A Warning on Selling Ventriloquist Figures

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Webmaster

I have written about this in the past but it has come to my attention that again there are some unscrupulous people contacting folks in the ventriloquist world trying to purchase ventriloquist figures.

I am giving you all this warning because I have had more than one experience with the same people making offers and then saying yes to purchasing and then not following through with the deal.

They have done this with another seller that relies totally on sales of both magic and ventriloquism for his income. They made a deal and then never followed through. It hurt this seller because he had to pay for listing that the sales never happened.

Always remember that an offer that sounds like it is too good to be true it is exactly that. Only a scammer or someone that is just playing games makes these outrageous offers. Anyone that will offer three or four times the value of something is not for real.

It seems these people rear their heads every six months or so, so PLEASE be aware if you are contacted to sell items and you have not offered them for sale publicly.

Enough said!! You have been warned.

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

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Dan Willinger 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. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2010 by Dan Willinger

NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com

Posted in Personal, Ventriloquism Course, Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Figures | 1 Comment

Ventriloquist Central wishes a Happy New Year to Our Jewish Friends

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Webmaster

Today is the start of the Jewish holiday called Rosh Hashanah or the New Year. For those that may not know about the holiday I have included a small summary of the holiday for you to read.

Jews throughout the world began preparing Wednesday for the three-week-long Jewish holiday season, which kicks of at sundown with the Jewish New Year.

According to the Jewish calendar, Thursday is the first day of the year 5,771, the number of years God since created the world.

Many of the 5.77 million Jews in Israel, and another 8 million elsewhere in the world, will begin the New Year with traditional festive dinners, during which an apple is dipped into honey to symbolize the hope for a sweet year.

While Jews traditionally wish each other a “shana tova,” or good year, they do not light fireworks, count backwards to midnight, or engage in any of the other gestures which are a feature of the Western, secular new year celebrations.

The New Year, or Rosh Hashanah last for two days from sundown Wednesday to sundown Friday, and marks the beginning of a ten-day period of prayer, introspection and repentance, culminating in the fast day of Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement – the holiest, most solemn day in the Jewish calendar.

So We at Ventriloquist Central wish a Happy Rosh Hashanah

 

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

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Dan Willinger 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. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2010 by Dan Willinger

NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com

Posted in Personal, Ventriloquist Central | 2 Comments

Frank Marshall Ventriloquist Figure Fools Even Me

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Webmaster

Two weeks ago we posted the email that came in to me from my friend Ony and he showed us his newest member to his posse of ventriloquist figures a Frank Marshall Ricky Tik (if you missed the blog, click here).

I looked at the pictures and said to myself wow another Marshall figure in the Philippines. I knew immediately that it was not Frank’s paint and also the mouth was a bit off (I thought Frank might have been drinking) but hey it was a Marshall Ricky figure.

Ony did us in as well a quite a few others and so I wanted to share his email to me explaining this figure…

 

 

Hi Dan,

Matt and I were talking and I told him of my interesting idea: what if I send you and some of our vent friends the Tik pictures WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING first about the figure. No info, just pictures.

I’d just say you’ll sure be interested with the pictures. And I told you you’ll chuckle for sure upon learning his story.

I also sent the pictures to a few of our vent friends, without saying anything first.

Then we were surprised to learn most of them thought this is pure Marshall, including you! Many guessed this is a Marshall, only one said it’s a Hartz.

When I finally revealed to them this is an exact replica that I made and painted, they were surprised.

Here is how the replica originally looked when it came to me.

rickietikcast

Matt said it’s a cast from an original Rickie Tik that he just painted casually. I cut the mouth out, created the inside of the mouth, the teeth, the simple mechanism inside (I only wanted a mouth movement) and the wooden control rod, and placed the plastic eyes I had. Finally I repainted him, while adding the “Marshall texture” on the skin, and put a nice wig on.

The body is made from an original Hartz body I have. I just made it smaller to accommodate the smaller Rickie Tik head. In the end he stands about 36″.

The product is a light-weight urethane Marshall I won’t be afraid (of breaking!) to use regularly, day in and day out, in any venue!

I was about to also email you the story when Matt wrote now in your blog. Thanks to Matt for this wonderful Marshall replica!

Thanks Dan for also “participating” in my little “guessing game” even though it’s not April Fool’s Day!

Ony Carcamo, Ventriloquist
 www.onycarcamo.com

 

 

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

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Dan Willinger 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. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2010 by Dan Willinger

NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com

Posted in Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central, Ventriloquist Figure (Dummy) Makers, Ventriloquist Figure Building, Ventriloquist Figures | Leave a comment

Ventriloquist Central Video Collecting Series – Finis Robinson Parrot

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Webmaster

Since I talked about our “real” parrot in yesterday’s blog, today I thought I would show you a video of the Finis Robinson parrot that is in the Ventriloquist Central Collection.

I did a blog about the Finis parrot a few weeks back and received some emails wanting to see a video, so here it is……enjoy.

 

 

If you are having trouble viewing this video, click here

 

To get more information about the Finis parrot and see pictures, click here


 

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

***************************************************

Dan Willinger 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. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2010 by Dan Willinger

NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com

Posted in Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central, Ventriloquist Figure (Dummy) Makers, Ventriloquist Figure Building, Ventriloquist Figures, Ventriloquist Videos, Video Collecting Series | Leave a comment

African Grey Parrot in Ventriloquist Central

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Webmaster

Since today is Labor Day here in the U.S. I thought I would write up a very light hearted blog.

Around 12 years ago my wife and I fell in love with a little baby African Grey Parrot we saw in a pet shop at the mall. It was only about 4 months old and was so tame we just had to take him home.

If you don’t know the African Grey is the best talking parrot in the world and with the right training can have a vocabulary of over 500 words and they can recognize different colors and shapes. We spent many hours repeating phrases and one evening while Helen and I were watching television we heard in a very quiet voice sounding much like my voice some of the words we had been trying to get him to say. From that moment on he was talking.

These birds do tend to like a single person and I am the one ours bonded to. It seems I can do no wrong by him and if I am around others can handle him but if I am away he can bite. Helen does have some scars to prove it. As matter of fact he says OUCH just before he bites!!

We named him Ace because our son Jason does magic. Ace has a very funny line he says. “Abracadabra I’m a Monkey”, he also says “Monkey See Monkey Do.” I taught him how to say “I Like Dunkin Donuts”, but it comes out I Like Dunk Nuts. Very funny.

Ace is Grey in color with a white face and bright red tail feathers. He is about the size of a Pigeon but a bit thinner.

Here are some pictures of Ace having fun with his bath.

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I hope you’re having a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.

 

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

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Dan Willinger 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. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2010 by Dan Willinger

NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com

Posted in Personal, Ventriloquist Central | 5 Comments