Charms: Gumball, Cracker Jack, or Celluloid?

I've been asked several times to explain the difference between these charms and here's my answer: I don't know for sure!! I know that a charm has a loop or hole that one can hang it from. I know that as a child I would buy charms from a machine that had each charm in a capsule and I loved those as they were a good quality, I still have many of those charms. (I have to add here that this would have been in the 50 s before the cheap ones were produced). Also many of my charms came from a gumball machine when you would hope to get more than just the gum!! I also know that a box of Cracker Jacks did not have charms in them, all the prizes were the stand up plastic kind, or the cardboard games and the like, and as a charm collector, those did not and do not appeal to me.

I didn't discover celluloid charms until I snooped on eBay looking for some of my long lost charm collection; and WOW, once I saw the celluloids, that was it, I dropped everything for them!! I know that most of the celluloid charms were massed produced; primarily made for advertising purposes and that even today they can be found with very little effort or money!! I KNOW that as celluloid charm making became more of an art, the "glorified" charms, as I like to call them were produced. These charms are the very detailed larger ones, highly painted and with a molded in loop, such as the ostrich charms below and many of that type ARE RARE!!

As my collection started to grow I found myself wanting to share them, not hide them and I started this blog. Interestingly enough, 60% of my visitors are from out of the North American continent and I am thrilled to have them/you visit on a regular basis!! Welcome!!

My charms are owned by me and I feel I can do with them what I want, display them as I please, and delight in sharing them with those who want to see them!