In American lexicon, references to the “white whale” are ubiquitous. In one sweeping tale, Herman Melville planted a myth into the minds of Americans that has stood the test of time and also become the litmus test for an individual seeking their opus—is it a crazy journey or a sane one? Is it one worth undertaking, or best abandoned? When each of us becomes Captain Ahab, we all have a white whale for which we lust after, but whether it will be our success or demise remains to be seen, and the tale of Moby Dick stands as a clear warning as to what plunders await us if we take our quest too seriously and are unable to wade back from the waters into which we venture. The myth of the white whale represents the ungraspable thing within the unconscious mind—the holy grail, as it were. When first having laid eyes upon the offered treasure my initial thought- and I'm sure I'm not alone was- well, here it is, a white whale! Featured here and offered to the general hobby for the first time is without question one of the most extraordinary, entertaining and all together enchanting items that we at Mile High Card Company have ever had the pleasure of offering, The 1915 Cracker Jack advertising display poster. Having been in this field for over 30 years the only time that I have ever encountered this treasure was in 2009 when one was offered within the pages of a prominent East Coast auction house. I don't believe I'm alone in regards to having only seen one example of this esteemed collectible, in fact until the recent discovery of this poster in the barn of a Midwest farm it was believed that only two examples existed: the previous mentioned example as well as an extremely restored copy. Along with the 1909-11 T206 issue, the 1933 Goudey release and the 1952 Topps inaugural set the 1915 Cracker Jack baseball cards are universally recognized as one of the most classic and highly regarded baseball card sets ever produced. This poster was created by Cracker Jack and distributed for display in candy stores to advertise Cracker Jack, and to create interest in the new and exciting card set. The poster was created as an early point of sale promotional piece and was manufactured to uncompromising visual delight with an attention commanding royal blue background that offered a perfect palate to the fire engine red cards that surround the outside of the sturdy cardboard advertisement. The front of the poster pictures cards of the following twelve stars: Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker, Honus Wagner, Joe Jackson, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Stuffy McInnis, Vic Saier, Rabbit Maranville, and George Mullen. The reverse of the poster alerts the retailer to "place this show card in a prominent place- it will help you sell Cracker Jack." At the top of the poster on the reverse it booms out "Millions of Pictures of the World's Greatest Baseball Players-Free, a picture in each package of Cracker Jack" One thing is for certain, in our chosen field there are far too few items that actually take one's breath away and make an enthusiast stop in his tracks and take note. The offered item actually goes a well bit beyond that and will make even the most ardent and advanced collectors blush like a school girl, and fumble about whimsically trying to recall other collectible experiences that caused a lapse of reasoning! The featured keepsake is one of the great classics among all early twentieth-century American advertising posters, highly valued in the general Americana advertising field, and it is also the single most valuable item in the entire world of Cracker Jack collecting. This is without hesitation the best and most desirable Cracker Jack related item in existence. In regards to placing a value on this exceptional collectible the last time one of the two know examples at that time, it fetched $152,750.00 in 2009. With the current market for high grade singles of Jackson as well as Cobb and others from the issue commanding well into six figures for PSA 8 and PSA 9 examples as well as the absolute explosion of prices on high grade material we are confident that if the previously offered Cracker Jack poster were to be offered today, it would most likely sell for a minimum of double the previous price. The poster's condition is not one without fault, much if not all of this can either be overlooked by the absolute sheer rarity of the item, or by- not what the item currently is but by what it can be. Looking at this collectible should be undertaken like looking at an older home, it has great bones. As a firm we have waffled on having the item cleaned, or have the item cleaned and then fully restored. After much deliberation we have chosen to offer the treasure just as it was unearthed, and let the future custodian of this keepsake make their own choice in its preservation and presentation. The surface of the poster is generally just soiled as all we have done is lightly brush off the effects of its having been stored in a Midwest barn for one hundred years. There does seem to be some very mild staining most prominently along each side. At the top portion of the poster it is readily apparent that notching resulting in several small pieces missing, the most egregious being at the right corner (please note- importantly the formation of the holes which included the original string to hang the item are partially intact) As well, there are two small cracks in the edges with one along the right side and another at the bottom edge. The reverse is mostly just soiled with some light staining giving some credence to the likelihood of it resting on the reverse for all of these years. We have consulted with several different restoration services and have been given feedback that suggests the item will make for an ideal candidate for either an overall cleaning and/or a full restoration. (If the winning bidder would like us to recommend a restoration service or have us act as an intermediary we will do that on our customers behalf.) It is with great pride that we offer this fabulous collectible, an item that we absolutely consider to be one of if not the finest collectibles in the entire hobby! Measures 11" x 14 3/4."