Can anyone advise which company manufactured '60s MONSTER CLIP BINDERS?
There's no mark on this and I haven't seen too many of them:
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff259/allhallowsday/binderFRANKENSTEINsz2.jpg)
I use to think it was SPP, but since seeing other binders with an SPP logo on them, I don't know who did the monster ones!
Seeing as the art and lettering belonged to Hasbro, I would start there...
I too believe the 1960s monster notebook binders were produced by Hasbro. As others have stated before me, they are not stamped my a manufacturer. I also own a set of the cardboard monster photo inserts that were removed from their binders which also lack any identification. A Ben Casey binder I have is stamped with the Hasbro logo and 1962 Bing Crosby Productions. It also has an photo insert covered in clear plastic and the construction of the binder appears identical to the monster ones, though in white rather than black. The SPP binders that I have seen are all printed directly onto the vinyl and all are marked SPP. The monsters and Ben Casey are 2" wide and two SPP binders I have are 1.5" wide and slightly smaller. The SPP and monster binders also seem to be made of different types of vinyl. If SPP manufactured the binders, wouldn't they use the artwork from their 3D monster wall plaques or wallets? Unless someone finds a case stamped with a manufacturer, we may never know for certain which company made the original monster binders.
Quote from: RPM on January 13, 2013, 09:27:44 AM
I too believe the 1960s monster notebook binders were produced by Hasbro. As others have stated before me, they are not stamped my a manufacturer. I also own a set of the cardboard monster photo inserts that were removed from their binders which also lack any identification. A Ben Casey binder I have is stamped with the Hasbro logo and 1962 Bing Crosby Productions. It also has an photo insert covered in clear plastic and the construction of the binder appears identical to the monster ones, though in white rather than black. The SPP binders that I have seen are all printed directly onto the vinyl and all are marked SPP. The monsters and Ben Casey are 2" wide and two SPP binders I have are 1.5" wide and slightly smaller. The SPP and monster binders also seem to be made of different types of vinyl. If SPP manufactured the binders, wouldn't they use the artwork from their 3D monster wall plaques or wallets? Unless someone finds a case stamped with a manufacturer, we may never know for certain which company made the original monster binders.
Thanks for all that useful information! I was wondering if the binders were made by SPP, but I think you have an excellent deduction that Hasbro is more likely.
Thank you all for your insight.
Quote from: RPM on January 13, 2013, 09:27:44 AM
Unless someone finds a case stamped with a manufacturer, we may never know for certain which company made the original monster binders.
Your case for Hasbro has convinced me. I'm going to refer to them as the Hasbro binders from now on. :)
Quote from: Mike Scott on January 13, 2013, 04:03:40 PM
Your case for Hasbro has convinced me. I'm going to refer to them as the Hasbro binders from now on. :)
So let it be written, so let it be done.
These were probably done fast and cheap to get 'em out for the 'Back To School' season for whatever year- '64 or '65, I would think. Litttle did they know they would be so scrutinized 50 years later!
I'm thinking too they are probably identically sized to the Paint By Number box art also; being my father-in-law was a printer, they could have had stacks of left over printed box art sheets for the PBN's in stash, and an enterprising Hasbro employee suggested they seal 'em up in a generic three-ring binders to get rid of them (and turn them into Company Cash).
Quote from: Monster Bob on January 14, 2013, 07:35:33 AM
These were probably done fast and cheap to get 'em out for the 'Back To School' season for whatever year- '64 or '65, I would think. Litttle did they know they would be so scrutinized 50 years later!
I'm thinking too they are probably identically sized to the Paint By Number box art also; being my father-in-law was a printer, they could have had stacks of left over printed box art sheets for the PBN's in stash, and an enterprising Hasbro employee suggested they seal 'em up in a generic three-ring binders to get rid of them (and turn them into Company Cash).
Good insight; the artwork is sealed under clear plastic on the cover and may have been a way to use up leftovers. I haven't seen too many of these binders over the years. Anybody know what artwork was available... and if it's identical to Hasbro Paint By Numbers?
Looking at it again, it is not printing leftovers, but the paintings and lettering are the same. Still, they had all the mechanicals to do a quick job of making the binder artwork.
Probably done before the "wave 2" paint by number sets also, or we would have had wave 2 binders.
The artwork to the PBN and binders are the same, though the scene from the PBN box was cropped down to 11.25" X 9.75" for the binders. The image appears to of been printed onto paper and adhered to cardboard for both the PBN box and binders, though the cardboard stock for the binders is considerably thicker.
I think the answer is both SPP AND Hasbro. Hasbro owned the art, and SPP had the equipment and setup to build notebooks, wallets, etc. The same company made vinyl lunchboxes that made play cases for Barbie and others. that's because they had all the setup, and were contracted to produce them. I think that SPP produced the binders for Hasbro.
The company Cleinman made toy rings that were in some Barbie sets, as well as the ring that was in the Addams Family Uncle Fester Mystery Light Bulb, and they also sold rings that they marketed.
Quote from: Toy Ranch on January 14, 2013, 09:03:27 PM
I think the answer is both SPP AND Hasbro. Hasbro owned the art, and SPP had the equipment and setup to build notebooks, wallets, etc. The same company made vinyl lunchboxes that made play cases for Barbie and others. that's because they had all the setup, and were contracted to produce them. I think that SPP produced the binders for Hasbro.
The company Cleinman made toy rings that were in some Barbie sets, as well as the ring that was in the Addams Family Uncle Fester Mystery Light Bulb, and they also sold rings that they marketed.
Another good point. Irwin made some Barbie vehicles and furniture licensed by Mattel.
Is there any concrete proof it was SPP? As was mentioned, I don't recall any SPP binders that are made of the type of vinyl as the Monster binders, or resemble them in any way. Lots of companies made binders back then, and still do.
It appears that SPP put their logo or Standard Plastics Products, Inc. onto everything they produced as seen with Barbie for Mattel, Beatles for NEMS and Weird-Ohs for Hawk. The Hasbro Ben Casey binder I have and similar Dr. Kildare binders I've seen in the past lack any mention of SPP as does a Dr. Kildare medical case (photo on cardboard sheet covered in clear plastic on a vinyl case) that I've recently examined. The Casey and Kildare binders are a photo rather than artwork as in the monster binders, but are stamped with the Hasbro boy logo, year and production company (Kildare if I remember correctly gives credit to a television network) as also seen with the Kildare medical case. If SPP produced the TV doctors binders for Hasbro, I'm sure their logo would of been stamped onto them. The point I'm trying to make is Hasbro produced binders and similar vinyl products either at their plant or through a contractor. The monster binders may have been contracted out, but I suspect it was not with SPP.
I'll try to post photos of the Hasbro logo on the Casey binder.
Quote from: Monster Bob on January 15, 2013, 04:46:06 PM
Is there any concrete proof it was SPP? As was mentioned, I don't recall any SPP binders that are made of the type of vinyl as the Monster binders, or resemble them in any way. Lots of companies made binders back then, and still do.
True, my memory has been jogged.
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=314.0 (http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=314.0)
(http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/rmaylor/DSC_0214_zpsa5d3f247.jpg)
(http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/rmaylor/DSC_0195_zpsbf5a9689.jpg)
(http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/rmaylor/DSC_0199_zpsde403ff0.jpg)
Frankenstein and two SPP binders
Those other 2 are AWESOME...
RPM, thank you. Now, anyone ever seen a '62 Hasbro catalogue. It sure would blow my mind if the binders came out before the oil paint by numbers. It wouls have been a very cheap and very quick way to get the license to market.
Quote from: Toy Ranch on January 15, 2013, 07:58:09 PM
True, my memory has been jogged.
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=314.0 (http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=314.0)
Thanks for digging that up, Bobby. I knew it was in here somewhere, but a lot of the time I don't wanna go poking around. Do you still have that fireball photo?
I would so use that to house my recipes and designs.
(http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/rmaylor/DSC_0206_zpsecfb5015.jpg)
(http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/rmaylor/DSC_0213_zps55071eb6.jpg)
Here are three monster binder cardboard inserts that were removed from their vinyl binders by a previous owner. The inserts are 1/8" in thickness.
Below are the backs of the inserts. As an interesting error, a Wolman was stamped onto the back of the Dracula.