I was never a big fan of Hopalong Cassidy when growing up in the '50s/'60s but you can't collect badge's without having at least one Hoppy badge. This one is interesting in that it's not a heavy cast metal badge, but rather a thin stamped metal cereal premium badge measuring 1 3/4" (4.44cm) W. Enjoy! Opa Fritz
This is the last badge in my collection to feature for now, the Wild Bill Hickok Marshall Badge from an unknown manufacturer. It's unusual in that it uses a clip instead of a pin making it both a money clip or clip-on badge. It's the fairly standard 2" across, 6-pointed star but has a gold-tone insert with a relief of Wild Bill who was played by Guy Madison in the "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" TV series which ran from 1951 - 1958 and co-starred the gravely-voiced Andy Devine as his sidekick 'Jingles'. Alongside the Lone Ranger, Rin Tin Tin, The Cisco Kid, and Roy Rogers, this was one of my absolute favorites growing up in the '50s!
I may or may not add another badge or two to the collection. The last TV tie-in I would need (and the only other Western TV tie-in badge that I'm aware of) is the Marshall Matt Dillon/Gunsmoke badge. There's only two problems: a) the show was never a favorite of mine, although I did watch it occasionally, and b) original toy badges from that era are expensive. Still, if a few dinero's trickled my way maybe I'll pick one up. Enjoy! Opa Fritz
I find myself in somewhat of a lull right now with all my series' having been posted. That being said, my collection of Old West badges has a grown over the past month with the addition of these two Lone Ranger badges by Lone Ranger Inc.. "Lone Ranger, Inc." is a Michigan corporation which apparently began in 1933 by radio broadcasting copyrighted dramatic serial stories and is responsible for the licensing of Lone Ranger-related products. This set of two 6-pointed 2" wide badges was made - I believe - in the '50s when the Lone Ranger was at his height of popularity. For those growing up in the '30's through '60s, that show - either on radio or television - was one of the highlights of the week. The radio show starred several people in the title role, but it was Clayton Moore's portrayal of the masked Ranger that is most remembered and most loved.
There were so many Lone Ranger products manufactured that it's a monumental task just collecting products with his name on it. I have Marx's tin-litho 'Silver City' streetfront, a couple of plastic figures I believe to have been made in Mexico, and now these two badges. The badges are in silver-tone and gold-tone with six points and measure a standard 2" (5.08cm) across. Enjoy! Opa Fritz
Here's two identical toy made-in-Japan pin-back 'Deputy Sheriff' badges. I'm guessing these were made in the '60s - maybe '70s(?), because that was the heyday of made-in-Japan tin toys. Of course I could be totally off base with my guess but what the heck. These badges are five pointed stars and have no maker's logo on the badge itself and the packaging for each one is nearly identical. The one in the header card bag has the mark of a bird flanked by the letters "I" & "S" inside a diamond. I have a 20-page list of Japanese makers marks and couldn't find any reference to this company. The second badge is missing its header bag but the backer card is only marked "Japan". Enjoy! Opa Fritz
Among my Old West toys is a small collection of toy badges, a couple of which have already been posted here on the blog. This recent acquisition is a really nice pin-back Marshall's badge measuring 2" (5.08cm) across. It's cast metal vs. tin litho like some of my other badges and as a toy it is pretty substantial as you can tell by the photos. And that makes me wonder if this was actually a toy! A real badge maybe? A movie prop? There are no maker's marks anywhere and there is no badge number on it so your guess is as good as mine! Enjoy! Opa Fritz
