As I sit on my porch in the evening, I enjoy watching the neighborhood dogs escort their owners down the sidewalk. From terriers to greyhounds, poodles to bulldogs, you can see the bond between these animals and their owners. Yes, we do love our four legged friends and that love translates into millions of dollars each year in the sale of canine collectibles.
The famous character of Lassie, played by a male dog named Pal and his descendents, starred in seven MGM movies {1943-1951} before moving on the Emmy-winning TV series which ran from 1954-1973. Collectors watch for items from the 1950’s including comic books, story books and toys and the most popular collectible from this era, lunchboxes with their thermos. Collectibles from the 1960’s are gaining in popularity and include stuffed animals and Lassie wallets. If you desire a likeness the heroic collie you will find stuffed animals, chalk ware figures and porcelain figurines.
Two of the top collectibles in this category were inspired by the military. Rin Tin Tin, the name given to a shell shocked pup from the battlefields of WWI, is considered the most recognizable of all German shepherds in the breed’s 130 year history. The first Rin Tin Tin starred in 23 Hollywood films. The heroic pup moved to television in 1954 with the popular Saturday morning show, “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin”. With the popularity of the show came a number of collectibles including magazines, books and View-Master slides in the $10-$20 range to Wondascope with compass and stuffed Rin Tin Tin with a rubber face that are found from $40-$50. For the serious collector, the 1960’s Halloween costume set will run from $150-$200.
During WWII soldiers in the German Army were reported to have referred to the U.S. Marines as “Tetufelhunden,” the German name for the fearless and deadly “devil-dogs” that lived in the Bavarian Mountains. In 1921 the USMC issued a recruiting poster depicting one of the snarling English Bulldogs and the reaction was so great that a year later the English bulldog was officially accepted as the mascot for the United States Marine Corps.
USMC collectibles including license plates, shirts patches and a wealth of barmania are popular and run in the $5-$15 range. For the Bulldog fan with deeper pockets there are bronze statues from the Bradford Exchange for $50-$70. Commemorative and official USMC pocket and survival knives are available from a number of companies and can run $200-$250. If you are interested in a recruiting poster from early ‘30s, both original and reproductions are available online for around $50.
Nipper, the fox-bull terrier that modeled for the painting “His Master’s Voice,” has been the RCA {Victor} trademark since 1901. Nipper figures made of chalk or porcelain, salt and pepper sets, hand painted needle boxes and calendars are some of the more common collectibles available. More difficult to find, and more costly, are plastic or papier mache store displays, wooden cookie molds and cast iron doorstops and banks.
No column on doggy collectibles would be complete without mention of the adorable Scottie Dog. Scottish terriers have been immortalized in bronze by Edith Parsons, cast in iron by Bradly and Hubbard and had their likeness carved from exotic wood by some of Italy’s finest artists. High-end collectors have been know to lay down thousands for a rare piece at specialized auctions, but fear not! You can enjoy collecting on a budget with jadeite coffee cups, stuffed animals, refrigerator magnets and pull toys from the mid-1900’s for $50 or under. Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com
