Clifford Marshall Thompson was born Oct 19, 1904 in Rugby, North Dakota but grew up as a boy in Scandinavia, Wisconsin. Cliff claimed to be 8' 7" and, following the death of Robert Wadlow in 1941, claimed also the "tallest man" title. Cliff was with various circuses and sideshows but shortly after getting married in 1939 decided to try something else - eventually earning his law degree in 1944 from Marquette. He practiced in Wisconsin and L.A. , finallly settling in Portland in 1949. He and his wife Mary lived there 6 years when Cliff was admitted to a local hospital for problems he was having with his liver and gall stones. He died at the hospital a week before he was to celebrate his 51st birthday.
  Cliff was once billed as "Count Olaf, the Norwegian Viking Giant". He was said to be the tallest person to ever appear in a feature film - "Seal Skins" (1932). Even after becoming a lawyer he couldn't escape the epithets and was called the "Paul Bunyan ot the Legal Profession."

  Cliff's rings don't come up for auction too often but for some reason are not considered highly desirable. Depending on the mood of the bidders at the time they can sell from $20 to $50
Jakob (or Jacob) Nacken was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1906. He came to the U.S. to appear at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. When WWII broke out he answered his native country's call to arms and fought against the Allies. His capture in 1944 as the "biggest Nazi" made all the press throughout the U.S.  He bore no animosity though, as in 1949 he sailed to the States to take a job as "the world's largest Santa Claus". The following year he trouped with RBB&B sideshow.  He eventually became a U.S. citizen. He was still finding work as the world's tallest man in 1959 when he appeared with Ripley's Odditorium on Broadway. Jakob was 81 years old when he died  - somewhere in Europe.
Jakob's rings are another giant ring that is hard to find but it's value is hard to pin down - desirability is sporadic.  I've seen them sell from $10, $20, $40 and even $90!
Johann Svarfdaelingur was billed as "The Icelandic Giant" or "The Viking Giant" and was actually born in Iceland in 1913, one of 9 kids. Since he began performing as early as 1935 , he was well known in his native country and Europe before he came to the U.S. in 1948. He appeared in the movie "Prehistoric Women" (1950) and in "Carny" (1980) which starred Jodie Foster and Gary Busey. He can also be seen in the documentary "Being Different" (1981). Johann lived in the U.S. till 1982 when he returned to his native country. He died in Dalvik, Iceland in 1984.
Johann was the only giant to sell rings in so many different styles, colors and materials.  (Right) Because it is so simple-looking this is probably the first ring that he pitched.
Perhaps the next style ring the Viking Giant sold.  The "tallest man" is now the "tallest man on earth."  These rings usually sell from $25 - $45 denpending on condition
  In addition, Peturrsson sold these plastic rings that came in a variety of colors.  Some sell for under $10 but others for much more. A black one sold for 22.50; a green one for 66.00; a red one for 22.00 and 26.00 and a translucent yellow one sold for 45.99 and 68.00
(above)  Another metal ring Johann pitched.  This time no inscription, simply his initials. These usually sell for 10.00 to 15.00 but with an excellent gold wash can sell for as much as 80.00
Video grab courtesy "Freaks Uncensored: A Human Sideshow"
Ted Evans was from Ashford, England.  Showman Ward Hall has this remembrance of him - "Ted Evans was not only a tall man he was properly proportioned for his height. He arrived in the U.S. during the John Ringling North administration. His last appearance was on the Ringling Show at the Madison Square Garden engagement of 1959. He became ill during the date but believed the show must go on. By the end of the Garden date he was feeling quite ill. He had a small car which he could barely get into and was extremely cramped. He drove from New York to Sarasota, Fl to Memorial Hospital there. On arriving he was unable to get out of the car. With great effort they pried him out of the car and registered him into the hospital where he expired a few days later."
Ted Evan's rings come up for auction pretty regularly.  I've never seen one sell for under $20.  They can go for $40, $60, $80 and even $143 for one with a nice gold wash.
Taken on a tour of Mexico
"Captain" Gilbert Reichert was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1912 to parents who were both over 6 feet tall. He married, and when his daughter Linda was born in 1949 he claimed to be 'the only giant in the world who has a child." When Jack Earle died in 1952 he claimed the title of "world's tallest" also. Gil trouped for 15 years with various circuses and carnivals but upon the birth of his third child in 1953 announced his "carny life is over for good" as "it's not life for a family man" but another source says he worked the 1956-58 seasons with RBB&B circus, perhaps only at their Madison Square Garden engagement. Gil passed away in 1961.
Video grab from "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952) with Betty Hutton.. The fat man is probably Tiny Cowan. Because of his appearance in the film Gil was afterward billed as the "Motion Picture Giant"
Gil's rings do not come up for auction very frequently.  An Ebay seller at one time had them constantly listed leading many to believe they were not  authentic.  The value of Gil's rings  depends solely on the whims of the collectors at the time they come up for sale. They have sold for as little as 15.50 and as high as 57.19 and all prices in between. (These two rings are different. Notice, the "C" in "Reichert" in the ring on the left is over the "I" but in the ring on the right it's not)
  Giant ring authority Neil Davis informs me the generic "Lucky Ring" above was pitched by Eddie Carmel. Jack Earle, in a newpaper interview, said he also pitched a "Lucky Ring". Reed Martin says this ring also came in a copper plated finish and in solid white plastic.  My friends at showhistory.com (see link below) claim that Dave Ballard sold a similar-looking Lucky Ring but made of plastic.
   The metal Lucky Ring usually sells for around $40
Dave Ballard with a clutch of little ladies who had just arrived from Europe to appear at the New York World's Fair, 1939
If you've come this far you are obviously much interested in collecting Giant Rings.  If so, you must visit my friend David's webpage HERE at showhistory.com for an excellent and definitive guide to all that is currently known of this branch of Circusiana.
  These two rings, although "giant" in size are more properly referred to as souvenir rings.  The first references the Circus Hall of Fame museum which was once located in Sarasota, Fl (opened 1956) and later moved to Peru, Indiana (1981) to become the "International Circus Hall of Fame."   The second is a souvenir from the Dreamland Circus Sideshow at Coney Island, NY.  Souvenir rings were also created for the 1933-34 Century of Progress Expo and other World's Fairs but they were always the "adjustable" kind of ring and not oversized.
   It should be mentioned that that the seller of a "Circus Hall of Fame" ring claimed that they  "got it in the 60's while at the B&B circus in Sarasota" and that a "circus giant handed it to him."
The only non-giant performer I know of to pitch a ring was "Amok, the Bontoc Head Hunter" who was active in the 1920's. He was promoted as being a native of the Phillipine Islands but I believe he was acually an American-born Cherokee Indian. His "good luck rings" were not made of any sort of metal, though, but from dried grass so it's doubtful if there are any still around.
One Hall of Fame ring sold for $32 and another for $104.   Dreamland sold $52; $102; $125 and $144
This variation of Gil's ring came up for auction in
Mar 2008.  This was the first time I've seen this variation so it was very exciting to giant ring collectors.  It sold for $86.00