The first toys are the best toys
June 22, 2012 8:22 PM Subscribe
Can you help me find (a) Mr. Bun? Beloved childhood toy, gone these many years....
Someone gave me Mr. Bun when I was wee, and I loved him with all my heart. He was actually a plastic piggy bank (odd toy, but I was an odd child) and left behind in one of many early childhood moves. Lately I've been thinking I'd like to find another large yellow plastic rabbit piggy bank on eBay or something, but needless to say google's not much help with this.
If anyone will know, MeFi will.... thanks from 2-year-old me.
Someone gave me Mr. Bun when I was wee, and I loved him with all my heart. He was actually a plastic piggy bank (odd toy, but I was an odd child) and left behind in one of many early childhood moves. Lately I've been thinking I'd like to find another large yellow plastic rabbit piggy bank on eBay or something, but needless to say google's not much help with this.
If anyone will know, MeFi will.... thanks from 2-year-old me.
Response by poster: Sadly, no. And I should have been clearer ... only an exact Mr. Bun (his brand name was probably not Mr. Bun) will do. No other large yellow plastic rabbit piggy banks need apply.
I hope he has a lot of tooth marks like my Bun did, too.
posted by cyndigo at 9:12 PM on June 22, 2012
I hope he has a lot of tooth marks like my Bun did, too.
posted by cyndigo at 9:12 PM on June 22, 2012
1. That is not the innocuous, cutesy image search one might imagine.
2. You might try these Flickr pools/groups - they have members representing various interest levels in vintage Easter and someone might be able to help you.
3. I thought it was this guy for a bit, but that's clearly all wrong.
4. It seems like this should be so much easier to find! I remember these being in thrift stores forever, and it seemed like you could still get them at Woolworth's and the like up into the mid-'70s, at least.
posted by batmonkey at 9:21 PM on June 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
2. You might try these Flickr pools/groups - they have members representing various interest levels in vintage Easter and someone might be able to help you.
3. I thought it was this guy for a bit, but that's clearly all wrong.
4. It seems like this should be so much easier to find! I remember these being in thrift stores forever, and it seemed like you could still get them at Woolworth's and the like up into the mid-'70s, at least.
posted by batmonkey at 9:21 PM on June 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
I can't find Mr Bun but I would bet he was made by Reliable Toys. What do you think? For comparison, lion and puppy.
posted by oflinkey at 9:46 PM on June 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by oflinkey at 9:46 PM on June 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: You guys are amazing! The Reliable is close, but batmonkey's links led me to blowmolds by A.J. Renzi. Can't find Mr. Bun but they seem to have made a lot of really large plastic banks in a similar style. So maybe he's a Renzi? I'll try the Flickr pools, too.
The photo was taken in 1967, I think.
I know it's a dumb hunt, but there are no toys from my childhood and I *really* loved that rabbit.
posted by cyndigo at 10:28 PM on June 22, 2012
The photo was taken in 1967, I think.
I know it's a dumb hunt, but there are no toys from my childhood and I *really* loved that rabbit.
posted by cyndigo at 10:28 PM on June 22, 2012
It looks like like there's one on etsy but it's pink. I would keep an eye on etsy though, stuff like that pops up frequently.
posted by kendrak at 11:08 PM on June 22, 2012
posted by kendrak at 11:08 PM on June 22, 2012
Mr. Bun was wearing a top hat, wasn't he? As people are pulling up hatless buns, it might be worthwhile to note that.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:27 PM on June 22, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:27 PM on June 22, 2012 [3 favorites]
Why not talk to some vintage toy dealers in your area? They might charge you a small fee for their time, but they would most likely be able to at least tell you what make/model Mr. Bun might have been.
posted by emjaybee at 12:35 AM on June 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by emjaybee at 12:35 AM on June 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
I had that same rabbit, I think. I can't seem to find one for sale anywhere on the internet, but I would suggest you keep trying. It seems like those guys were ubiquitous during my childhood (early-mid 1970s.)
Searching for "Plastic Easter Rabbit" did get me some top-hatted bunnies (though not a match). And I do think you are correct - the Renzi molds I have seen look exactly like your Mr. Bun.
I imagine they do come on the market from time to time, and one is sure to pop up sometime. Don't give up. I do know someone who collects this sort of thing - I can ask if he has one or has seen one.
posted by louche mustachio at 3:55 AM on June 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
Searching for "Plastic Easter Rabbit" did get me some top-hatted bunnies (though not a match). And I do think you are correct - the Renzi molds I have seen look exactly like your Mr. Bun.
I imagine they do come on the market from time to time, and one is sure to pop up sometime. Don't give up. I do know someone who collects this sort of thing - I can ask if he has one or has seen one.
posted by louche mustachio at 3:55 AM on June 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
Nope
Nope
But even if we don't find him immediately, you have the tools to do so :
You know he was made in the 1950s-1960s
You know the technique (blow mold)
You have some good leads on the company that made him (also try Rosbro; they seem to have some similar designs)
And you have a bunch of internet people keeping an eye out for him.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:42 AM on June 23, 2012 [2 favorites]
Nope
But even if we don't find him immediately, you have the tools to do so :
You know he was made in the 1950s-1960s
You know the technique (blow mold)
You have some good leads on the company that made him (also try Rosbro; they seem to have some similar designs)
And you have a bunch of internet people keeping an eye out for him.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:42 AM on June 23, 2012 [2 favorites]
I don't know about it being a Renzi; the Renzi Mr. Bun I found looks different from your Mr. Bun.
posted by misha at 8:19 PM on June 23, 2012
posted by misha at 8:19 PM on June 23, 2012
That Renzi looks an awful lot like this Rosbro., sans pants.
I haven't found any Renzi rabbits that look like Mr. Bun, but some of their other figures have very similar features (I am especially thinking of the eyes and the way that the ears and hat are molded together.)
posted by louche mustachio at 12:11 AM on June 24, 2012
I haven't found any Renzi rabbits that look like Mr. Bun, but some of their other figures have very similar features (I am especially thinking of the eyes and the way that the ears and hat are molded together.)
posted by louche mustachio at 12:11 AM on June 24, 2012
Getting somewhat warmer, although this guy is a bit shorter than your Bun.
posted by louche mustachio at 1:46 AM on June 24, 2012
posted by louche mustachio at 1:46 AM on June 24, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for the continuing help! I've emailed almost every dealer linked and a few vintage toy dealers. I promise that when Mr. Bun and I are reunited, I'll post the embarrassing photographic proof.
posted by cyndigo at 2:05 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by cyndigo at 2:05 PM on June 24, 2012
Does this duck bank look similar?
It might help, since it's a little hard to see Mr. Bun's face, but from what I can tell from the body posture and eyes, they appear to be from the same series. Unfortunately, the auction doesn't say who the manufacturer is.
This image from that auction brought back some pretty visceral memories of the smell of dirt and plastic and of satisfying thumping sounds. And the flavor of al dente ears.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:27 PM on June 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
It might help, since it's a little hard to see Mr. Bun's face, but from what I can tell from the body posture and eyes, they appear to be from the same series. Unfortunately, the auction doesn't say who the manufacturer is.
This image from that auction brought back some pretty visceral memories of the smell of dirt and plastic and of satisfying thumping sounds. And the flavor of al dente ears.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:27 PM on June 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by SLC Mom at 9:06 PM on June 22, 2012