What Puts a Crimp in Ventriloquist Figure Collecting??

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Webmaster

Before I start with today’s blog, just a reminder…tonight, we’ll be interviewing legendary ventriloquist figure builder, Ray Guyll, on BlogTalkRadio….8pm Eastern, 7pm Central, 5pm Pacific. For more information go to:

www.blogtalkradio.com/ventriloquistcentral

 

I love this country of ours. Freedom to do as we wish, say as we wish and live our lives in the manner to which we all choose. That being said we must help our country by paying our fair share to our good Uncle Sam.

I know what you are thinking, he takes too much from us but in reality it really isn’t. For the most part we all fall in the 17% category and for my way of thinking it is a small amount to pay to be able to live in this great land. The problem I have is that as a self employed person I must pay an additional self employment tax and I must pay my taxes quarterly rather than having an employer take them out each week so you don’t feel it. It is almost impossible to do it on your own as a self employed person.

So what has that got to do with buying ventriloquist figures you ask. Simple it seems that every time I find a really great figure to purchase it comes either right before, on or right after I have had to pay the quarterly and I find myself soooooo short on funds that it hurts. I do in fact work just like the rest of us every day and for the most part it is 6 days a week. As a constable we can’t serve court documents on Sunday or I would probably work that day as well. Please no disrespect to the church going crowd.

So to all your ventriloquist figure sellers please contact me in the off months rather than on the tax months so that I don’t feel the crimp when buying.

Of course I am just kidding contact me anytime especially if it is a Marshall.

 

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 Dummy Collecting, Ventriloquism/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central, Ventriloquist Figures | Leave a comment

Ventriloquist Central Video Collecting Series – German Toy Figure

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Webmaster

germantoy-006S

I wrote about his very unique German toy figure and put it up on the website (Click here to see the German toy figure).

I’ve received emails wanting to see a video of this cute little figure, so here you go.

 

<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=1fIWFur28x8">http://youtube.com/watch?v=1fIWFur28x8</a>

 

 

If you have trouble viewing this video, click here.

 

As you can see by the video, it is a unique toy figure.

 

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 Figures, Ventriloquist Videos, Video Collecting Series | Leave a comment

Dreaming About Ventriloquist Figures

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Webmaster

Have you ever found yourself just daydreaming thinking about how you would love to go back in time so that you could purchase that item which was way too much for you at the time but now that you are older and have the funds want to go and purchase but at the price from the earlier time. Sounds great to me!! He Sherman get the way back machine ready!!

I look at my 1931 Marshall catalogue and wish I had been around back in the day so I could have purchased Franks figures for those prices. A figure averaged 38.00 complete. Yes there were some more expensive and some less expensive but this was the average price. I want to go back and buy one of every design!! Make that two of every design. A back up just in case!! I will take them and put them in a secure place until I reach my age today and then instant collection!! I only wish.

The fact is that prices were in real money at that time. A loaf of bread was 25 cents, a Ford was $825.00 and a home was $1800.00. A full weeks pay was $45.00 so in the time the price was not so cheap. It is only in hindsight that it seems cheap.

Well I guess I will put my head back on my hands and stare into space and dream some more. Those were the days!!

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/Ventriloquist, Ventriloquist Central | 3 Comments

Vent Space Gallery and Frank Marshall Ventriloquist Figures

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Webmaster

At Ventriloquist Central we are always trying to add new items of interests. On top of that, according to Steve (my webmaster) we are constantly getting new readers to the website.

Because of the new items we try to add, some of our “regulars” may forget about some of the other parts of Ventriloquist Central.

So for the “newbies” and to those that may have forgotten, I’d like to bring up two places on Ventriloquist Central.

First off, the Vent Space Gallery. If you haven’t yet, please send in a picture of you and your “partner” and we’ll be happy to post your picture on the gallery.

Click here for more information.

Second, to those of you that own a Marshall, we have the “Current Owners of Frank Marshall Figures”. If you have a Frank Marshall figure, please send in a picture of you and your figure (or figures) and we’ll post it on the page.

Click here for more information.

Lately Steve has been updating these pages and I wanted to make sure that everyone knows about these two webpages.

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 | Leave a comment

Can You Identify This Ventriloquist Act??

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Webmaster

question-mark

 

We do try to help anyone who asks with questions concerning any phase of ventriloquism. Unfortunately sometimes I just don’t have the answer and such was the case with this question which was asked so I thought I would post this for all of you and see if anyone out there can help answer this mystery.

I wonder if you could help me. I am trying to recall the name of a ventrioloquist I saw perform back in the mid-1970s, when I was a fairly serious, though amateur, card magician living in NJ. In NYC, the NO. 1 magic shop was Tannen’s, and each year, in early october, its owners put on an all-weekend “Magic Jubilee” at Brown’s Hotel in the Catskills.

Tannen’s made a point of scouring the world for top acts to showcase and one year – but no later than 1976, I believe – this included a very special ventriloquist act. The performer, a man, worked standing behind a set of three rectangular boxes, each one on casters for easy movement and measuring maybe 3 ft. high., 2 ft. wide, and maybe 1 ft. deep. Their front panels were hinged at the top and when the performer opened them, out popped a large animal puppet – a fuzzy bird, a gorilla, and another one I forget.

The performer stood behind these boxes and, manipulating the big floppy puppets from behind, with an arm inside each one, engaged two of them in witty conversation. This went for awhile and then he put one of the puppets away and opened up the third one, the gorilla. On went the conversation for awhile and eventually, the gorilla began to complain about how awful it was to be cooped up in that damned box all the time, bent over and cramped, no air, in the hold of the plane while the performer sat in 1st class above, etc. etc. “Sometimes I wish I were free to just get out and move around,” the gorrila said, and then, suddenly, he was moving around. He jumped away from the human performer and pranced around the stage and did cartwheels and …. well, as you can imagine, the audience’s heart just about stopped, we were so surprised.

And then it was revealed that this was no puppet but a small man – an Japanese man, if I am not mistaken – who was able to fold himself into that seemingly tiny box and wait until he was summoned up and out to do his part of the act. Does this ring any bells? Who was this? I think I recall someone saying they often appeared in Vegas, but that’s about it. I have told this story many times, but nobody has heard of the act and just now, while Googling around to see if I could find out more, and perhaps even see a video, I stumbled onto your wonderful website. Wow. Pls let me know if you have any ideas about who it was I saw. Thanks very much, John, in Calif.

 

So, if anyone has any ideas or can help John, please leave a comment below. Thanks.

 

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 | 17 Comments