“Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts, and a prize!” But, whoa, what a prize. If you were ever a fan of Cracker Jack, you might have had the chance for one of the biggest prizes ever stuffed into that little box: a Winnebago.
From tin whistles to the Cracker Jack prize Winnebago
When Cracker Jack first started rolling out prizes in those little boxes in 1912, kids might get something like tin or metal toys. Whistles. Puzzles. Charms. Through the 1930s, metal, paper, and wood were the giveaways. From the 1940s to the 1960s, plastic was king. Whistles, tops, rings. World War II saw a surge of patriotism in the box—prizes with military motifs, and the occasional pitch to buy War Bonds.
When the ’70s arrived, hey, collectibles! Cracker Jack baseball cards! Tattoos, puzzles, and magnets came packed with the popcorn. This ran on into the 1980s. But at the leading edge of the ’80s—the really big stuff. The Cracker Jack grand prizes: Two Winnebagos!
Enter the Cracker Jack expert
So how do you get a Winnie in a Cracker Jack box? We turned to Cracker Jack collecting expert Alex Jaramillo, who’s been a Cracker Jack collector since the 1950s. Alex was so intense on the subject that, in 1980, Borden—the company that owned Cracker Jack at the time—had an invitation for him.
“The Cracker Jack company invited four of the top collectors at the end of 1980 to have a ‘first annual reunion’ in the plant in Cicero, near Chicago, Illinois,” Alex related to us. “We had a contest and I happened to be lucky enough to win, answering questions on the history, and also based on enthusiasm and knowledge of Cracker Jack.”
After winning the contest, Alex thought life would grow quiet again. Not so fast. In early 1981, the folks from Cracker Jack invited him to go on tour as a spokesman promoting Cracker Jack’s Million Dollar Super Prize promotion. Included in the prizes were two Winnebago Warriors—loaded up with “Barbie” and other Mattel-produced toys.
Putting a Winnie in a Cracker Jack box
How do you put a motorhome in a Cracker Jack box? Our research indicates this could violate the rules of physics. Alex confessed that the actual machine never got in the box. So? A winning certificate “in the shape and size of a minor Cracker Jack prize—which was stickers” went into the box. “If you did not win the Winnebago or any of the other larger toy prizes, a Barbie or other toys, you would receive a normal Cracker Jack prize.”
Alex clearly remembers one of the two Grand Prize winners. No, not a kid with a runny nose somewhere in the Midwest. Rather, a U.S. military serviceman cracked the winning Cracker Jack box. One can only imagine the consternation of Cracker Jack officials when they learned their winner was stationed, not in the U.S., but in Germany. Guess if you can afford to put up two Winnebagos as prizes, you can afford to pack one of them up and ship it to Germany, which is what the company did.
Alex gets his own “prize”
After nearly two months of touring the U.S., promoting the big Cracker Jack prize Winnebagos, life went back to normal for Alex. Well, almost. In his “other life,” before the big contest promotion, Alex was a research technician for a major California hospital. He took time off from his regular job for the promotion, but was a bit conflicted. It had something to do with an even bigger prize than would come from a Cracker Jack box.
It seems Alex’s wife had a prize of her own waiting. While Alex was out on the road, his wife was waiting at home, heavy with child. As it was, their second child, a daughter, waited until mid-February to make her debut on the world scene—after Alex got back from the Cracker Jack tour.
Did we misspeak about that other Winnie?
So, a Winnebago Warrior off to Germany. And the other one? Well, hang on, maybe we misspoke a few paragraphs back. Alex told us, “I vaguely recall that a family from the Midwest won the other Winnebago.” No, he didn’t mention if the family had a child with a runny nose.
What does the man with 5,000+ Cracker Jack prizes do?
As for Alex? He’s long since retired from his hospital job. It’s given him plenty of time to pursue his bigger interest in all things Cracker Jack. Particularly the things inside the box. One source describes him as “A serious collector with around 5,000 Cracker Jack prizes.”
With that kind of background, what else could someone do, other than publish a book on the subject? Alex Jaramillo’s Cracker Jack Prizes categorizes them decade by decade—from the early 1910s into the 1980s—spotlighting tin toys, paper novelties, plastic trinkets, and more.”
And today?
Before QR codes and points systems, brands went big, and Cracker Jack went full throttle. Giving away a motorhome wasn’t just a publicity stunt—it was a nod to the American dream of getting away. For RVers chasing sunsets and scenic pull-throughs, it’s a reminder that adventure has always come with a prize.
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RVT1216
I would love to see pictures of the winning ticket and the people who won. Are they still alive? Are the two Winnies still on the road? Have they been maintained?
So where are those two Winnebagos today? That would be a great piece of information to include in this article, with maybe a picture. Follow up article on them?
“Adventure always comes with a surprise.” What a great story- thanks for posting it!
Sounds like RVtravel’s vintage RV expert Paul Lacitinola has a new research project ahead of him: “where are the Cracker Jack Winnies?” and “what condition are they in?”
Thank you for this fascinating story, Russ and Tina! I must not buy enough Cracker Jacks. All the prizes I have gotten over the last 5, 10 years have been paper. I do warmly recall getting a small, orange plastic tank sometime in the 1960s. Sadly, I have no idea what became of it. Have a great week and safe travels!