12 replies to this topic

[CaffeineSanta]

Found both of these at the flea market today. on the base of the robot reads "Made in Hong Kong", so no mystery there, just curious if it's a bootleg of something else, or if it comes from .25 cent machines, and potentially what year it's from. 
 photo 1.JPG   108.98K   63 downloads

 

The second one is made of rubber, no markings, and appears to be something from the overtly racist era of the early 1900's. I'm taking a risk posting this here assuming that everyone here on the boards is mature enough to understand what I'm saying. Just hoping to get some info on the era it's from. 

 photo 2.JPG   133.14K   79 downloads

Edited by be9ine, 09 November 2014 - 01:36 PM.

[CaffeineSanta]

UPDATE: Frank from Little Weirdos ID'd the robot over on FB - he's from "Moon Platoon". 

Edited by be9ine, 09 November 2014 - 01:55 PM.

[Sixthwizard]

Are you assuming because of the lips, it's a racist heirloom?

Weird.

Edited by Sixthwizard, 09 November 2014 - 02:52 PM.

[Rubberhammer]

The grass skirt, and anklets, coupled with the top hat, kind of makes me think of a stereotypical version of a Hougan voodoo priest.

[OldGamer84]

I love how you titled your thread.... A million pictures flooded my mind before I clicked it and I must admit that the tiny rubberized ministrel show was tamer than I was expecting....  However, my googling skills have failed to help figure out what it is called or where it is from...Sorry.

[CaffeineSanta]

Kind of figured this was the direction the post might go. Here are some examples of what I'm referring to when I say "overtly racist era of the early 1900's". Keep in mind, these are other peoples websites, not something I'm making up, claiming, or looking too deeply in to - there was in fact a time when racist collectables were bought and sold en masse. 
​http://usslave.blogs...nical-toys.html

And probably the site with the most info:

​http://www.collector...ack-memorabilia

And here's an eBay search for "black memorabilia", a term that I found on one of the aforementioned websites (not a term I coined). 
​http://www.ebay.com/...abilia&_sacat=0

Edited by be9ine, 09 November 2014 - 06:16 PM.

[CaffeineSanta]

I love how you titled your thread.... A million pictures flooded my mind before I clicked it and I must admit that the tiny rubberized ministrel show was tamer than I was expecting....  However, my googling skills have failed to help figure out what it is called or where it is from...Sorry.

Minstrel is the term I'm looking for, thank you. Anyone misunderstanding why I thought this toy looked like something form a casually racist era, google the word "Minstrel".

Edited by be9ine, 09 November 2014 - 06:19 PM.

[OldGamer84]

True, but I think Rubberhammer is on the right track.  It does look like a voodoo priest now that I think about it.

[CaffeineSanta]

Agreed. So does anyone know what year flat rubber Hougan Voodoo Priests were manufactured?...

[Rubberhammer]

I knew a minstrel was a European bard of old, but the other...

Well, you learn something new every day, I guess.

[CaffeineSanta]

Indeed.

[bachamn]

there was in fact a time when racist collectables were bought and sold en masse. 
 

there's still a pretty active market for them as well. I play a "find the most racist thing" game with my girlfriend every time we go into an antique store. I've never found fewer than two candidates, and most are way more offensive than this little dude you've posted here. Hell, even the next mandarake zenbu auction is featuring a number of figures I'd include in that category.

[CaffeineSanta]

Glad I'm not the only one who recognizes this trend! There is an antique mall in the next town over with an entire section of early 1900's racial memorabilia. It's a little shocking, both for the blatant exploitation the merchandise presents, as well as the idea that this is someones personal collection of such items.