Your Holy Grail Monster "Toy"

[Richard]

The majority of the 'bucket heads' around come from a small find in the 80s, which is why the ones you see are in such nice shape (handle and rivots intact) and are usually the orange w/ green paint variation. They sold for about $200-$300 even then.

Thanks, Bob, for the info! I wasn't aware of the 80s "find". That means I may snag a nice one yet, someday.

My inability to score one is directly related to my unwillingness to pay $500!  I'm at the point where I'd probably go for it at $300, but I still can't bring myself to cross the $500 threshold.  Same thing with the Renzi car.  I just can't do it!

I wasn't aware of what the head buckets are going for since I've not seen them offered. If in really nice shape and intact, I guess around $500 makes sense nowadays.

Terry, Bob...is the bucket head exactly the same size/material/sculpt as the speaker head? Geez, I am going to have to visit Castle Famous to see this thing up close (and run out the door with it while Terry isn't watching-LOL! 

Best,
Richard

[Monster Bob]

Hey Richard-

There are 3 versions- the speaker head, the bucket head, the lighted head (2 versions)

They are the same 'sculpt' (if that is the term in blow-mold plastic world) the speaker in green plastic, the bucket/light in pumpkin orange or pink. They came from two different style molds, though.

The speaker head has a molded-in lip to accomodate a screwed in radio speaker and a smaller hole than the bucket head.  The bucket head hole is factory cut out, made from a molded head that is identical to the lighted version head (which has a unique hole in the back of the head to hold a small 'clipped' light bulb). The top of the light head is flat and solid across the top (no cut hole). To make the light head into a bucket ,the company just cut a large circular hole around a guide line that was molded in the head. 

And to answer the inevitable question, you can't make a speaker head out if a bucket head as the hole is too large (and the plastic is the wrong color). You could, however, make a speaker head into a green bucket, but why would you do that?   

[Toy Ranch]

Here's a speaker and a bucket together, and next to a resin "repro" head.

[poseablemonster]

Good lord, that's a beautiful sight.

Thanks for the clarification on the manufacturers of the bucket and the speaker, Bob. 

[Bogey]

Wow!  Thanks for the post.  Those are slick.  I believe out of the three, the candy bucket is my favorite.  Almost as if Frankie has suddenly ripened and is ready for picking. 

[Toy Ranch]

That picture isn't very good.  The Frankenstein speaker head and bucket are my grails, and I'm fortunate enough to have them.  The flash on their faces does them no justice, so I took some new photos.

[Toy Ranch]

It was the repro speakers that led me to the UMA in the first place.  I was looking for a photo of the paint job on the repro one.  They were issued either painted or unpainted resin and I had purchased a badly painted one and wanted to get it looking better.  I replaced the cheap speakers in them with some Altec computer speakers I found and now use them as computer speakers on my desk. 

The one on the left is the paint job they were sold with.

[Richard]

Hey Richard-

There are 3 versions- the speaker head, the bucket head, the lighted head (2 versions)

They are the same 'sculpt' (if that is the term in blow-mold plastic world) the speaker in green plastic, the bucket/light in pumpkin orange or pink. They came from two different style molds, though.

The speaker head has a molded-in lip to accomodate a screwed in radio speaker and a smaller hole than the bucket head.  The bucket head hole is factory cut out, made from a molded head that is identical to the lighted version head (which has a unique hole in the back of the head to hold a small 'clipped' light bulb). The top of the light head is flat and solid across the top (no cut hole). To make the light head into a bucket ,the company just cut a large circular hole around a guide line that was molded in the head. 

And to answer the inevitable question, you can't make a speaker head out if a bucket head as the hole is too large (and the plastic is the wrong color). You could, however, make a speaker head into a green bucket, but why would you do that?   

THANKS, Bob! Your explanation of "two different style molds" makes perfect sense now that I've gone back to look at what pics I could find and read the posts here. I always assumed there was only 1 original sculpt and, not owning a head bucket, thought the "tribute repro" was cast from an actual head speaker OR the bucket head. Thanks to your explanation and of Bobby's pictures, I now understand that an original speaker head was not used. The original head speaker is smoother on the surface and seems to have a slight size difference. The head bucket has more detail as does the tribute repro (I note the horizontal indentation line in the brow ridge of the tribute piece and the head bucket but not found on the brow of the speaker head). The hair on the top of the tribute piece doesn't exactly match an original speaker head; probably because the head bucket cut-out was much larger than what was needed for the speaker & the hair would have to be imagined/added into the mold rather than a direct casting. As there are other differences, an original head speaker appears unique. The tribute repro speaker head reflects the candy bucket, which I don't have, so couldn't compare...until Bobby's GREAT photos that he just posted- THANKS, Bobby!!!

I still need to get one of these Frankenstein head buckets! I feel more confident & educated about them, thanks to you folks! Many thanks!
Best,
Richard

Here's a speaker and a bucket together, and next to a resin "repro" head.

[fmofmpls]

The head bucket has more detail as does the tribute repro (I note the horizontal indentation line in the brow ridge of the tribute piece and the head bucket but not found on the brow of the speaker head).

Not exactly true Richard. My original headspeaker does indeed have that horizontal indentation line of which you speak. I will take pics later today. And while it does appear that the paint on my speaker head has been touched up (including the speaker being glued to the lip), the bucket plastic color itself (under the paint) is green plastic. Thereby making no mistake as to it being an original. Apparently the production of these things tend to differ? 

[Toy Ranch]

Not exactly true Richard. My original headspeaker does indeed have that horizontal indentation line of which you speak. I will take pics later today. And while it does appear that the paint on my speaker head has been touched up (including the speaker being glued to the lip), the bucket plastic color itself (under the paint) is green plastic. Thereby making no mistake as to it being an original. Apparently the production of these things tend to differ? 

It's the same mold.  I'm not totally familiar with the process, but I'm guessing it was something along the lines of the mold being dirty and in need of cleaning when they popped out that speaker head.  I don't think it's an actual change in the mold.

[fmofmpls]

We need a definitive head speaker thread here at UMA. I have plenty of pics of assorted head speakers as well as ads including box art. It would be nice to have all of this valuable information (including commentary) under one dedicated thread. I will start one later today and fill it with pics to get the party started.

[Monster Bob]

Terry-

Your headspeaker is THE headspeaker that Keith Sarno molded to make the resin repops everyone has (I thought you knew that). So all the repops around are casts of yours. He also did the paint/glue work on your speaker.

The xeroxed speaker box art that is glued to the cardboard box that the repop came in is a color xerox of the front of my box, which at the time belonged to Gary Knox.







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[MDG]

It's not a toy, but I'd love to get one of those monster popcorn buckets (the pink/purple one)

MDG

[Monster Bob]

It's the same mold.  I'm not totally familiar with the process, but I'm guessing it was something along the lines of the mold being dirty and in need of cleaning when they popped out that speaker head.  I don't think it's an actual change in the mold.

Bobby- it is two completely different molds and two different companies.

They obviously used the same sculpture for the 3 pieces,  but the  'plug' (or whatever the proper term for the positive is) and molds were all together different, as the head tops are distinctively different between the speaker and the bucket/light.

The bucket is a light head with the hole cut in it- the light has a guideline mark in it to show the line worker where to cut the hole. For the light version, they simply didn't cut the hole out, and cut a small hole for the clip light in the back of the head.

 Of course the speaker has a much smaller hole than the bucket, plus it has a lip or ledge molded in for the speaker to rest in and be screwed to.

[Monster Bob]

Here is the light version with the guideline for the bucket-hole circled in blue. The area in the guideline circle is smooth (no hair sculpted in). You can see the light clip peeking out the back (blue arrow). As you can see, this head and the speaker head are from very different molds. Same sculpt, but different molds.

The "pink" version of the buckethead is behind the light head in this pic.