What are some of the hard to find prizes?

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edteach
Posts: 177
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 6:31 am

What are some of the hard to find prizes?

Post by edteach »

I don't mean 30s tin prizes but more from the 60s to the 80s.
Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Re: What are some of the hard to find prizes?

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

Hello edteach!

I would say that with eBay and other online sources, there are probably no real true rare prizes from the Borden era. Condition is always a major consideration, and you will see that as a theme in my choices below. Here are some prizes that I consider to be more difficult to find in good condition in no particular order:

1. Rubber Faces. Some collectors might not consider these rare, but I would say that if we are honest, many are not in great condition. To find one in truely mint condition is a real accomplishment. The rubber part of these will not get better with time, and keeping them intact will be difficult. I have some that have already disintegrated, so I am constantly looking for upgrades.

2. Z-1257 Sand Pictures. Some of the ones I have seen, and passed on, have not been in great shape. Also, if the sand is missing, they are simply not worth collecting in my mind.

3. Wanted Posters. Came folded with a rubber band around them. The rubber band is a dangerous thing for plastics because of its chemical makeup, but it can be a problem for paper too.

4. Unused Put-together Movies. You can find these used for sale once in awhile, but if you see a mint condition one, grab it if it is affordable.

5. Z-1361 R&L Nits. This is a tricky subject, because there are reproductions. I bought complete sets in original colors of these on eBay back around 2000. It is one of the things I wish I never had sold, because I will never have complete sets like that again. Nowadays you can buy individual Nits online, but to put together color sets would be very costly in time and money. (I don't remember who bought these from me at a CJCA auction over ten years ago, but I will be willing to buy them back at a handsome profit to them.)

Honorable Mention: Makatoy Construction Sets. These are for sale regularly, but finding them in nm/mint condition can be difficult. Fortunately it is a fairly small set to complete.

Some might say that mint condition put-togethers/snap-togethers from around 1962 are hard to find, but the fact of the matter is that there are some that are quite common. While there are a lot of shapes that were put out during that time, I would say there are probably not too many that could be considered rare. After buying several accumulations of mint/unused put togethers, I have stopped actively seeking used put-togethers altogether. I only buy mint condition examples now. Of course I still get some used/assembled ones with accumulations I buy.

In addition, there are several "paper" prizes during this period that have Asian writing on them. While I have heard of these, I have never seen them, and I might not even recognize them if I saw them in person. We can probably say they are at least scarce.

This is just my opinion based on my personal observations. Some might disagree or have a completely different list. I hope this helps with this discussion.
Happy Collecting,
Jeffrey Maxwell
Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Re: What are some of the hard to find prizes?

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

@edteach Wow! What a good luck charm you are for me. I have never seen the put-together movies in person. And the very next day after I replied to you on this thread, I was able to purchase five of them. They arrived today. Yes. I believe in the theory of attraction, you know the one where you attract what you think/say/expect. Here they are:
Put-together Movies (1966)
Put-together Movies (1966)
20181029_193552.jpg (3.97 MiB) Viewed 5587 times
Aren't they beautiful mint condition? There is one pictured in Larry White's book and one in Ravi Pina's book -- and both are assembled.

I think a couple of these are different than Larry has listed in his CD-ROM. Unfortunately my electricity went out today, and my computer won't start. So I can't look at it.

I have the following titles:
AT THE CARNIVAL
BIG TOP TIME
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
THE RODEO
A VISIT TO THE FARM

Anyone. Please let me know if you have any of these and what they are. And of course I am looking for the ones I don't have in mint condition. I will find them eventually now that I have the law of attraction on my side.

Happy Collecting,
Jeffrey Maxwell
Cyndy Boesch
Posts: 355
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:19 am

Re: What are some of the hard to find prizes?

Post by Cyndy Boesch »

Hi Jeffrey! Great to have you back in our group! There are 10 of those (can't remember the name of them right now) in the set. It is really hard to find them unbuilt. The ten are:

A Trip to the Moon
A Visit to the Farm
A Walk in Space
At the Carnival
Big Top Time
Free Fall Parachuter
Little Red Riding Hood
Summer Fun
The Rodeo
Trip to the Bottom of the Sea
Jeffrey Maxwell
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:48 pm
Location: Wellington KS

Re: What are some of the hard to find prizes?

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

Hi Cyndy!

Thanks for the checklist of put-together movies! Now that I have half of them I will be looking for unbuilt examples of the other five for the rest of my life. At least I won't be bored, right?

What do you think of my other items on the list of things I find to be more difficult to collect from the 1960's through 1980's.

Have fun!
Jeffrey Maxwell
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