Clinton Frankenstein bucket

[ravenloft]

The lettering looks sharper on the speaker head, even though it has a coat of fairly thick black paint, and the bucket neck has no paint at all.  Makes me wonder...  were the speaker heads produced first?

One thing looks apparent.  I think the lines were clearer at one time.  Then they were crudely filed away from the original mold - like the folks at Clinton changed their minds at some point mid-production.

I would be interested if anyone has an early cast with legible writing.

A plausible theory could be:
the speaker mold [a] came first with crisp copyright lettering, small speaker top opening and sharp detail painting, and as the mold wore out the top hole got larger/more ragged so they cut it bigger and put a candy pail strap on it to sell as buckets with some cheap paint sprayed on, then the mold got really worn out so they tried making solid top "lamps" by top plating the mold and adding a base [c] late in the lifespan of the company which is why those are the least seen...and some of those warped and tilted so we get the sawed off "lamp" version [d] last.

Are any of the lamps painted in the yellow/green overspray like the pink and orange buckets? What color plastic are the speaker heads (are they green or painted that way?)

I have never understood what company put out the speaker and exactly how they were associated with Clinton Plastics of Hoboken, New Jersey...did they sell their mold to Clinton?
Did they buy the plastic parts of their speaker from Clinton?
are any of them the same mold(s) bucket, lamp or speaker?
Where and what happened to the original mold(s)?
Has anyone successfully used their google-fu to track down a history or company info or find someone who worked there on these? 1964 isn't that long ago, someone is still alive and knows something.
Who gets credit for the sculpt we all love?
Or at least who sold them at retail and can give us some more solid answers about how/when/where these products were made and sold back then?
Before Ebay, Worthpoint, Etsy, and the rest of the internet how did these get noticed by the monster collector scene except the seemingly few who were original owners?
What is the earliest traced source for these? I know the speaker at least had printed ads, what about the buckets?

I wonder what the actual distribution areas and production numbers were on any of the Glenn Strange plastic franken-heads.

[Monsters For Sale]

My speaker head is green plastic.  The skin is unpainted.

Only paint is Black eye eyes and hair, red scars and lips.



Some other speakers have painted skin, a little lighter green, usually badly peeled.

[marsattacks666]

My speaker head is green plastic.  The skin is unpainted.

Only paint is Black eye eyes and hair, red scars and lips.



Some other speakers have painted skin, a little lighter green, usually badly peeled.

Wow! These are wonderful

[Monolith]

Love that yellow frankenstein. My speaker head is green plastic with black, red and light green paint...

Frankenstein Speaker Head ( Actwell Plastics 1964 ) by donald deveau, on Flickr

[Monsters For Sale]

Love that yellow frankenstein. My speaker head is green plastic with black, red and light green paint... 

Thanks.

Nice painted speaker.  Hard to find speakers these days.  Anyone who has one doesn't want to sell.

[skully]

As with this mold,  I used to work on and set up Van Dorn molding machines many years ago when I worked for a company called Penn-Optical here in Reading.  I set up the machines for plastic eye glass frames.  These molding machines were huge, and the steel dies were extremely heavy always in 2 parts, bolted together, requiring me to use a tow motor and chain to lift them over to the molding machine.  It was quite the process and usually hard work.  You can get an idea of what these machines looked like if you ever saw photo's of people working them,  such as maybe inside pictures of Aurora or other model companies with the workers opening up the doors and pulling out the parts still attached to the trees as it came out.   One must remember that each product being made had it's own set of specifics,  that being the pressure used to close the dies, the injection amount of plastic commonly known as the shot, all of which could mean the detail on the finished piece, the amount of flashing, etc. could vary quite a bit.  Also, most of the 2 piece dies usually had anywhere from 6 up to 12 frames per shot, meaning more than 1 eyeglass frame was produced at a time.  Just maybe,  the same would have been for the Frankenstein mold, more than 1 image in the entire die.  Any deviation of the shot or amount of plastic and the pressure used to inject would result in a very sharp piece with all detail showing,  or possible excess flashing,  or even the finished piece being more smooth in appearance if the shot or pressure was backed off a bit. 

[Hepcat]

pics are from Ebay and they won't last long unless someone saves them.

Since you clearly really like the speaker heads, why would you not be saving the pictures yourself as well? They're really good quality images.

[Allhallowsday]

The originals do have the "© U.P. Co.", just like your copies.

Yes that's true; I've owned 3 buckets and believe it was legible on all 3. 

[ravenloft]

This one sold for $1,025 and it's simply beautiful. Strap intact and paint seems almost completely unworn. Strong mold line down the front though.  Near mint as any I have ever seen. Another Pennsylvania seller. Seems like that state has the lion's share of Clinton Plastics Franken-finds.


The Clinton Frankenstein lamp is still up for 5,000. Seems no one is biting at that price, it's been up for several months. (I guess it's ok to post current offers if they aren't going anywhere? I didn't post a link.)
So clearly the ceiling for a Clinton frank is somewhere North of 1,000 but well under 5,000. Too bad I don't have 5 grand to blow.

A couple of Speakers are still up too, have been for a long while but asking 3k plus and they aren't selling either.

I wonder if any of those up would immediately sell in the 2k range?
It's crazy to even think about that a .59 cent plastic novelty item from 1964 (for the bucket) now sells for several hundreds if not over a thousand dollars US.  the original asking price for a speaker was 4.95 plus 60 cents shipping according to a vintage ad. I know that they have been sold complete in box in excess of 8,000 for the speaker. anyone know what a lamp originally sold for?


apparently I missed this one altogether that was cracked down the back and missing the strap, but still went for $545. I like the paint better on the top one, this one seems rather plain.


Without the luck of finding a crazy "buy it now" price like some fortunate members here, or the find of a lifetime yard sale, curb trash heap or estate find in the Eastern half of the country, I don't think these (even in terrible condition) will show up for less than $500 for an original much any more. I still wish I had an original. Anybody here wanna part with their spare bucket for $500?


Alas I can only dream. Meanwhile I purchased another quality repro from the repro seller in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this time in orange and "bucket style" even though it's the exact same mold as his speaker repro, but includes a pail strap.

I now have three: two greens and an orange. I am pleased with the products. Now I have a repro green "speaker" and an repro orange "bucket." my twin plans on painting his repro green "speaker" head.  I say heresy to that, but once I give it to him (IF) I guess it's his to do what he wants, and the original speakers were crudely painted. Would you paint the repros to match the originals or leave them?



Seems like there still are quite a few pop up new threads from time to time on this subject, any way they can all be joined forever like stitched-together corpse limbs?
Perhaps we can dig up the even older dead threads for our electrical experiments too? Moderator Mike?
It would be nice to have all of the beautiful pictures of these and the reference thread commentary all in one place...which is why I stole all these pictures from Ebay so they would be preserved here. Perhaps even pin the combined thread to the top?

Each Clinton Frankenstein whether a bucket, a lamp or a speaker seems to be rather unique looking and worthy of at least a photo here. I just can't stop looking at pictures of these; the perfect UM collectible vintage art piece.


Links to some of the many threads here on buckets, lamps, and speakers (just in the last 15 pages):
Clinton Frankenstein bucket
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=31868.0
1964 FRANKENSTEIN GLENN STRANGE BLOW MOLD HALLOWEEN CANDY BUCKET PAIL UNION
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=34842.0
1960's Glenn Strange Blow-Mold Frankenstein Halloween Candy Bucket
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=34404.0
Glenn Strange Candy bucket Question
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=18596.0
Frankenbucket Paint Variations
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=30950.0
Glenn Strange Halloween Bucket
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=31612.0
The Frankenstein Head Speaker Thread
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=2033.0
Glenn Strange Halloween Bucket
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=32441.0
Frankenstein Speaker Dimensions
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=32982.0
Frankenstein Radio speaker on ebay
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=29670.0
I found the Frankenstein monster speaker. Can anyone tell me about it?
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=29383.0
Frankenstein blowmold lamp
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=29007.0
60's Frankenstein Candy Bucket Auction
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=28026.0
Thats a little more like it! G. Strange Candy Bucket
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=28110.0
Frankenstein Monster Speaker
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=27848.0
FRANKENSTEIN SPEAKER HEAD...US $4,650.00
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=27468.0
Clinton Plastics Frankenstein Halloween Bucket
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=26339.0
1960s Clinton Plastics Glen Strange Frankenstein Halloween Candy Bucket
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=23581.0   
Frankenstein Speaker pulled?!
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=24655.0   
Reproduction Frankenstein Speaker Head Sells for $510.00
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=20498.0

[Hepcat]

Good work looking up and posting the links to the other threads!

[skully]

Ravenloft,  great work here with showing interest and enthusiasm with this item.  It is the best of both worlds, monster and Halloween combined.  With many collectors (me included), there seems to be a bit of a cross-over with monster items and Halloween items,  I look for both, but at this time of the year, Halloween takes over.  I have owned many of these over the years,  and you are correct, here in PA. I have seen quite a few.   But, like anything else, not any more.  Seems as though there was a find made of these, not sure how many were found, but I don't think it was excessive.  I remember having a half dozen at one time,  picking them up here and there at flea markets and toy shows,  highest I paid back then in the early 90's was around a hundred dollars,  I liked them so much I picked up every one I saw when I could.   One time here at the Leesport flea market,  in Hamburg,  not too far away from me,  out in the field, I saw a vendor that had one on her table,  I ran over and picked it up, missing the strap,  with a hole in the bottom from the original owner who put it over a light for Halloween,  but really nice looking,  for 2 bucks!!  That bucket still sits on top of my computer tower with a light under it.     As for the lamp that has been listed now for a while,  it honestly isn't in the best shape with the colors being rough looking, maybe that's why it isn't moving,  but hell yes,  it's still rare.   I think you see more speaker heads than the lamp to be honest.   The two speaker heads currently listed on e-bay now seem nice,  the one with the box has the original instruction sheet along with the pads to put under it,  if the box would be all original (it seems to have some restoration to it),  it just might have sold by now.    The box is so much rarer than the toy itself.   Over the years, especially in the last few,  I've seen these pieces just explode in price,  with no slowing down,  unless you get real lucky.  Same thing seems to be happening now with certain Halloween blow molds on e-bay,  some of them are now going for quite a few bucks,  not like years ago when they were dirt cheap.  Same goes for other Halloween items also. 

[Hepcat]

Seems like there still are quite a few pop up new threads from time to time on this subject, any way they can all be joined forever like stitched-together corpse limbs?
Perhaps we can dig up the even older dead threads for our electrical experiments too? Moderator Mike?
It would be nice to have all of the beautiful pictures of these and the reference thread commentary all in one place...which is why I stole all these pictures from Ebay so they would be preserved here.

That would be naught but an exercise in frustration. For whatever reason some posters are inclined to start a new thread at the drop of a hat despite the existence of really good existing threads on the topic.

[Hepcat]

Several years ago somebody posted a picture of a Clinton Frankenstein bucket they owned that was much closer to a pink colour than an orange. I've not been able to re-locate the pic though.

[Monsters For Sale]

Several years ago somebody posted a picture of a Clinton Frankenstein bucket they owned that was much closer to a pink colour than an orange. I've not been able to re-locate the pic though. 

Someone had one on the bottom shelf of a cabinet with another, more usual, orange color - and maybe a third.  It was either in a discussion of buckets or one of the Show Your Monster Rooms posts.

Seems like a long time ago.  Maybe it was victim of the Photobucket purge?

[horrorhunter]

Over the years, especially in the last few,  I've seen these pieces just explode in price,  with no slowing down,  unless you get real lucky.  Same thing seems to be happening now with certain Halloween blow molds on e-bay,  some of them are now going for quite a few bucks,  not like years ago when they were dirt cheap.  Same goes for other Halloween items also.

I've noticed these price increases on the Halloween blow molds as well. It seems the haunted house blow molds have shot up the most, but even the common various JOL blow molds (like the pumpkin/scarecrow) have gotten a bit more expensive on average. This is happening on a large scale with genre collectibles, steady increases on most of them, and large increases on certain high-demand pieces. I think much of these price increases has to do with the increased exposure the collectibles are getting in this time of media saturation. Decades ago collectors could go years without even knowing about certain pieces, but now with the internet, eBay, and social media, even scarce collectibles (like the Frank bucket this thread features) are common knowledge to collectors and they are posted everywhere stoking the feeding frenzy to own them. UMA has fed this phenomenon for years as collectors used it to post and discuss favorite collectibles, and UMA sees minuscule traffic compared to most outlets. This pricing trend is ingrained into the collectibles market. As time advances so do collectibles values, so time becomes the enemy of collectors with meager funds still looking for their favorite pieces. But, time is the ally of long-time collectors who already have most of it including dupes to cash in on. The longer a collector waits the more they'll spend. Get it ASAP if you can afford it.