Questions and Answers
 

QUESTION: I own a Marky Maypo squeaky toy.  Do you have any information about its worth?  --  E-mail Question, GB

ANSWER: Warren Dotz’s Advertising Character Collectibles: An Identification & Value Guide (Collector Books, 1993, 1997 value update; 159 pages, $17.95) provides this information about Marky Maypo:  “Marky Maypo.  American Home Food Products, Inc.  The Uhlmann Company.  In 1956, Heublein, Inc. was concerned about the sagging sales of its maple-flavored oat cereal, Maypo.  Before giving up on the product, the company decided to try one last TV spot.  The commercial introduced Marky, a cartoon boy who fancied himself a rough-and-ready cowboy—one who refused, at first, to eat the sponsor’s product.  In an effort to coax the reluctant boy, his Uncle Ralphie tried the cereal himself.  After swallowing a spoonful, Uncle Ralphie beamed with delight, prompting the envious Marky to scream, “I want my Maypo!’  Markey then proceeded to gulp it all down.

“Marky and his oddball family delighted viewers for years, and Maypo is still thriving to this day.”

A more detailed history of Marky Maypo can be found in the “admascots” section of the website www.tvacres.com.  Here is an excerpt: “In 1956 the Fletcher, Richards, Calkins & Holden Advertising Agency created a successful Maypo ad campaign entitled ‘Marky Maypo’ about the frustrations of a father trying to get his young son Marky (who was dressed in a cowboy costume) to eat a new maple-flavored oatmeal breakfast food called Maypo.  After a few tries to get his son to eat Maypo the father said ‘Tell you what, I’ll be an airplane, you be the hangar.  Open the doors, here it comes (Whrrrrrrr!) loaded with delicious (Whrrrrrrr!) maple-flavored (Whrrrrrrr!) Maypo!’  Just as the spoon reaches the boy’s mouth, he snaps it shut.  Frustrated the father accidentally puts the spoonful of Maypo in his mouth, and immediately his young son cries ‘I want my MAYPO!’  In 1958, the Brian & Houston agency made a follow-up commercial where Marky was robbed of his cowboy hat and his favorite cereal by his Uncle Ralphie….A sequel commercial entitled ‘Marky’s Horse,’ had the little cowboy jump onto the snoring pot belly of Uncle Ralphie.  Marky then rode his uncle’s tummy like a bronco until he got some Maypo.  The voice of Marky was provided by Mark Hubley, the four-year old son of John and Faith Hubley, the animators of these now classic B/W commercial spots.  Marky Mapo made his debut on New York and New England television stations in September 1956…..”

John Hubley began his career working on Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.  When a group of 300 Disney employees went on strike in the spring of 1941, John Hubley was one of them.  Hubley was one of several leading Hollywood cartoonists who felt Disney’s emphasis on realism violated the basic aesthetics of cartooning.  Hubley moved to Screen Gems following the strike, worked with the Army’s Air Force First Motion Picture Unit in 1942 and 1943, ending up at United Film Production in May 1944.

Hubley was a victim of the communist scare of the early 1950s.  Hubley found himself blacklisted.  In 1953, working behind frontman Earl Klien, Hubley created Storyboard Studios.  Hubley’s Storyboard Studios created the Marky Maypo commercials.

Maypo offered the Marky Maypo vinyl figure, accompanied by a 5in styrene bowl and a 5in styrene spoon, as a premium in 1961.  The cost was a box top and fifty cents.

Ted Hake’s Hake’s The Official Hake’s Price Guide To Character Toys, 4th Edition (Gemstone Publishing/House of Collectibles, 2002; 1023 pages, $35.00) values a Marky Maypo vinyl figure at $30.00 in very good condition and $60.00 in very fine condition.  Examples sell regularly on eBay between $18.00 and $20.00.

QUESTION: I would like any information you can provide on Frank Moreno.  What value does his pottery have?  --  E-mail Question, LT, Fenton, LA

ANSWER:  The following information is from a posting by C. Partin on March 6, 2003, on the website www.calpots.com:  “As it has been told to me, Frank Moreno is a descendent of Frank E. Brown, who named Moreno Valley in California.  Frank E. Brown fell into financial ruin around the turn of the century.  His descendent Frank Brown changed his name to Frank Moreno, which means brown in Spanish.  Frank Moreno sold his pottery in Southern California during the 1940s to the 1960s.  He passed away in the early 1980s.

“His early pottery is marked with a hand written Frank Moreno or plain Moreno—usually in caps.  Each piece was individually thrown on a makeshift wheel and fired in a kiln on his property.  Later he added the mark Ceramics to his pottery.  As life began to take a hold of his hands, he began using molds and pressed marking on the bottom of his work.

“His pottery is known for its high gloss and beautiful coloring.  Each piece is unique as he loved experimenting with color.  Although his earlier pieces are exquisite, his later pieced did not suffer from any artistic loss.  I have seen several pieces of his work on the Internet.  The photographs never do the pieces justice….”

I found two pieces of Moreno pottery on the website, www.rubylane.com.  Both were artichoke shaped bowls, one with mottled glaze tones at $65.00 and another with a peach color for $40.00.  Both illustrations contained the notation: “Offers Considered.”  I also found a 7 3/4in wide by 3in high Moreno bowl with an orange iridescent glaze offered for sale at $18.50 on another Internet site.

QUESTION: My husband and I currently are scaling down and must eliminate many collectibles in our home.  We purchased a Thayer Coggin sofa and ottoman from Bloomingdales in New York City in 1966.  They are in mint condition.  We were told they are very valuable.  Everyone I ask suggests eBay.  However, I have no way of shipping it.  The values I am getting from vintage collectors are astronomical.  I find these numbers hard to believe.  Can you help me?  --  RS, Allentown, PA

ANSWER: Thayer Coggin of High Point, North Carolina, still is in business.  Check out its website: www.thayercoggin.com.  The following excerpt is from the site’s “Company History” page: “Thayer Coggin is known as one of the fine names in residential furniture manufacturing.  Entering into business in 1953, Thayer Coggin carved out an identity in the home furnishings market through a commitment to modern, classic design.

“Family owned and run, Thayer Coggin has 350,000 square feet of manufacturing space to produce some of the most recognizable furniture designs in the residential market.

“Through founder Thayer Coggin’s vision, and Milo Baughman’s creations, a Distinguished Design Award honoree, Thayer Coggin has amassed a highly original collection of furniture.”

I located information about Milo Baughman on the website, www.floridadesign.com.  Volume 13, Number 1 of Florida Design contained an article about Baughman written by Heather L. Schreckengast.  The article notes: “Milo Baughman defines Modern design as honest, simple and straightforward—three words that coincidentally describe the Modern master himself…..To date, Baughman has created hundreds of designs for Thayer Coggin, Inc., from which many of his signature pieces emerged, including the ‘Giant Swivel Tub Chair,’ 1965, the ‘Shelter’ sofa, 1967, and the ‘Scoop’ chair, 1953….”

Modernism, especially from the post-1945 period, is hot.  Today’s younger collectors eagerly seek the square, minimalist look associated with the style.  In the 1980s and early 1990s, the magic names were Knoll and Herman Miller.  As collectors became more sophisticated, they expanded their tastes to include designer furniture from a much wider range of manufacturers.

Thayer Coggin pieces designed by Milo Baughman sell well on eBay.  Recent sales include $1,120.50 realized for a burled wood sideboard and $610.00 for a pair of lounge chairs.  A six-piece modular sofa in a gray fabric failed to receive a requested opening bid of $995.00.

Offering your Thayer Coggin furniture for sale on eBay should not present a problem.  The costs of shipping are the responsibility of the buyer.  Buyers take into account the cost of shipping when placing bids.  Most buyers direct the seller to a shipping option they prefer.

You also have the option of selling your pieces at auction.  There are several auction firms in eastern Pennsylvania and central New Jersey who specialize in the sale of modernist pieces.

QUESTION: I received a pair of Huckleberry Hound cuff links around 1960 when I was six years old.  Could you tell me something about them and their value?  --  DT, Kenton, OH

ANSWER:  William Denby Hanna was born July 14, 1910, in Melrose, New Mexico.  A talent for drawing landed him a job at the Harman-Ising animation studies in 1930.  Hanna worked there for seven years.

Joseph Roland Barbera was born in New York City in 1911.  After a brief stint as a magazine cartoonist, Barbera joined the Van Beuren studio in 1932 where he helped animate and script Tom and Jerry.

In 1938 Hanna and Barbera were teamed together.  Their first project was Gallopin’ Gals.  By 1939 the two were permanently paired, devoting much of their energy to Tom and Jerry shorts.

Twenty years after joining MGM, Hanna and Barbera struck out on their own.  Their goal was to develop cartoons for television as well as theatrical release.  The success of Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear paved the way for The Flintstones, one of the most successful television shows of the 1960s.

Huckleberry Hound aired from 1958 to 1962.  Kellogg’s was the show’s principal sponsor.  The show contained a number of classic cartoon characters including Pixie, Dixie, and Mr. Jinks, Yogi Bear, and Hokey Wolf.  The show produced hundreds of licensed products.

In July a Huckleberry Hound tie bar and cuff link set on its period card sold on eBay for $9.99.  Had I known it was being offered for sale, the successful bidder would certainly have had competition.

Hanna-Barbera cartoon collectibles enjoyed a moment in the sun in the mid- to late 1990s.  Prices stabilized by 2000 and have shown little movement since.

Your cuff links have a value between $8.00 and $12.00.  As indicated above, they are part of a larger unit.  The matching tie bar and presentation card should increase their value by two to three times.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the twentieth century.  Selected letters will be answered in this column.  Harry cannot provide personal answers.  Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned.  Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5093 Vera Cruz Road, Emmaus, PA 18049.  You also can e-mail your questions to rinkeron@fast.net.  Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered.

Watch Harry as the COLLECTOR INSPECTOR on Saturday evenings at 6:00 PM ET/PT on Home & Garden Television (HGTV).  Check your local TV schedule for the exact time in other time zones.
 

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