The 1915 Cracker Jack Baseball set consists of 176 subjects,
each card measuring 2-1/4" by 3". The issue (designated E145-2
in The American Card Catalog) was printed on thinner-than-usual cardstock,
which revealed a textured surface showcasing the cards' color-tint likenesses,
and inserted in boxes of the molasses-covered popcorn snack. A highly
sought-after factory set was also available, by mail, in exchange for coupons.
Card backs devoted half the area to a short player biography and the rest to
text promoting the set and the product.
The majority of Cracker Jack's 1915 cards reused the
enticing illustrations that had originally graced those players' 1914 entries,
with the exception of Christy Mathewson – who in 1915 was portrayed via a
dignified portrait likeness, not his familiar pitching pose. Though not known
for any production rarities, given the availability of a complete factory set,
the cards still qualify for demand and condition scarcity. Furthermore, as
the 1915 issue's final group of cards - those numbered from 145 through 176 -
have no direct counterparts in the prior year's abbreviated production – they
are in somewhat stronger demand than many of the first group, as all of the
collectors who seek to obtain a Cracker Jack card of each player and who are
willing to settle for a suitable example from either year are compelled to
compete with conventional set-builders for those final 32 pieces.
Baseball Reference
Baseball Almanac
Card Values
Team Set Checklist
1915 Cracker Jack
54 Marty O'Toole
63 Charles Adams
68 Honus Wagner
54 Marty O'Toole
63 Charles Adams
68 Honus Wagner
70 Fred
Clarke
73 Max
Carey
152 George McQuillen
