In 1896, the first lot of Cracker Jack was produced, the same year the product's name and tagline "The More You Eat, the More You Want", were registered. It was named by an enthusiastic sampler who remarked: "That's a crackerjack!" (Crackerjack is a colloquialism meaning "of excellent quality").

[RCMcKenzie]

I have this Ray Fisher. I only have a few 14 and 15. The CJ's are very popular and easy to sell. I should remind myself to buy more.

[jjbond]

The best part is when you buy a 1915, and it turns out to be a 1914

[BruceinGa]

Yesterday my son told me he is consigning a 1915 Ed Konetchy, SGC 9.
I wish I knew the story behind it!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by BruceinGa

Yesterday my son told me he is consigning a 1915 Ed Konetchy, SGC 9.
I wish I knew the story behind it!

SGC 9. Wow..
That's a card!
.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

Hope the OP is still going strong on the 15 set!

I too think the CJ's are one of the best if not THE best looking set ever made. The deep red backgrounds and cream borders just ooze Americana at it's finest. And the fact they were produced and distributed by one of the all time great American treats is icing on the cake (and in caramel stickiness to boot!).

Sometimes I day dream about a Ruth being included in the set and wonder what it would look like and how incredibly astronomical the value would be. As a matter of fact I had a recent dream that I went back in time and tried to find and then convince the guy in charge of CJ's to include that promising rookie out of Boston. haha.

How great would it be to find a crate full of 15 boxes in some underground forgotten bunker?

[BigfootIsReal]

If you had to choose one to collect what would you choose.....1915 CJ or Jackie?

[jingram058]

Don't know how long the kid in the sailor suit has been associated with the confection, but the entire time I was a boot through 1st class petty officer in the Navy, everyone called the dark blue dress uniform "Cracker Jacks".

[CrackaJackKid]

Nothing but glorified reprints.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by CrackaJackKid

Nothing but glorified reprints.

...with an additional 32 subjects plus a handful of changed subjects between the two sets.


Here is a scan of six 1915 CJ's with the same player in a later Zeenut issue, just for the heck of it. The bottom four Cracker Jack cards wouldn't exist without the 'reprint'.

Brian

[Yoda]

Everybody loves Cracker Jacks and for all the right reasons. There are 2 cards that draw my attention: the Hal Chase, being a replacement card for Frank Chance, and Eddie Rousch, as it happens to be his RC. Any serious '15 CJ set should have these cards.

[jingram058]

Real Cracker Jack box with a baseball card inside. Okay it's not actual 1915. And not even 1915, more like 1918, since one side has Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo. I found a photo in a different thread of a complete box, made a repro box, made a repro copy of a real 1915 Cracker Jack baseball card (which were pretty flimsy, not card stock, more like cream colored paper), and packed in the fake card with real 2024 Cracker Jack. The real cards were just stuck into the boxes with the Cracker Jack loose, no paper wrapper or envelope. That's one way to tell the fakes from the real thing; there should be caramel or molasses stains on the card!

[CrackaJackKid]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

...with an additional 32 subjects plus a handful of changed subjects between the two sets.


Here is a scan of six 1915 CJ's with the same player in a later Zeenut issue, just for the heck of it. The bottom four Cracker Jack cards wouldn't exist without the 'reprint'.

Brian

Yank Yank, still glorified reprints IMO.

[PSACJ]

The 1915 Cracker Jack Baseball Card Set is my favorite of all-time!

[Yoda]

The art work outshines any other E-card set.

[Leon]

Amazing cards and memorabilia in this thread. Thanks for sharing.
Every time I go to fill my E145 spots it seems the HOF'ers are more than I want to pay. And since I know I can get "a" HOF'er, almost anytime, I haven't paid up (yet) and other more unique "type" cards have taken their places.
.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

Started a Facebook Group for Cracker Jack collectors to discuss all things CJ and of course buy/sell/trade!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1030777661997016/

[yanks4]

There were well under 100 CJs at the National…..that should tell your something?



Love the photo thanks for sharing!