Major vintage monster toy collection auction!

darkmonkeygod · October 28, 2025, 01:24:47 PM

Quote from: skully on October 28, 2025, 01:43:52 AM[...] the Dracula Kite (the only one that I'm aware of) should have been one of the highlights of the sale [...]

I was shocked it didn't go for considerably more, and finally seeing a packaged version made me wonder: is there a pre 1965 version labeled as Dracula? All these years I've believed it was packaged as "Dracula Kite", with the ad being the only clear image I'd ever seen.

skully · October 28, 2025, 03:58:54 PM

Hi Darkmonkeygod. I remember when the owner of this collection aquired this piece, it was actually one of his highlights of his collection. Speculation on my part is it wasn't a well known monster piece, with very few people knowing of it's existance, and not being as dynamic and visual as the other well known monster pieces in the sale.

Mike Scott · October 28, 2025, 04:03:04 PM

Quote from: skully on October 28, 2025, 03:58:54 PMI remember when the owner of this collection aquired this piece,

So (if you know), is this auction from one collection, or many collections?

darkmonkeygod · October 28, 2025, 04:11:45 PM

Quote from: skully on October 28, 2025, 03:58:54 PMI remember when the owner of this collection aquired this piece, it was actually one of his highlights of his collection. Speculation on my part is it wasn't a well known monster piece, with very few people knowing of it's existance, and not being as dynamic and visual as the other well known monster pieces in the sale.

I so wish I could've met or at least corresponded with him in some way. Such amazing items. Do you know of any story behind his finding this sealed example of the kite?

Funny enough, beyond being lumped in with an embarrassment of riches - the slew of other amazing monster items - I think being sealed may actually have hurt the hammer price on this one a little, as even though displaying an opened kite takes up a great deal of room, the thing encased in plastic isn't all that impressive. Still, that it sold for under a thousand (much less under three) really surprised me, particularly given that there were a lot of surprises in the other direction, dollar-wise. I really am super curious to know if this was ever marketed with the Dracula name and have been looking back over my copy and notes on the Lugosi V Universal lawsuits and judgements.

Funny enough, I wonder if being sealed didn't hurt this a little.

darkmonkeygod · October 28, 2025, 04:13:15 PM

Quote from: Mike Scott on October 28, 2025, 04:03:04 PMSo (if you know), is this auction from one collection, or many collections?

I realize you asked Skully, Mike, but it's my understanding from Heritage that this and a swath of the monster art in the previous auction are all from the one collection.

skully · October 28, 2025, 04:52:01 PM

Hey Mike Scott. Yes, it's believed to be from the one owner, along with what darkmonkeygod mentioned with the monster wallet art belonging to him also, along with some impressive movie poster items that were previously sold through Heritage in earlier auctions. There might even be more yet to come, but not positive on this. He was a friend of mine, and actually quite a few of these very pieces sold were once in my collection, he came over to my house frequently.

Mike Scott · October 28, 2025, 05:03:40 PM

Quote from: darkmonkeygod on October 28, 2025, 04:13:15 PM. . this and a swath of the monster art in the previous auction are all from the one collection.

Wow!

Mike Scott · October 28, 2025, 05:04:37 PM

Quote from: skully on October 28, 2025, 04:52:01 PMHe was a friend of mine, and actually quite a few of these very pieces sold were once in my collection

Wowee!

skully · October 28, 2025, 05:12:06 PM

Also, on another note, did anyone by chance take a real close look at the so-called repro Frankenstein speaker head item # 88008? I zoomed in on this item and it honestly looked like it could be an original, with some of the green paint being worn away and showing the blue-ish plastic underneath that some of the speakers were molded in. I read where a darker green paint was used for these pieces instead of a lighter green used for the green plastic molded ones. Heritage did mention that the weight was heavier, but I wonder??

darkmonkeygod · October 28, 2025, 10:24:50 PM

Quote from: skully on October 28, 2025, 05:12:06 PMAlso, on another note, did anyone by chance take a real close look at the so-called repro Frankenstein speaker head item # 88008?

I don't know enough about the speakers to judge, but it wouldn't be the first thing Heritage got wrong. Still hilarious to me that they had all the wallets and plaques in house and didn't notice that the original art for the wallets is not the original art for the plaques. Not that I imagine the buyer cares.

skully · October 29, 2025, 02:30:53 AM

Darkmonkeygod, very true. On a different note, a good friend of mine was going bonkers over this sale, he was ready to jump in and bid right from the start. We both talked about the Dracula kite, but he was determined to get it, along with possibly a few other pieces he was watching. Knowing he was bidding on the kite, I backed off without bidding. Little did I realize,he got the date of the auction confused, all the while with me thinking that he was the one bidding on it, and because of this I wasn't bidding on it because I didn't want to go against him. When the auction was over,I e-mailed him expecting him to be overjoyed with getting the piece especially at such a good price. You can only imagine the dismay with both of us after the auction ended!! He missed the entire auction thinking it was at a later date. With your other question above, I have no idea where it was aquired or what was paid for it when he got the piece, I only know he talked about it with pride. Anyway, I'm still studying that other speaker head from the sale still thinking it could be a real one.

PaynePfeif13 · October 30, 2025, 07:10:47 PM

The Kite in terms of shear rarity is at the top of that auction, not the most valuable, clearly by the price, but the rarest. For sure. I have been collecting for around 60 years with my father. Did they make any other character? It is certainly a magical piece. I always thought of it as a myth lost in time. Seems like there is good knowledge on it here.

horrorhunter · October 30, 2025, 07:38:10 PM

Quote from: darkmonkeygod on October 28, 2025, 10:24:50 PMI don't know enough about the speakers to judge, but it wouldn't be the first thing Heritage got wrong. Still hilarious to me that they had all the wallets and plaques in house and didn't notice that the original art for the wallets is not the original art for the plaques. Not that I imagine the buyer cares.

Yeah, I notice they misidentified the MPC Daffy Daddy-Ohs as "Uglies".

skully · October 31, 2025, 02:13:40 AM

I don't believe there were any other monster characters produced to compliment the Dracula kite, and if there was, I've never seen an advertisement for them. Only ad I know of is the one Darkmonkeygod showed for Dracula. A few years back I inquired about the Frankenstein key chain advertised in early FM, I've never seen one anywhere for sale.

skully · October 31, 2025, 02:27:07 AM

They also made a Frankenstein belt buckle I've never seen.

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Major vintage monster toy collection auction!