Our featured auction this week is the Toys, Dolls and Figural Cast iron sale at Morphy Auctions, which takes place in Denver, Pennsylvania on September 24-25.
Amongst the treasure trove of items on offer is a remarkable private collection of rare vintage advertising figures – and we’ve picket out ten of our favourites…
Victory V Advertising Figure
Estimate: $600 – $900
A WWII-era store display figure promoting the English brand of Victory-V lozenges made of hard rubber composition figure.
Dimensions: 10″ x 4″ x 12 – 3/4″.
Whitman’s Chocolate Advertising Figure
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
A rare and well-preserved 1930s Whitman’s Chocolate store display figure, made from wood and designed to hold a regular-sized Whitman’s candy box
Dimensions: 9″ x 6 – 1/2″ x 18 – 1/2″.
Baby Ruth Advertising Figure
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
A classic 1930s-era Baby Ruth N-R-G boy advertising statue, manufactured from hard rubber composition latex.
Dimensions: 8″ x 6 – 1/4″ x 15″.
Hopalong Cassidy Timex Advertising Figure
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
A rare 1950s Hopalong Cassidy display figure, made for Timex to promote their Hopalong Cassidy children’s wrist watch.
Dimensions: 4″ x 3 – 1/2″ x 15″.
MGM Records Advertising Figure
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
A rare, vintage plaster MGM Records advertising figure featuring the famous MGM Pictures lion as an orchestra conductor.
Dimensions: 6″ x 17 – 1/2″.
Western Electric Advertising Figure
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
A large, vintage Western Electric advertising figure of Mr Electric, believed to be completely unique.
The figure is made using heavy telephone cable for his limbs, a telephone switchboard for his body and a cable spool for his head.
Dimensions: 8 – 1/2″ x 8″ x 20 – 1/2″.
Frito the Kid Advertising Mascot
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
An extremely rare ceramic Frito Lay potato chip mascot, made by Shaw Pottery in the mid-1950s specifically for company executives.
Frito the Kid also served as the company’s mascot at Disneyland, which opened to the public in 1955.
Dimensions: 5″ x 10 – 1/4″.
Johnny Walker Advertising Figure
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
A 1960s life-sized Johnny Walker whisky advertising figure, manufactured from fibreglass and complete with a removable walking cane.
Dimensions: 48″ x 32″ x 76″.
Mido Watches Advertising Figure
Estimate: $1,500 – $2,000
A vintage Mido Watches store display figure of Robi the Robot, the Swiss manufacturer’s company mascot from 1939 to the present day.
This rare figure is made from composition hard rubber, and features an oversized, fully working Mido glow dial clock embedded in its chest.
Dimensions: 10″ x 3 – 1/4″ x 22 – 1/2″.
Frankenberry Advertising Figure
Estimate: $1,200 – $1,500
A highly rare, life-sized Frankenberry advertising figure created by toy manufacturer Funco to promote their line of breakfast cereal bobbleheads.
Only 10 – 12 examples were ever produced, with none made available to the public, and this example was acquired directly from the former president of Funco.
