I am a sucker for antique figures as everyone knows but new figures I have always had a problem purchasing. I am not saying I have not purchased new figures it just bothers me because for the most part they are usable tools but not collectible.
At quite a few ConVENTions Helen would always gravitate to Jimmy Eisenberg’s table and say to me ” You should get one of his figures.” I would always say if it were old!! Helen liked them and I never did purchase one that is until just recently. Helen would be happy.
I was contacted by Ken Groves and he informed me he had a figure made by Jimmy and wanted to know if I had one in the Ventriloquist Central Collection. I told him I didn’t and he let me know that he had one that needed a new home. Well that figure is now here in the Ventriloquist Central Collection.
This particular fellow has crossing eyes, slot jaw and a squirting flower. His clothing is all hand made and he is seated on a travel trunk with the travel stickers to prove it. Not quite as unusual as some of Mr. Eisenberg’s figures but unmistakably his work.
Thanks Ken for making Helen’s wish come true posthumously.
Click here to see more photos of Jimmy Eisenberg’s Ventriloquist Sideshow Figure
Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com
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Ventriloquist Central is the brainchild of Dan Willinger and Steve Hurst. Dan is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. He created the Ventriloquist Central Collection. It now has over 100 ventriloquist figures and over 50 of them are Frank Marshall figures. Steve is a ventriloquist as well as builder of ventriloquist figures. He also has a background in sales, marketing, building websites and computers. Because they both love the art of ventriloquism, the website Ventriloquist Central was born. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com
Copyright 2013 by Dan Willinger and Steve Hurst
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Dan, I firmly believe that Jimmy’s figures will someday become quite valuable as collectors items because of their quality and total uniqueness. In addition, Jimmy doesn’t make that many of them each year. I’m a big Jimmy Eisenberg fan. This figure is an extraordinary addition to your collection.
Ditto that. (I was scrolling down to leave a similar comment.) I love Jimmy’s work. His characters look like nobody else but you can see the spirit of old Vaudeville in them. One day, the right ventriloquist is going to meet the right Eisenberg figure and make it a super star. (I hope it’s me, but I can’t afford one, yet.)