Bazooka Joe, Fu Manchu, Sherlock Holmes and Other Rare Character Collectibles

Do you collect some unusual character items? Some people chose a character they grew up with as a kid and collect everything about them. Some are easy to find. Some are rarer. Let's take a look at few that may be hard to find.

Bazooka Joe, the kid with an eye patch and baseball cap, was found in bubblegum packs. A few items, besides bubble gum wrappers, were made featuring the character, but they are rare

The most popular and most valuable are rings. If you can find a Bazooka Joe ring mint with papers and box it can be worth $500-$1,000 to the right collector. A torpedo submarine and an exploding battleship are also very valuable and can range from $200-$500.

Most people do not know who Bulldog Drummond is. He was a character featured in books and movies in the 1920-50s. Some were even silent movies.

First edition books with dust jackets are valued at $400-$1,000. There are also some mailers and lobby cards out there, but anything old featuring that character is considered highly collectible.

Chandu the Magician was a character from the 1930s. Lobby cards featuring Bela Lugosi as the crazy magician are very rare and worth over $100. A Chandu Magic Trick set is valued at over $500. Most often lobby cards and photographs are found of the character, but they are very rare.

Fu Manchu (the Yellow Pearl) is a character you will not find a lot of vintage material about.

He was in comics as well as books.

But, when it comes to memorabilia, it is advised to grab anything you can find. Signed, serial sheets and ads all range in the thousands of dollars in value. Lobby and window cards are also sought after.

Fu Manchu offered a unique kind of terror to its viewers who still follow it today. New followers seem to be added every day.

Hop Harrigan hit comics in 1939. He was a war-time character. Hop Harrigan bades are valued at about $100 and other items and insignias can be valued into the thousands.

Items on Sherlock Holmes have always been a hot commodity. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character is world renowned private detective. Although stories began in the 1880s, new ideas for the character have never died down. Someone always has a new angle or a new way to make a movie about the character

Some of the most rare items to keep your eyes open for include a Sherlock Holmes Map of London and a disguise outfit from the 1930s. Post cards, lobby cards, a writing set and box from the 1930-40 also range around $500.

Sherlock Holmes is a character that seems to never fade, so if you enjoy him, keep everything about him. Someday, it will be valuable as well.

Sky King was a navy air ace. His first show aired in 1946. Mike Wallace would announce the tales of the character. Rings of any kind of that era are valued close to $500 apiece. You may also find microscope kits and Detecto writers who values seem to change rapidly. Also look for comics featuring the character.

There are lots of other rare character collectibles out there. If you find one and do not know the character, keep it and do some research. Sometimes, the rare unknown ones are as valuable as character you may see everyday such as Spiderman and Batman.
And remember, collecting is about fun, so if you enjoy it, collect it regardless of its value.