Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

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nostalgia
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Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by nostalgia »

I today could not resist buying a Nipper figurine/statue, at what I felt was a very good price. I however have absolutely no clue if it is old or not, or genuine or not. Can someone tell a bit more about these statues, what to look for, and what to avoid? There are no stamps or anything on the statue showing who manufactured it etc. The height of the statue is approximately 16.5 inches, or 35 cm. It is rather heavy, and I guess made of plaster( or whatever material they use(d) for these statues). I have seen some different Nipper statues online, and the dog's expression is also differing on the different statues. I have compared the dog's face expression on my statue to the face expression and ears on some HMV metal signs that I have, and they don't necessarily match that well.
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gramophoneshane
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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by gramophoneshane »

I know very little about these, but I'm pretty sure the pre 30's made Nippers were made of paper mache, and by the 50's they were some sort of plastic or resin.
I've got one the same as yours, made of plaster and 35cm high (13.5" not 16.5") that came with my reproduction Trademark model, both of which I believe were made in Japan in the late 1970's or early 1980's.

I don't think originals made by HMV/Victor/RCA were ever made from solid plaster. I think they would have been deemed far too heavy for shop display purposes, but I may be wrong.

Something I just noticed too on our Nippers are the gold studs and name plate on his collar, which I'm not sure whether the originals had?
I'll have to search the internet, and posts made here by Jerry B (who's posted several restorations of originals) to see what their collars are like
Last edited by gramophoneshane on Tue Feb 16, 2021 1:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.

epigramophone
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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by epigramophone »

This 1000 page Collectors Guide to Nipper Souvenirs includes an entire chapter on models of Nipper in cardboard, plaster, papier-mache, plastic and china. Although out of print, new and used copies are plentiful and inexpensive.

The CLPGS Bookshop sells it for only £3 to members and £5 to non-members, which is cheaper than you are likely to find on eBay.
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gramophone-georg
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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by gramophone-georg »

That's a nice Nipper. These are being sold on eBay here in USA for a nice price and they go really well with a Trademark gramophone.
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nostalgia
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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by nostalgia »

Thank you for all feedbacks, I paid € 50 for the statue, so it could hardly be a loss after realizing how heavy it was. And it also does not look like a cheap China item. It looks very good as I see it, and will find its place close to a HMV/Victor horn gramophone ( IF I find more space here :roll: )
Thanks for the advice on the book too Roger, I have quite a long time wanted to buy this book, but unfortunately they say on the CLPGS website that they only accept cheque in Sterling, or International Money orders as payments, and none of these payment options are anymore available to be purchased in my area, since everything has gone digital here during the last few years, apart from cash ( that some banks also lobby on to have removed). I wish CLPGS also accepted Paypal in their shop, since they already accept Paypal for membership fees, it would have made everything much easier.

Wagnerian
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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by Wagnerian »

The CLPGS DOES accept Paypal for all Bookshop items, Reference Series and Centenary Cylinder sales.

Please contact the CLPGS Bookshop: bookshop@clpgs.org.uk for information on availability of the Nipper book, postage etc etc

All the best

Tim W-W

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nostalgia
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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by nostalgia »

Okay, thanks, then I will contact them. Then they have just not updated their website which says:
​For delivery to addresses outside the UK please request a postage quote from: bookshop@clpgs.org.uk
Payment by cheque in Sterling (GBP), or by International Money Order, made payable to CLPGS Ltd.

https://www.clpgs.org.uk/shop.html

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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by Wagnerian »

I'll ask to get the wording changed on the CLPGS web site to make it explicit that Paypal is welcomed for all sales. When one clicks on the "Add to Cart" button next to the item, it automatically takes you to an option to pay by Paypal.
However, thanks for pointing this out.
Regards
Tim W-W

gramophoneshane
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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by gramophoneshane »

nostalgia wrote: Wed Feb 17, 2021 3:54 am And it also does not look like a cheap China item.
No, it's definitely Japanese, as it's exactly the same as mine in every way.

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Re: Nipper figurine/statues, genuine or not...

Post by Steve »

Its not Japanese. These modern resin figures were I believe originally commissioned in the late 1980s by the Late Richard Taylor, here in the UK. At least that is what he told me back in 1992 when I bought my first of three from him.

They are not strictly speaking "reproductions", being made of resin, as the earlier type were made from papier mache and later of plaster, as Shane pointed out. They also look different. Personally, ignoring the age factor, I prefer the resin figures to the original papier mache. They really are quite life-like. Well done getting one. I'm not sure how often they come up for sale but back in the 90s they were literally everywhere in the UK. Everybody from gramophone dealers to radio dealers, antique shops (what a joke!) and flea markets had them.

Its possible that many other manufacturers around the world have now copied / used the moulds to reproduce more resin ones. With that said I'm not aware of any "new" examples being sold today, but they are out there in plentiful supply.

The weirdest one I've ever seen / owned was identical to yours but weighed a tonne when lifted. Upon further investigation I found out it was made from concrete!

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