Lot # 1254: 1950s Gibbs-Conner Brooklyn Dodgers Bum Exceedingly Rare 25” Promotional Porcelain Mascot Statue

Move over Godzilla and make room for this monster of a baseball figure! This 25” behemoth is a 1950s Gibbs-Conner porcelain statue of the celebrated Brooklyn Dodgers Bum mascot. Intended as a point-of-sale promotional piece, this exceedingly rare statue is an all-out magnificent find, ready to tear the auction world apart. This big brother would certainly have drawn attention to Gibbs-Conner’s standard line of banks and cookie jars had it made it to a store display counter in the charming, sedate Borough of Brooklyn. You have to wonder if it would have survived the refined, yet fervid local fans, who frequently expressed their affection for the hometown nine with the epithet “Dem Bums.”

Terms of endearment aside, this nearly pristine mascot statue is a marvel of preservation. Loaded with charm right down to the cigar butt protruding from the right corner of the mouth, this remarkable survivor is radiant in his classic Dodgers uniform, topped off by a sideways cap lettered in white with “Bums.” A “GC” logo is cleverly impressed on the bat, where a factory labeling brand would ordinarily be located. Wear is negligible, and the only thing standing in the way of calling this statue perfect are factory firing flaws, including a hairline groove impression on the top of the base. These inherent production flaws are not wear, as they occurred during production. The paint is bold, and the glaze has a fresh appeal, with no signs of crazing detected. Diligent research has turned up just one other example of this rare piece, which sold 18 years ago for a very healthy price, despite being reported as requiring glue to reattach the feet to the base. The handsome fellow offered here needs no such attention, seeking only to make a loving owner proud.

The standard sized example shown in the secondary images is intended to show scale only and is not included as part of this offering.

The size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot. Local pickup is encouraged.