Rare Vintage Harold Gale Elf Department Store Display Christmas Pointed Ear

Description: Up for your consideration: This rare vintage Harold Gale Store Display Elf figurine is acharming addition to any Christmas decor. With its pointed ears and longupturned nose, it exudes a playful and festive vibe. The figurine is made froma variety of materials, his hands, face and body are all made of a paper Machecomposition material and hand painted making it a unique and collectible item. Hestands approximately 25” tall and in very good vintage condition. He has a little paint loss on his face and behindhis ears. (See pictures) The fabric on his gloved hands are also beginning toshow wear. Overall and considering hisage he is in great condition. He hasbeen well cared for. Please view all ofmy pictures for his condition and feel free to e-mail me.A little History: So, who wasHarold Gale and how did he make a name for himself selling Santa’s?It’s a Kansas City Christmasstory we think you’ll enjoy.Thehusband-and-wife team of Harold and Viola Gale began making Santa Claus figuresout of their midtown apartment around 1946. Harold had worked as a displaymanager for the Woolf Brothers clothing store, where he designed custom Santa’sfor holiday window displays. When other Woolf store locations sought hisservices for their Christmas displays, Gale and his wife were inspired to filla market niche by starting their own business.TheGale home was a veritable Santa’s workshop as, nights and weekends, theyassembled wire-framed figures by hand, painted composite faces, and sewed Santasuits. As sales grew, the couple saved enough to rent a room inside theManhattan building at 728 Main Street. Soon, the operation expanded to 18rooms.With their business turning aprofit, the Gales were also able to purchase a small house in the Westwoodneighborhood near the Country Club Plaza.Likea child’s Christmas wish list, their company continued to grow. By 1957, theGales had relocated the factory six blocks south to a four-story warehouse at13th and Main streets. The larger space was needed to house thousands of squarefeet of lumber, wire, plastic molds, rolls of velvet, and corrugated boxes –essential components in their successful Santa-making enterprise.Asmany as 40 employees worked in the plant assembling the Santa’s and otherholiday figures. Viola Gale had a hands-on role in production, overseeing thedesign, sewing, and cutting of fabric and sculpting of plastic molds.The post-World War II BabyBoom era brought a high demand for children’s toys to be placed under Christmastrees and in stockings. Santa dolls were especially popular gifts. The Galecompany was well positioned to enter the burgeoning retail doll market, but notwithout competition from other manufacturer.PreownedProfessionalPackagingPlease feel free to ask any questionsThank you for your interestNOTE: I am not anexpert, so please inspect all the pictures as they are the best description Ican provide of these vintage items. Please see my seller ratings I do my bestto describe and represent the items I sell, but again I am not an expert so Iprovided pictures so you can determine if an item meets your needs and qualityexpectations. Most of the items I list are from local estate sales and I cannottell you what condition they were stored in before I received them. Thanks forlooking! Shipping price is for the lower 48 States ONLY! Please use mypictures as part of my description.SMOKE FREE, PET FREE HOMENo returns / shipsvia USPS to the USA only.Thank you forviewing my auction!*Please email me withany questions before bidding. I will be happy to answer themas soon as possible.SORRY, I NO LONGER ACCEPT OVERSEAS BIDS International Bid must bepurchased using Global ShippingPayment Info: I accept payments made through PayPal, and/or MO. All Payments must be received within 3 days of close of auction.Please contact me if you need a little more time to feel free to contact me.

Price: 1800 USD

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri

End Time: 2024-12-05T01:04:00.000Z

Shipping Cost: 58.65 USD