OLD BILLY CANT BILLIKEN CHARACTER GOOD LUCK FIGURINE
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
OLD BILLY CANT BILLIKEN CHARACTER GOOD LUCK FIGURINE:
$24.99
Please look closely at the picture,read all of the description and terms carefully,and ask any questions you have before offerding.
tpnc#g849Don\'t miss your chance to offer on this or our other interesting sales!See all of our current sales.Please read more about our company and policies.Please be prompt with payment.Thank you for looking & Good Luck!An Old Plaster Billy Can't - Billiken Character Good Luck FigurineDescription
The picture shows three views of this Old Plaster Billy Can't - Billiken Character Good Luck Figurine. The figure is not dated but it is believed to be from the early 1900s. The figurine is of the naked Billiken good luck character and it has him sitting on a chamber pot or toilet and with a play on the name ''Billy Can't'' is on the base. It is an interesting character with a history (see below). The figurine measures about 3-5/8'' tall. It appears to be in good condition with some old wear as pictured. Below here, for reference, is some background information found on the Billiken character:
Billiken
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Billiken was a charm doll created by an American art teacher and illustrator, Ms. Florence Pretz of St. Louis, Missouri, who is said to have seen the mysterious figure in a dream. In 1908 she patented the Billiken who was elf like with pointed ears, a mischievous smile and a tuft of hair on his pointed head. His arms were short and he was generally sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him. One point on Billiken luck: To buy a Billiken gives the purchaser luck, but to have one given to you is better luck. The Billiken was one of the first copyrighted dolls and the first likenesses of the Billiken, banks and statues, were produced in 1909. After a few years of popularity, like many other fad toys, the Billiken faded into obscurity. The Billiken should not be confused with baby like Kewpie figures that debuted in the December 1909 Ladies' Home Journal.
Today, the Billiken is the official mascot of Saint Louis University and St. Louis University High, both Jesuit institutions, and both located in St. Louis. Many current on-line articles about the Billikens are based on an article by anthropologist Dorothy Jean Ray that first appeared in Alaska Sportsman (now Alaska) in 1960, with an updated version in Alaska Journal in 1973.
The Billiken sprang from the height of the ''Mind Cure'' craze in the United States at the start of the twentieth century. It represented the ''no worry'' ideal, and was a huge hit. Variations appeared, such as the ''Teddy Billiken Doll'' and the Billycan/Billycan't pair (to drive petty problems away). The Billiken helped touch off the doll craze of the era.
In its heyday, the Billiken enjoyed worldwide celebrity. In America he became the athletic mascot of Saint Louis University, because the figure was said to resemble coach John R. Bender. The school's athletic teams remain the Billikens to this day. A bronze statue of the Billiken stands in front of the Chaifetz Arena on the Saint Louis University Campus. A junior version of the Billiken became the mascot of nearby Saint Louis University High School; a stainless steel statue of the Junior Billiken stands adjacent to the Danis Fieldhouse, on the St. Louis University High School Campus. Bud Billiken was a youth club mascot for the Chicago Defender, and was created in 1923. At least two Billiken themed songs were recorded, including ''Billiken Rag'' and the ''Billiken Man Song.''
The billiken, as a good luck charm, appears multiple times in the Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor movie Waterloo Bridge. It is employed as a device that both prompts recollections of the male lead, Robert Taylor, and that links several scenes within the movie as the plot unfolds.
The Billiken made its Japanese debut in 1908. A statue was installed in the uppermost level of the original Tsutenkaku Tower as it was opened to the public in 1912. When the nearby Luna Park was closed in 1925, the tower's Billiken statue disappeared. In 1980, a replacement statue made its appearance in a new Tsutenkaku Tower that was built in 1956.
Use as Mascot for Other Sports Teams
The Billiken was the team nickname for three minor league professional baseball teams: the Montgomery Billikens of the 1910 Southern Association (a Class A league that ran from 1902 - 1935), the Bay City Billikens of the 1911 and 1912 Southern Michigan League (a league that dwelled in several classifications between 1906 and 1912), and the McLeansboro Billikens of the 1910 Kentucky Illinois Tennessee League (''KITTY League''), (a Class D professional baseball league that ran from 1903 until 1955). McLeansboro is a strongly Roman Catholic community located 116 miles from St. Louis. Williamsville South also uses the Billiken, and uses the actual charm as a smoking device in the sports shed.
Billiken in Alaska
In 1909, the Billiken began its appearance in souvenir shops of Alaska. In Nome, Alaska, an Eskimo carver by the name Angokwazhuk copied a Billiken figurine in ivory brought to him by a merchant. Since that first appearance in Alaska, some Eskimo carvers began to include the billiken in the collection of figurines they created. By the 1960s the Billiken was ubiquitous in larger Alaskan cities like Anchorage, and heavily touristed areas. Billikens were often carved from Alaskan ivory and were used in jewelry and knick knacks. Often these souvenirs were accompanied by printed, romanticized Billiken lore. In Anchorage, the name was also adopted by merchants, as in the Billiken Drive In movie theater.
This would make a great collector gift or addition to any Plaster, Billiken, Character, Good Luck, Figurine, Figure, Statue, Novelty, Mascot, Sports or Bathroom collection!
Shipping and Handling
The U.S. Postal Service is used exclusively on all of our sales.
International Buyers Please Note: Please pay after receiving our e-mailed invoice or an invoice with your correct shipping and handling cost.Outside the United States the cost will be more then the above price. The cost to your country will be determined after the sale ends or you can send us a message with your mailing address. Any Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. We have no control over your country\'s Customs fees. These charges are the buyer\'s responsibility. Please check with your country\'s Customs Office to determine what these additional costs, if any, will be prior to offerding. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up. Do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. We mark merchandise values on the Customs form for the exact price and we do not mark items as gifts. United States and International government regulations prohibit such behavior for merchandise from a business.
PaymentThe high buyer agrees to make payment within ten (10) days of the end of this sale.
To comply with \'s payment policy, we are sorry to say that we can no longer accept a MO or checks for our sales. Your payment must now be made by a PayPal payment or by a major credit card through PayPal. You do not need to have a PayPal account to make a credit card payment with PayPal.
.
Use the FREE Counters 1 million sellers do - Vendio!
OLD BILLY CANT BILLIKEN CHARACTER GOOD LUCK FIGURINE:
$24.99