Welcome to my blog, featuring various pieces from my collection of Oz books, artwork and memorabilia!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Ozzy Merchandise

Over the years, quite a variety of Oz merchandise has been created. A great many of these items have been inspired by the classic 1939 MGM film, which is an area that I don't really collect. However, I do enjoy running across vintage pieces that are not particularly film related, but refer back to the original books. Here are a couple dating back to my own childhood:

The fabric shown on the left was produced in the late 1950s - early 60s, and sold as yardage for customers to use for various purposes. This piece was recently given to me by a friend - his grandmother had used it as a coverlet/bedspread on a child's bed. Dorothy is wearing silver shoes, and the characters certainly aren't based on their movie counterparts - or on any particular book illustrations. I think it's a charming example, and my favorite among the various Oz fabrics that have been produced.

Paint by number pictures have become a popular collectible. I don't collect them myself, but couldn't resist this particular one, which is intriguing. It includes the Sawhorse from The Marvelous Land of Oz and a young boy (possibly Tip?). The characters are a little more generic, particularly Dorothy who looks remarkably like Alice from Wonderland, but the inclusion of a character from a later book is rather unique. This piece seems to date from sometime in the late 60s/early 70s, and the couple examples I've seen have all had the same frame - it must have been included in the kit!

2 comments:

Donielle said...

I used to have that picture on my wall as a child in the late 70s. I wish I could find one for my daugters room.

Bill Campbell said...

They do turn up on eBay on occasion - it's a fun little picture.