figurines

After reading my Collectors’ Quest article on chalkware, Luke M. Vaillancourt, of Vaillancourt Folk Art contacted me — and if that name seems familiar, it’s because Luke is the son of founder & artist Judi Vaillancourt. The family business has been creating chalkware figurines in Massachusetts for the past 25 years.

Original Father Christmas Vaillancourt Chalkware Piece

Vaillancourt Folk Art was founded in 1984 by Judi Vaillancourt, a formally trained illustrator and architectural historian, and her husband Gary Vaillancourt, who came from the computer imaging industry. Judi used three of her antique chocolate moulds by pouring them with liquid chalkware and handpainting the resulting figures. During the last 25 years the company has sold to such retailers as Nordstroms, Saks, Neiman Marcus and many more. More importantly to Judi, she has also created product and programs with museums such as Colonial Williamsburg, The Boston museum of fine Arts, The metropolitan and many others. Today the company employs approx 25 employees in their Sutton, MA. Studios. Visitors can see the painters creating the Vaillancourt originals, tour the Vaillancourt Christmas museum and adventure through one of America’s most interesting retail galleries.

Since one of the goals of VFA is to create pieces that will be collected and passed down for generations, Luke naturally agreed to an interview here at Collectors’ Quest so that you all could become smitten and begin collecting. *wink*

Luke, what was the first piece made?

The first Santa made was the VFA Nr. 101, Original Santa in a Red Coat, using an Anton Reiche chocolate molds.

Have there been any special pieces, limited editions, etc., that have become very popular (and perhaps pricey) with collectors on the secondary market?

There have been many special limited editions made over the last 25 years but two stand out: Every year for the last 20 years the Vaillancourt’s have made a Santa that benefits the Starlight foundation. The piece is produced each year from May until Christmas and it is then retired. The first Santa done in 1990, which sold for $95, sold last year on the secondary market for $2,300. This series tends to be the most highly sought after collection.

1st Annual Starlight Santa by Vaillancourt Folk Art

The other rare item is the two versions of chess sets that Judi did in the late 1980’s. Both sets sold out very quickly and are also highly sought after on the secondary market.

Chess sets?

My mother first started doing folk art and historical restorations (the company started as Vaillancourt Folk Art & Friends), so her first few chalkware pieces were a Noah’s Ark that she created from wood and hand painted (accompanied with chalkware animals), wooden (followed by chalkware) clock faces, a Parcheesi game board with pieces (VFA Nr. 1004), and then two different Chess Sets.

The first Chess Set (VFA Nr. 1000) consisted of a wooden board that fit over the bottom that held the pieces that she had constructed and painted with a Christmas theme. The pieces used miniature chalkware figurines and was created as a limited edition set of 25. The sets sold out at a retail price of $3,000. One recently was found on eBay being sold for $7,500.

Vaillancourt Christmas Chess Board #1000

Vaillancourt Chalkware Chess Pieces, Set #1000

The second chessboard set (VFA Nr. 1003) was introduced a year later (1989) and was a limited edition set of 25 also selling retail for $3,000.

Vaillancourt Folk Art Chess Board #1003

Vaillancourt Holiday Chess Set #1003 Chalkware Chess Pieces

It is also worth noting that Judi had licensed several designs to Gorham Silver (1986) which manufactured another set of chess boards and pieces that sometimes surface on eBay. “Vaillancourt Folk Art for Gorham” was sold after a year of producing several small ornaments and Vaillancourt Folk Art ended it’s relationship with foreign manufacturers.

Do you or your mother collect chalkware?

Personally, I have about 75 – 100 chalkware Santas, Halloween figures, and rabbits. While I do have some favorites that I buy, most of them have been given to me from grand parents that have passed. To have a piece that was cherished by my grandmother or grandfather makes it all that much more special to me. And that is really our goal, to create an heirloom that can be passed on to family members.

Do you have a favorite Vaillancourt piece? If so, which one & why?

I always seem to change favorites with each year… I always find one that I love, but once my mother designs a new piece for the following year, I seem to adopt a new favorite. My current favorite is the Small Father Christmas because of the size, shape, color, rosy cheeks, and the amazing silhouette city on the back of the coat.

What &/or who inspires your mother’s designs?

Judi’s designs are often inspired by history. She studies constantly and whether it is an antique post card, fabric sample or architectural element it works into her designs. She is never influenced by what sells best (much to my father’s chagrin) but what moves her at the time and looks good! She is always using for historical references in design.

Judi Vaillancourt At Work

Why make chalkware rather than items made of resin, etc.? Doesn’t the fragile nature of the material make for more fragile heirlooms?

The reason chalkware was chosen was because of the painting surface that it has. It is smooth and lends itself like a canvas to the fine detail of our oil paints. My mother was the first to use this surface as a canvas for oil paints.

Come back tomorrow for Part Two of the interview — and find out what really, really impresses me about Vaillancourt Folk Art!

Hubby and I went to numerous rummage sales today. It had rained a lot overnight and we were concerned that they would not be open, but as luck would have it, every one was set up and ready. One of the sales we got to was actually an Estate Sale and the lady had a large grouping of collector’s plates such as Norman Rockwell, various movie stars, and Parisian ladies. Aunty also had a substantial collection of Precious Moments figurines. We picked up a few of them, but quite frankly, they were priced way too high. We learned that the gent running it was her nephew and he shared with us a ‘thought’ we’ve often had – he was very surprised at what had NOT sold.

He mentioned the plates that he knew she had paid over $50 each for ‘these years back’ and thought they would have escalated greatly. They had $45-70 price tags. I never feel that it is my place to lecture or make people feel badly, but I gently hinted that the Franklin Mint items, for example, were made in the 100’s of thousands, perhaps millions, and there was just too much volume to increase the value by a great deal. He seemed surprised by that, but agreed that it made some sense.

He then moved to a table of glassware and said he thought that the ‘cut glass’ bowls and crystal trays would surely bring a pretty penny. But this was the second day of the sale and not one had been purchased. Once again, I passed on speaking out but when I checked them over found a lot of chipping and also determined it was mostly pressed glass, which is a mega-difference from cut glass or crystal.

The next piece he showed off was a large green glass bowl which he identified as “depression glass.” It was not. It was newer and of poor quality. The whopper of a price tag was $75. Sorry, I don’t think so.

We bought a book, a little figurine, small bowl, then headed to the van. I looked back and thought to myself that these poor folks would be sitting there until Sunday evening, without a clue, and would probably continue to sell very little. People often possess a unique sense of value on ‘antiques’ and collectibles. If the item was of poor quality to begin with, it probably has not gone up in value, no matter how old it is (of course there are exceptions.)

I have often heard complaints about ‘those darn dealers’ coming early and buying up everything, or the folks who run estate sales taking a ‘huge chunk’ of the family’s profits. But, gee, they are a necessary evil. The line at the door before the sale starts makes or breaks a sale because the late-arrivals looking for pots, pans, clothing and utilitarian items will not make the sale profitable. It is the dealers who do that. And it just makes sense to hire someone who is a ‘pro’ to at least eyeball your treasures and point you in the right direction. We’ve run several estate sales and were amazed at what was going to be discarded. One item was a large wooden shipping box that once held an Evinrude boat motor. The gent asked for help to drag it to the curb but we declined and it netted about $150! Some items he had placed into a box as ‘very high-end’ turned out to be pretty commonplace and we were able to convince him to pass them on to family members as keepsakes or price them in a realistic manner.

If at all possible, before you start your sale, do a little research. Go to a few malls and try to find similar items, then price yours lower than those found. Check out the internet. If your mass-produced figurines are bringing less than $5, why put them out at 7 times that? They will not be purchased. Consider hiring a professional to help out, even if it is to appraise your ‘best items’, and a service may be the answer if you have a large inventory.

Having sold antiques and collectibles in various venues for over 25 years, I know the trends swing like crazy and many items just do not hold their value. Better to pass these on to family as a pleasant memory. A little bit of up-front work can truly help your “no sales” to turn into cash!

Kitty Cane Ornament

You know the old saying, “With friends like that, who needs enemies?” Well I’ve got friends like that. Actually, that’s unkind — I’m sure she didn’t mean to do what she did…

She sent me a sweet gift, a pick-me-up between friends; she likely had no idea that she’d set the collector’s illness a-flowing through in my veins…

She sent me Kitty Cane (complete with red glitter and a pink poodle), one of the adorable, risqué pieces from the Alley Cats series.

The Alley Cat series of “glamour pusses and sex kittens rolled into some tough hair balls” is by Margaret Le Van Dominguez of Margaret Le Van Designs.

Daisilyn Monroe Alley Cat

If that name sounds familiar, you might remember the designer from her line of hand painted evening bags and custom totes (sold through MooRoo Handbags) which were seen on Friends and even made Oprah’s “O” List.

Prior to handbag fame, Margaret Le Van Dominguez was a professional decorative artist, specializing in faux finishes, trompe l’oeil murals and hand painted furniture. Now she splits her time between creating fine art and licensing her paintings, illustrations and other designs, including the delightfully whimsical Alley Cats.

Alley Cats are the purr-fect combination of humor and classic film glamour, so they hit all my hot buttons. Each feline has her own story, or bio — rather like (but shorter than) my other glam obsession, Gene Dolls — which fuels my fascination.

The polyresin Alley Cats appear on red carpets and even as domestic divas — always keeping their girlie glam. And there even are swanky male Alley Cats too!

Male Alley Cats

My Kitty Cane is an ornament, a product of Kurt S. Adler, Inc., but Artisan Flair, Inc. began producing the Alley Cats line in 2004 — which means I am four years behind!

And so that’s where my sweet, well-meaning friend has gone and done something she never meant to do — she’s got me thinking I can’t stop at just one… And I can’t even just settle for the new releases, but must be on the prowl for all the Alley Cats. So that’s what she’s done; she’s started me on another addiction, another collection. I honestly couldn’t be more thrilled — she’ll just have to live with the knowledge that she’s now my enabler. *wink*

Alley Cats

The Greater Lansing Woman (a magazine, not a genus or species) has pulled together a list of ten things worth collecting. While any collector will scoff at such a list and provide their own Top Ten, these are online and inviting commentary — which I shall do hereforth. Their list doesn’t appear to be taken from any other source, and I think they put a bit of thought into it, providing anyone in need of a collection with something they can run with. Here we go:

1. Quilts. While I’m not a Guy’s Guy, collecting quilts sounds a bit lame to me — compare it to collecting carpet samples or throw pillows; a quilt is utilitarian, and is often hand-crafted from whatever the maker had on-hand at the time, removing any sort of basis for price comparison. However, as the Wifey and I discovered at a recent local auction, people get all stitched-in-the-ditch when handmade quilts are up for sale. Things I found unassuming (and might sniff once and leave at the foot of the bed if presented with one) were going for well over a hundred bucks each. They fall into the gray area between art and utility, and if there’s anything that demands a premium it’s items with more than one interested audience. Toss in the modern interest in decorating with real antiques, there’s also people looking for a hundred-year-old quilt for a stylish guestroom. Aside from inherent value and wide reach, if you’re a fan of soft and snuggly collectibles and teddy-bears are a little too creepy for you, quilts are right up your alley.

2. Cast Iron. The casual collector might be interested in collecting just what they like to see on their shelves, which works well — but a high-end cast-iron collector has to be a bit more careful. Replicas abound, and are quite difficult to detect due to the traditional manufacturing methods. You might even have the trouble of telling whether something’s original 19th century, was made in the early 20th century from the same molds, or a 21st century version made for the decorating market. Once you’ve got your appraisal skills fine-tuned, make sure to build some stronger shelves.

3. Dog and Cat Figurines. Like the cast iron, there’s such a wide range of items encompassed here. High-end collectors need to know their thing; casual collectors just need to limit their focus, lest they become known as the crazy lady with a den full of tiny, dead-eyed creatures.

4. Nancy Drew mystery books. I’m surprised this market isn’t already dominated by focus on the earliest of editions, but eBay sellers don’t seem to be obsessive over the edition number. Farah’s Guide is considered the premiere price-guide for keeping track of the 2,745(!?!) printings of Nancy Drew books since 1930. Between the books, a TV series and a recent movie, Nancy Drew has had more impact than just the books. Also remember collecting books makes you an intellectual, even if you never predicted how Nancy would solve the mystery.

5. Little Golden Books. Now, here’s a series of books that demand a premium based on their edition. Little Golden Books, between being beat-up by loving children, and now three or four generations of those loving children wanting to reclaim something of their childhood, makes these a desirable and increasingly rare commodity. There’s also the plus of those long-discontinued books with socially unacceptable topics, like Little Black Sambo, that mostly can only be found in private collections. If you like digging through boxes of colored-in kid’s books with loose boards, hit the rummage sales and you’re sure to find some charmers every weekend.

6. Christmas. The List here focuses on antique Christmas ornaments, completely missing the Hallmarkified modern Christmas collectibles market. This is a good collection for people without the interest or stamina to remember publishing dates or maker’s marks: collecting modern ornament series shouldn’t be overlooked. When it comes to the antique Christmas collectibles, though, you might want to note the care and safety required if you’re going to use it during the Season: the glass is very fragile, paper and celluloid decorations are very flammable, and the electrical items were (or have become, due to age) fire hazards.

7. Star Trek, Star Wars. They go from Christmas, which these days amounts to anything related to the last 1/4 of the calendar, to a rather specialized pair of collectibles. As far as pop culture icons go, these are two of the biggies in the past thirty years, especially to the rapidly-aging Generation X. This is also, strangely, a guy-oriented collectible (probably all the guns and busty characters), one of the few where a guy can devote a whole room to non-sports collectibles and not have his buddies nudge-nudge about it. “Hey guys, wanna come over for the game? Oh, and I got some great new carnival-glass candy dishes I gotta show you!” The ‘grown-up playing with toys’ stigma has faded in the past decades — especially now that those toys are worth a pretty penny.

8. Kewpie Dolls. This one surprised me, because it’s not a common collectible, but it’s got all the hallmarks of a good collection: common but not everywhere; a cultural connection that most people can identify; quality and age makes for a nice range of price; and a variety of styles to keep it interesting. With such a long production timeline and their share of knockoffs, research is always a good idea; a Kewpie price guide, is always a help.

9. Western & Cowboy Decor. Cowboy stuff has always been a popular decorating motif, as the article points out, but there’s a bunch more to western & cowboy collecting than just the decor: Marx’s Johnny West action-figure series, silent cowboy movies, comic books, Louis Lamour novels — and, depending on how they’re used, can count as decor if you’re that interested in defining your collection that way. As with the Star-Something collectibles, this is largely a guy-focused like of collecting, although moms (like my Wifey) are often attracted to it when setting up a newborn boy’s bedroom. The romanticism and fantasy-world of the cowboy, train-robberies and indian-oppression aside, appeals to a very deep American vein in many people.

10. My Little Pony. If all the modern-pop-culture collectibles seem to be boy-focused, here’s a shining example of where girls — sorry — women can relive their happy fantasies of childhood through their collections. My Little Pony is a long-running example (we bought a new one for my niece last month), but there were loads of these toys in the 1980s when marketers began to really catch on to the focusing of fantasy-toys, combined with colorful cartoons, marketed directly to young girls. Remember, pre-seventies the toys for girls tended to be fantasies of their own impending adulthood (Barbie, tea sets, baby dolls), so a chubby rubber pony with rainbow hair and a birthday cake branded on its butt is quite a left turn from a peeing baby doll. Rainbow Brite, the Smurfs, Popples, Care Bears, Jem — there’s so many to pick from, it shouldn’t be hard to pick a favorite and run with it. While girl play-time involved far less smashing with bricks and firecrackers than boy toys, they weren’t as careful as one might have ideally expected…not as many toys survived as you might think.

It’s a question that every action figure collector asks themselves :

“I love posable action figures, but they’re for kids! What can I do to make my collection more… classy? You know, besides wearing a monocle while I smash Captain America into The Incredible Hulk?”

While playable action figures usually make up the core of any comic nerd’s collection, our favorite superheroes don’t exist only in plastic. Indeed, we can often find out superheroes in such mediums as polystone, resin, various die-cast metals and most recently, even lead – the deadliest of all elements!

Okay, maybe not the deadliest, because I’m pretty sure that the radiation poisoning of uranium is pretty far up there. And the explosive potential of raw potassium might singe a few hairs. And one gram of polonium killing 50 million people isn’t good news either. But man, lead can mess you up if you eat it. Sweet, delicious lead.

The Classic Marvel Figurine Collection has been around since 2005 in the UK, produced by Eaglemoss Publishing. While toy regulations in the United States don’t really smile upon making characters that are ostensibly geared towards children out of pure lead (or even with the slightest hint of lead paints), they’ve only recently been imported to the US through the machinations of Diamond Comics Distributors. Each lead figurine stands at about 4 inches tall (but are properly scaled for larger and smaller characters), is fully painted, and comes in a solid collectors’ box. Each is also accompanied by an informative magazine, detailing the history of the character. Some of the larger characters, like The Hulk and Juggernaut, actually weigh in at over one pound each – a significant weight for a 5” figure of solid metal.

The small scale keeps these figures relatively simple, and the paint is pretty much average in quality, but that doesn’t stop them from being great display pieces. With over 80 planned or in production, they’ll all make for a formidable display – just make sure it’s on something sturdy, and don’t forget to wash your hands after handling these! They’re made of death!

One concern of comic memorabilia collectors, when seeing a new line of items based on a particular comic universe, is the diversity of characters that will be produced. We don’t want 15 different Wolverine figures (I’m talking to you, Art Asylum) – we want a full array of X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and a whole bunch of popular and obscure villains. Eaglemoss has made some excellent choices in the character array we’re being given, and after about 80 announced and produced figures, the array of characters is staggering and fun.

These are all sculpted in iconic poses, so they’re not dynamic and ready for action – but they are classy. And I define classy by ‘could I kill an intruder into my home with this item?’ The answer is yes, if not through outright bludgeoning, the debilitating effects of lead poisoning would surely get to them eventually. We’ll see how they like hyperactivity, irritability and violent tendencies! That’ll learn ‘em to suffer from things they’re already probably suffering from!

Instead of importing these directly from the UK and paying hefty shipping charges, I patiently away the four or five that arrive in the states each month. So far, numbers 1 through 12, 30 through 41, and The Incredible Hulk and Juggernaut special editions have been released here, with my long-awaited Iron Man being one of the more recent releases. As far as heroes go, they’re some of the classier things you could decorate your shelves with.

Check out my complete gallery of US-released figures in our Community Section, as well as the collections of other Classic Figurine collectors!