World Collectors Net

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  Flirty Thirties – Sophistication And Elegance – Dolls in The 1930s

  Flirty Thirties – Sophistication And Elegance – Dolls in The 1930s by Sue Brewer Lights! Camera! Action! This was the decade of the movie idol. People from all walks of life filled cinemas to watch glamorous actors and actresses on the big screen, escaping everyday worries as they drifted on a sea of music and romance. Stars became household names – though, unlike today’s celebrities, managing to retain their mystique in a waft of fur, satin, diamonds and aloofness. 1930 opened with a literal high for women when Amy Johnson became the first female aviator to fly solo from England to Australia. Sadly, the year ended with a tragic aviation low when the airship R101, on its inaugural flight from England to India, crashed in France, exploding in flames with a loss of 48 lives. The early years of the decade were a combination of emotions as light-hearted young people danced the night away to jazzy music, contrasting with despair and poverty faced by millions as the Depression, following the earlier U.S. Wall Street Crash, hit home. Characterised by instability, with changes of governments, unrest amongst lower-paid workers and, amazingly, three kings in one year (1936), the Thirties were turbulent times. Germany was proving a constant threat, and a sense of unease permeated the atmosphere – this was sensed even in the fashion industry, where clothing became more simple and casual, as though preparing women for the lean times ahead. Even so, it certainly wasn`t all doom and gloom. A magnificent 1000 ft. liner, the ‘Queen Mary’, was launched in 1934; cruising was the height of fashion amongst the upper classes, and this magnificent ship with its Art Deco design, was deservedly popular. Sophisticated, elegant and stylish, just like her passengers, she summed up the very best of the decade. On her maiden cruise she arrived in New York to find the harbour filled with a welcoming armada and cheering crowds lining the shore. Millionaires, dukes, heiresses and, of course, film stars, adored the ship – this was the height of luxury and style. The rising movie culture was enthusiastically embraced, and elaborate cinemas with velvet seats and plush fittings were built at a frenzied pace. Soon it seemed that every town had its own ‘Picture Palace’ where audiences could lose themselves in a fantasy world. This was the era of Busby Berkely, a choreographer who directed amazing dance routines featuring dozens of feather-clad performers, and many films featured song and dance numbers. Glamorous stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Errol Flynn, Fred Astaire, Greta Garbo and Mae West made the cinema the place to be, while ‘The Wizard of Oz’ starring a young Judy Garland, was released in 1939, just one of the many classic movies which appeared during the decade. Two years earlier, Disney had produced his first-ever full-length cartoon, ‘Snow White’, allowing companies such as Chad Valley to make stunning commemorative dolls. Additionally, a golden-haired tot called Shirley Temple became such a cinema cult that she was created in doll-form to thrill both British and American girls alike, while sassy cartoon star, Betty Boop, was such a hit that she is still adored today. By the mid-thirties, composition had largely overtaken bisque as the best medium for doll manufacture, and while many dolls made by this method were almost as beautiful as their elegant bisque forbears, others were much more crude with slapdash face painting and basic moulding. Some of the bisque manufacturers switched to composition, while new companies evolved, keen to take advantage of the fashion for a medium which didn`t require firing in hot kilns. America had a particularly extensive doll industry at this time and amongst the classic dolls developed were Dy-Dee, Patsy and Shirley Temple. The first Shirley Temple dolls appeared in the shops in 1934, sporting a red and white spotted dress resembling the outfit the little girl wore in ‘Stand Up and Cheer’. The dolls were made by Ideal, using a kind of wood-pulp composition, and their success ensured that Shirley Temple dolls would continue to be produced for several years, wearing costumes from her various films. Additionally, extra outfits and accessories could be purchased, including a beautiful dolls pram. Composition Shirley Temple dolls were finally discontinued in 1939 as interest had waned. Nevertheless, in the late 1950s, a combination of nostalgia plus new interest in Shirley, led Ideal to release an updated range, this time using modern vinyl. Today, Shirley Temple dolls are still produced for collectors by companies such as Danbury Mint. In Britain, Cascelloid experimented making baby dolls from a material they called ‘Plastex’, which was a glue-reinforced unbreakable composition, while companies such as D. G. Todd, British National Dolls and Pedigree produced various composition dolls to a fairly basic design. These were the dolls which would later prove such comfort to children huddled in air-raid shelters, or, alternatively, be the one reminder of home to a child taken to the safety of the countryside, parted from her mother. Britain – in fact the world – was rocked in 1936 when Edward VIII, renounced his throne in order to marry American heiress Wallis Simpson. She was divorced, and so was unable to become queen. In a broadcast at the time, Edward declared that he could not carry on ‘without the help and support of the woman I love`. Instead, Edward`s brother reigned as George VI, and his delightful wife Elizabeth became universally loved, later becoming affectionately known as ‘The Queen Mum’. Before the 1939 hostilities began, the decade was an elegant age, with evening wear influenced by the slinky, sparkly gowns worn by stars such as Ginger Rogers, who whirled around the dance floors in the arms of Fred Astaire. Women embraced a feminine, curvy look, simple by daytime and stunning by night. Schiaparelli, the classic Italian designer, promoted the zip fastener which at the time had been scarcely used in fashionable clothing. At last, it was unnecessary to employ a maid to do up all those hooks […]

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  Russia World Cup Collectables and World Cup Merchandise

  The 2018 World Cup Russia begins on Thursday 14 June when Russia face Saudia Arabia.  We take a look at  some of the official and unofficial merchandise, collectables and memorabilia available to collect and buy. The official mascot for the Russia World Cup is Zabivaka™ which means “the one who scores” in Russian. Zabivaka™ is a wolf and was chosen as the mascot by a vote in which over one million Russians took part. He certainly is a lovable character and he features significantly in the Russia World Cup merchandise and Russia World Cup collectables. Russia World Cup Collectables and World Cup Merchandise at The Official FIFA Store There are three versions of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Plush Mascot Zabivaka™ – 45cm, 35cm and 25cm. A series of 11 very colourful posters featuring the host cities: Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Saint Petersburg, Sohi, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Ekaterinburg, Samara, Saransk, Volgograd and Kazan. Our favourite is the Kazan poster – a selection of others are shown below. Two pin collection sets featuring the host cities and groups look great. You can view all these at the Official FFA site at https://www.fifa.com. Coins There are a number of coin collections being produced including official international commemorative coins produced by British Numismatic Treasury including 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ England Commemorative coin, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Mascot Colour 25 Ruble Coin – colored and plain, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ 25 Ruble Official Emblem Coin, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Trophy 25 Ruble Coin, and 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ LAOLA Wave-Shaped 3oz Silver Coin Bar. For more details visit bnt.org.uk. Winning Moves FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 Monopoly Ravensburger Adidas Fifa World Cup Puzzleball Russia 2018 World Cup Panini Stickers Football stickers form part of every recent World Cup and no collector should be without the album and at least a few packets. The official Panini 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ sticker collection features stickers dedicated to the 32 qualified federations with 18 players per team. There is a section dedicated to the FIFA World Cup™ football Legends collects the FWC Multiple Winners of past editions and shows the History makers all gathered to recall past success and unique scores. There are also holographic exclusive stickers dedicated to FIFA official marks, Federation badges and Legends imagery as well as stadia and venue images. There are scores of official licensees covering the whole world covering nearly every aspect of apparel, homewares, accessories, gifts etc. However, some of the companies that created exclusives for the Brazil 2014 World Cup such as Swarovski and Robert Harrop for example have not created products for Russia 2018. World Cup Related World Cup Willie and the 1966 World Cup World Cup Collectables 2014      

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  Collecting the 1960s

  Collecting for me is about amassing items that give you pleasure. Now that may well be a collection of stamps, ceramic ornaments or even toy cars but whatever you choose they are items that either bring back nostalgic memories or you simply purchase them because you love them. For me collecting is also about our social history, all of the items that we buy did at some stage have a reason for their existence. This is why I am fascinated with collecting items from various decades. Many collectors source anything and everything from the 1930s, whilst others crave items from the 1940s and there are those fascinated by the 1950s. In fact, there are collectors for every decade who either cherry pick items or even live their lives as if it was still that particular era from the 20th Century. I prefer to cherry pick as I am still very much a modern 21st Century girl at heart. There are certain aspects from each decade that attract me with the 1960s rating very high on the list. I can usually find items that epitomise this era extremely cheaply like the vivid 1960s tray I bought for 20p at a bootsale. Top Tip: Charity Shops, Bootsales and Garage Sales are perfect places to pick up vintage items for a few pounds. Look for ceramics, glass, fashion and pictures that scream the 1960s. If they are not already sought after they will be very soon. I am also fascinated by 1960s fashion. A mixture of boutique couture such as Biba and Mary Quant, the invention of the mini skirt and an all round fashion revolution – there is much on offer for the keen eyed collector. Designer labels usually come at a cost but there other wonderful fashion items from this particular decade which can be picked up at a reasonable price. I purchased a lovely bright red mini dress on one of the internet auctions for £25 which was a real bargain for a piece of vintage clothing. In fact, vintage is all the rage at the moment and I had the pleasure of meeting Hannah Turner Vokes, managing director of the London based vintage clothes store Paper Dress when I was featured in leading fashion magazine Grazia, last year. Hannah is the ultimate vintage fashion junkie and she wore an amazing disposable paper 1960s mini dress and also brought along a 1960s paper bikini to the photoshoot. Hannah often rummages around bootsales to find her bargains and this seems to have paid off as the dress cost just £9 and the bikini which she bought off of an internet site was a steal at £7, both of which are worth considerably more especially if sold in a specialist vintage store. Top Tip: Look for unusual items like paper clothing as these are becoming harder to find and collectors crave them. Jewellery is also a favourite for me and I was lucky enough to find a Mary Quant Daisy ring from a collectors fair a few years ago for £50. I have never seen this particular design before as it has beautiful blue enamel and the daisy actually opens to reveal a perfume container underneath. So this particular item fits into collecting 1960s, costume jewellery and vanity items like ladies compacts. Handbags and shoes from the 1960s are also keenly acquired by collectors and over the years I have bought many vintage examples with one pair costing just £2. Kaleidoscopes of colours they certainly make me stand out in a crowd when I wear them. These can be picked up quite cheaply like the wonderful yellow floral shoes and matching clutch bag that I bought from a bootsale for £25. When originally made these shoes and handbag formed part of the new 1960s fashion bug of ladies matching their shoes to their bags, otherwise known as The Total Look. It is not just the fashions and accessories of the swinging sixties that get collector’s hearts racing as there was much more on offer from this vibrant decade. In 1963 the Cornish pottery Troika was established by Benny Sirota, Lesley Illsley and Jan Thomson. They made attractive, yet usable art pottery which today has stormed the collectors market with people pay thousands for one of the rare plaques or sculptural Aztec heads. There are still more affordable pieces available with coffin vases and marmalade pots selling from £80-£100 upwards. So if you are looking for something dating from the 1960s that fits well into today’s environment Troika pottery is definitely an option. Toys are also a popular area of collecting and the 1960s didn’t fail to produce. The Sindy doll was launched in 1963 and many of her outfits were created by leading fashion designers such as Sally Tuffin and Marion Foale. One of my favourite pastimes is hunting out Sindy doll outfits as each replicates the fashions of the time and as I adore fashion this is just an extended way of me indulging my passion. Fact: The boys weren’t forgotten as Action Man was launched in Britain in 1966. The 1960s had so much to offer and I have literally just touched the tip of the iceberg where collecting this decade is concerned. Revolutionary in so many ways we mustn’t forget the music – especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. An area really worth indulging in if you can afford to collect some of the original memorabilia. Then of course 1966 supplied us with a host of World Cup memorabilia, not forgetting of course the charismatic British spy James Bond (played by Sean Connery) who first graced the silver screen in 1962 when Dr. No was released. So rather than just concentrating on one specific topic area of collecting like books, film or sporting memorabilia – take a look at what is on offer from the various 20th Century decades. Unless of course you lived through the 1960s and are now cursing the fact that you threw away […]

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  Collecting the Master Mind game

  Master Mind (sometimes Mastermind) is a classic strategy game that has been around for decades. The game was invented in 1970 by Mordecai Meirowitz, a Israeli-American engineer. Meirowitz was inspired by an old Chinese game called Bulls and Cows, which is thought to date back to the 12th century. He created Master Mind as a more challenging and engaging version of Bulls and Cows. In its first decade of production over 30 million copies were sold. We take a look at the history of the game and some of the variations made over the years. The object of the game is to correctly guess the sequence of colored pegs used by your opponent. The first player to do so wins the game. Over the years, Master Mind has been released in many variations including Royale Mastermind, Grand Mastermind, Super Mastermind, Word Mastermind, Mini Mastermind and even an Electronic Mastermind. The games varied in a  number of ways including  the number of colours and versions for more than two people. Junior version were also released including Mastermind for Kids featuring a Jungle Animal theme. Who were the couple of the box of Master Mind box The Master Mind box cover design is iconic and is probably one of the most recognisable of all time. The photo features a mysterious, beautiful Asian lady standing next to bearded man wearing a suit. The pair are in front of what appears to be a glass topped table, so there reflection appears at the bottom of the box. Is the man a rich, powerful Master Mind challenging people from the cover to crack his code? Is the lady an expert gazing at us with a condescending look questioning our expertise? Or were they in fact Bill Woodward, the owner of a chain of Leicester hair salons, and Celia Fung a computer science student at the University of Leicester. They were both approached off the street for the campaign and the result is the iconic image we all associate with the Mastermind game. Bill Woodward was to appear in many of the covers of the later versions of the game. The game was released internationally and the cover did vary in other countries with other people used, but the lady standing and man sitting remained constant for many of these releases. The Disney Master Mind There was even a Walt Disney Master Mind created by Invicta Games in 1978. It uses Disney characters instead of colours. The cover features a castle with Disney characters including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pinnochio and Geppetto. Once again Bill Woodward is on the cover sitting in a chair and beckoning the Disney posse. In this cover he is a less mysterious and wear a light grey suit. In this version we have to Help Mickey and his friends escape from the magic castle in the sky Disney Master Mind valuation / price guide A fine to near mint version in box £20-£30 / $24-$36 Today, it remains one of the most popular strategy games in the world. Thanks to its simple yet intriguing gameplay, Master Mind is a timeless classic that will continue to be enjoyed for years to come. Related Cunning and Logic: The International Imagery of ‘Mastermind’ The Mysterious Origins of Mastermind, the Codebreaking Board Game