Thursday, September 03, 2009

Operation Snoopy: The Find

I was driving in Hollywood last week when I saw Snoopy lying on the road.

That is, the toy pictured above had been tossed on the street in front of a garbage can. Now I'm not generally a fan of picking crap off the street. But I am a fan of (1) Peanuts, (2) toys, and (3) free stuff.

Even from my car, I recognized this version of Snoopy as his 60's/70's incarnation, making it a vintage toy. I doubled back and rescued the dog.

Upon closer inspection, Snoopy was in remarkably good shape. No dings or dents, and the paint job was mostly intact. Imprinted on the bottom of his left foot was: © 1958, 66 UNITED FEATURE SYND and the logo of the manufacturer (either "KTC" or "KTE").

I could only find one online reference to this particular toy; an toy store says it's from 1969 and is charging $45 for theirs.

But there's no way my new favorite toy is ending up on eBay. It found me for a reason, and it's staying with me.

Up next: The restoration effort begins!

23 comments:

Kyle Baker said...

Awesome find! Perhaps it should become our "rally monkey" for the stretch run?

rbnlaw said...

DB:
Bite your tongue.

Alex Cora said...

That's how I got my couch.

Ken said...

I love collecting toys~

especially vintage

Weird someone just threw it out. Prolly some wife mad at her husband.

Steve Sax said...

That's funny, I just found a tattered blanket on the street. Do you think it belongs to Linus?

Fred's Brim said...

awesome! how big is he?

rbnlaw said...

I still remind my brother that he was the one who buried my entire collection of Matchbox cars (the real ones made in England back in the 60's) in our backyard and forgot where.

That collection would be worth some dough.

eric nusbaum said...

@ alex cora:

That's how I found my girlfriend.

Nostradamus said...

@rbnlaw

Don't tell my brother. He once scoured an entire field in Indiana with a metal detector because of a family legend that someone had buried gold there.

Eric Karros said...

I once came home and found $10 stuck to the bottom of my shoe. That was a good day.

Orel said...

@FB "awesome! how big is he?"

Bigger than he looks in the picture — about 9" tall.

Nostradamus said...

EK,

I've gone to lunch with people I forgot owed me money twice this week. Christmas in September.

Fred's Brim said...

looks like he's got swivel arms, legs and neck and a kung-fu grip

Orel said...

Don't mess with the Snoop.

Kyle Baker said...

Whoa...the Matchbox cars reference caused me to spit Diet DP out my nose. I had the same thing happen when I was a kid. Somewhere in a modest subdivision in Conway, AR, lies a treasure trove of vintage Matchbox cars buried alive by my asshole "friend."

Now all the ones I have left are crappy Hot Wheels that are all chipped and beat up from me simulating crashes and smashing them into each other. [For the record, I did that when I was 11, but don't do it currently.]

Kyle Baker said...

Snoop's upside your head, indeed.

karina said...

Orel, we have lots of things in common . Peanuts is one of them.

I'm glad Snoopy found a home. Would you please post pictures of the restoration process?

Orel said...

That's the plan! Part 2 is next week.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

I have a vintage Bart Simpson doll I found at a donation shop.

karina said...

Awesome Orel!. I'm thinking in what kind of person would leave Snoopy homeless. How can not remember the Flying Ace, Joe Cool, Scout, baseball player,writer, friend?.

That Snoopy needs a Woodstock.

Orel said...

Woodstock rules!

MLASF, send pix!

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

@Orel- Sure thing

Trolley Dodger said...

Speaking as someone with a Snoopy tattoo, I applaud this on multiple levels. :)