What’s in the Attic?
Linda Hamer Kennett

The Fisher Price Toy Company was formed in 1931 by Herman Fisher, Irving Price, and Helen M. Schelle. While none of the three had much experience in the field of toy manufacturing, they shared a vision to produce a line of toys that would stimulate the creativity of a child. As stated in their first catalogue it was the goal of Fisher-Price to manufacturer toys with “intrinsic play value, ingenuity, strong construction, good value for the money and action.”

The company, that would one day grow into the world’s largest producers of children’s toys and furniture, started in a 3 room concrete-block building in East Aurora, New York with 16 toys. The very first toys ever sold by Fisher-Price were the Doctor Doodle and Granny Doodle pull-toys. These brightly colored ducks made of Ponderosa Pine with steel construction, were decorated with non-toxic lithographs and quacked and waddled as they were pulled. This pair of ducks have been known to bring $1,500-$2,000 each MIB {mint in box}.

The 1950′s saw the introduction plastic toys when “Buzzy Bee” hit the market. Realizing that plastic could help the company manufacture a product that would be brighter colored and longer-lasting, they expanded their new line to include 39 plastic toys by the end of the decade. Do any of you remember the “bubble mower” which produced a stream of bubbles when pushed, the “popcorn popper” with it’s bright colored balls that flew around inside a plastic dome, or the pull-toy trains driven by Mickey Mouse? These, and many other of the toys from the 1950′s are considered “Fisher-Price Classics” and are still being produced today.

In 1959 Fisher-Price manufacturer a group of little figures with animal and human characteristics that would evolve into the longest-lived line of toys in modern history. These tiny wooden figures ,with no arms and no legs, remain one of the most collectible of all the companies efforts and they were simply called… Little People.

The Little People have undergone six major body configurations since their inception. Early figures were wooden. All had a cylinder shaped body with females identifiable, for the first years, only by their eye make up. After 1965 you will find a wider shape used for boys and men and a conical upper shape for girls. The first group of figures were sold in 1965 as the Lacing Shoe with Play Family. The set, containing a Mom, a puppy, and four child figures, is a “must have” for any serious collector.

In 1968, Fisher-Price introduced the first Little People playset, the Play Family Barn which featured doors that “moo-ed” when opened. It was followed in 1969 by the Play Family House, the Play Family Action Garage in 1970, School is Cool in 1971 and the Little People Discovery Airport in 1972. Playsets, with all of their pieces, may take a while to assemble but are of considerable value.

In spite of their popularity the Little People faced the threat of extinction in the mid-1980′s when a picture of three of the characters were featured on the cover of the Edward Swartz publication “Toys that Kill”. The book addressed the choking dangers to small children presented by many popular toys of the day. It was taken very seriously by the major toy companies and Fisher-Priced replace their Little People with a larger version called the “Chunky People” in 1986.

For a good over view of Fisher-Price through the years, check out www.fisherprice.com, where you will find a virtual tour, a timeline of production, and many other very useful tools. Until next time… Linda

{Linda Hamer Kennett is a professional liquidator specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the valuation of estates and may be reached at 317-3556-7856 or lkennett@indy.rr.com}

Some current live auctions on eBay for Fisher Price Collectibles:

:

• 1939-40 Fisher Price Granny Duck Pull Toy #540

$49.99 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 7:22:11 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Vintage Fisher Price Bunny Bell Drummer 508

$50.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 7:47:11 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Vintage Fisher Price Bunny Drummer 512

$75.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 7:53:31 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Vintage Fisher Price The Toy Wagon 171

$75.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 8:00:44 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Fisher Price Snoopy Pull Toy #181 with Original Leash

$49.99 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 10:17:25 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 1942 FISHER PRICE DONALD DUCK CART WOOD PULL TOY

$99.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 19:52:02 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 1942 FISHER PRICE THE TOY WAGON HORSE PULL TOY MINTY

$199.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 19:52:10 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• ONLY 1 ON EBAY RARE REDUCED FISHER PRICE ANTIQUE 1949 RABBIT

$45.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 6:44:37 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Antique Mickey Mouse Fisher Price Wooden Pull Toy!

$59.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 11:04:40 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 1955 Fisher Price #175 Stagecoach w/ mailbags

$67.00 (3 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 16:43:03 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

He pointed us to the following story on Sports Collector Daily:

“Steinbrenner Letters Now on eBay

A collection of half century year-old letters from a young George Steinbrenner to a woman who had captured his fancy are being offered on eBay.

Mary Jane Schriner met the future Yankees owner when she was 16 years old and he was entering Williams College in Ohio. The two shared dates and friendship until they grew apart during their college years. Steinbrenner died earlier this summer at age 80.”

“Read the Full Story here >>

The the listing on eBay states the following:

“In 1949 my mother began a three year friendship with George Steinbrenner. In July of this year, several days after George passed away, my mother was asked by the NY Times to write a story about their friendship. The story appeared on July 16th and can be read at the following link, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/sports/baseball/16ohio.html

Her story was read by millions and she received many letters of praise. Several weeks later, she was asked to author a book based on the letters and her first hand accounts of their friendship. In order to use the letters for the book, she was required to get permission from the Steinbrenner family. Copyright law requires that the original author or their heirs grant the use for reproduction.

My mother sent copies of the letters to the Steinbrenner’s along with her request last month. During that time the Baseball Hall of Fame asked her to donate the letters. She notified the Steinbrenner family of this new development.

Last Friday she finally received their response. They decided that the letters, if published or reproduced in any format, “will cause untold embarrassment and damages to the Steinbrenner family”. In addition, the Baseball Hall of Fame was instructed, by the NY Yankee’s front office, not to accept her letters.

My mother has no interest in upsetting or embarrassing the Steinbrenner family. She felt that her letters showed George in a positive light, as a fun loving and caring person. Since she has lost the opportunity to write her book or to share her letters with the Baseball Hall of Fame, she has decided to part with them.”

View the auction on eBay here >>.

Mike Smith from Yahoo Games reports that “it wasn’t even the game itself that was worth the bulk of the money – it was the original cardboard box, which collectors value at a breathtaking $10,000.”

Apparently collectors consider it to be one of the hardest-to-find NES games ever made, as fewer than 10 complete copies of the game are thought to exist.

The seller, who at first wasn’t aware of why the auction was attracting such avid interest posted the item description as:
“Up for auction is an original Nintendo NES gaming system with 1 hand control. There are 5 games with it. They are, Family & Fitness Stadium Events in the original box with the dust jacket inside of the box, Major League Baseball in the original box with the dust jacket inside of the box, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 the arcade game in the original box with the dust jacket inside of the box, Super Mario 3 in the original box with the dust jacket inside of the box and the original game, Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt. I have had this stored in the closet for years for my kids to play but the way that electronics come & go and change from one year to the next they wanted all of the new hot items of their own now and now it’s time to get rid of things that are no longer being used or wanted. This system worked perfect when i stored it but somehow over the years, we have managed to misplace the AC cord & the television hook up. I am listing this and selling without hook up but it I find them, i’ll send them along with the rest at no additional charges to you. Please keep in mind though that any AC cord will work with this and the hook up from a VCR would hook it up just as well as the original cords!”

UPDATE: After this story was published two weeks ago, it inspired a gentleman to check through the collection of games in his basement that were slated for a Goodwill donation. From Plugged In on Yahoo Games comes the following:

Rare Nintendo game is $40,000 windfall – Plugged In – Yahoo! Games

Rare Nintendo game is $40,000 windfall
by Mike Smith
Buzz up!

February 26 8:46 P.M.
Stadium Events

“This rare game sold for $41,300.

Impressed by the story of the North Carolina eBay seller who stumbled upon an ultra-rare, $13,000 Nintendo game? So were we — and so was Kansas reader Dave, who headed for his basement to see if there was video game gold lurking down there.

“We had quite a collection (185+ games) that has sat in our basement for over 20 years,” Dave told Y! Games. “The games were on a list to be brought to Goodwill – in fact, within a month, Goodwill was going to have them.”

To his astonishment, not only did he find a copy of the same game that just fetched over $13,000 on eBay — highly sought-after collector’s item Stadium Events — it was in perfect condition, right down to the original shrinkwrapping and Richard Gordman pricetag. (A mere $29.99, if you’re wondering.)”

Wow!

Interested in other collectible video games? Check out Video Game Price Charts.

“Jim Snider, auctioneer and owner of the Rockford Auction Centre in Owen Sound, Ont., says the prices realized for nearly all types of collectibles have been on the decline for about five years, but appear to have bottomed.

Mr. Snider, a past president of the Auctioneers Association of Ontario and a member of the National Auctioneers Association, says he speaks with dozens of auctioneers every week. “The common observation is that prices are down on almost everything collectible, particularly items that would be considered mediocre or more common. Items of superior condition and more rarity have been less affected by declining prices but have not dodged the depreciation bullet completely,” he says.

Krista Richards, senior vice-president at A Touch of Class Auctions in Barrie, Ont., says she thinks the recession has hurt auction attendance.”

Read the Full Story >>

Caution Urged on Michael Jackson Autographs, Memorabilia

(Santa Ana, California) — Collectors and fans are cautioned about the anticipated explosion of fake Michael Jackson autographs and counterfeit memorabilia that will be offered following the entertainer’s death.

“This happens every time a famous Hollywood, sports or political celebrity passes away. Online auctions and flea markets are suddenly filled with spurious signatures, and frankly many collectors don’t know exactly what they’re buying,” said Joe Orlando, President PSA/DNA Authentication Services, the world’s largest autograph and memorabilia authentication company and a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT) of Santa Ana, California.

“While Michael Jackson certainly was popular, he usually didn’t offer fans frequent autograph access like some other celebrities. So, there simply are not as many Jackson autographs as there are of other contemporary mega-stars.”

Orlando also cautioned that autograph buyers may not have adequate consumer protection even if the signature is accompanied by what appears to be a certificate of authenticity.

“Collectors who purchase autographs or memorabilia need to know the reputation of the seller and the reputation and expertise of the authenticators. The bottom line is that a certificate or letter of authenticity is only as strong as the name behind it,” Orlando said.

Online: www.PSADNA.com.

Apparently the glove which is completely covered in clear Swarovski crystals, comes from the collection of Dick Clark, and was a gift to Clark from Jackson.

Created by designer Bill Wheaton who created many of Jackson’s trademark outfits during the 1980′s, the glove was worn during the 1984-85 Victory tour, on the Grammys when Jackson won his record eight Grammys for Thriller, his Pepsi commercial’s debut and when he was badly burned on set filming the concert scene. He is also filmed with this glove on during the We Are The World Video and when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

We’ll keep you updated on the final price.

FINAL UPDATE (June 26, 2009): We thought we should update this, given the events of yesterday, and the unexpected passing of Michael Jackson. That story is still unfolding, and of course is fully occupying the media outlets. …and, upstaging the death of another pop icon – Farrah Fawcett, who fought the good fight.

We’re sure there will be many more twists to the Jackson story.

But… back to the glove (it’s probably worth many more times what the winning bidder paid) – Final Price: $99,100 after 295 bids.

However the story plays out, we have to give props to yet another legend…

Looking just now at Amazon (link), it seems to be a hot seller, as one seller only had two left in stock. There seems to be quite a few listed on eBay (link) with Buy it Now prices ranging from $40 to $50.

While you’re at it, check out the Show Girl Barbie on eBay (link) as well.

The product description: “When Barbie visits Star City, she needn’t worry about crime when Dinah Lance, the Black Canary, is on the case! Mattel recreates the DC Comics’ heroine as a Barbie Famous Friends: Black Canary doll, which stands nearly 12″ tall. With her comics-authentic costume of black leather jacket, black fishnet stockings, and black thigh boots, Barbie’s friend Black Canary will keep the criminal element at bay!”

Auctions on eBay: A Dying Breed

Yahoo! News
By Catherine Holahan
Tue Jun 3, 2008

“Bruce Hershenson, who auctions vintage posters online, is hanging up his eBay gavel. For almost a decade, Hershenson’s business epitomized the e-commerce that made eBay (NasdaqGS:EBAY – News) famous. He sold rare, collectible, sometimes kitschy memorabilia in online auctions that had a starting bid of 99 cents. But as the business of buying and selling over the Internet has matured, the thrill and novelty of auctions have given way to the convenience of one-click purchases. Hershenson will hold his last eBay auction June 3. “The auctions are nothing like what they once were,” he says. “They won’t ever come back.”

…Perhaps the biggest example of eBay’s new fixed-price focus is the new fee structure, announced in January. The changes gave breaks to many large vendors who sell fixed-priced goods on the site, while hiking fees for many eBay users who sell using a traditional auction structure (BusinessWeek.com, 1/29/08).”

Read the Full Story >>

His post from today references some of the things to look out for in the upcoming garage sale season, and includes such items as lots of Rich Dad Poor Dad books, books by Peter Capstick, Gene Hill’s books, magazines, boxes of Animorph books, Many Stampin’ Up rubber stamp sets, Weight Watcher cookbooks and P. Buckley Moss cross-stitch pattern booklets.

Read the full post, Winners From The Past For This Years Garage Sales.