Grand Old Bart! :)

 Poor Bart Maverick...

Although Bart and Jack Kelly were official stars of Maverick, Brother Bret and James Garner accounted for much of the merchandising and Mavertising during the show's early days.   

For instance, there were Bret Maverick rider and gunfighter figures issued by Hartland Plastics. However, Hartland didn't see fit to issue any Bart figures.  

Or, this clever bit of ephemera ballyhooing Maverick and its sponsor Kaiser Foil:

Designed to resemble paper currency it proclaims, "Bret Maverick--'The Man With The Thousand Dollar Bill'--blazes his way across your TV Screen every Sunday Evening, ABC-TV Network. Don't miss him!"

But, Bret wasn't the only man with a grand on Maverick. Bart had one, too. He even said so:

And, Bret didn't blaze across the TV screen every Sunday evening--sometimes it was Bart. (And, later Beau or Brent.)

Well, I can't do much to remedy the Hartland figure omission, but I did try to fix the faux $1000 bill situation. Ladies and Gentleman, presenting Bart Maverick--The Other Man With The Thousand Dollar Bill:

Don't miss him! And, please don't miss the next TDS, either! :)

A Scrap of Maverick! :)

Hi!

Here's a vintage newspaper ad for Maverick, which I just salvaged and digitized from an old scrapbook page. It's advertising the episode Alias Bart Maverick, starring suave Jack Kelly as...well, you know! This episode premiered on October 5, 1958, which means it--and this rare scrap of Maverick ephemera--is nearly 60 years old.

"Bart plays tag with a wily con man and four gun-happy brothers (not to mention a Southern belle named Cindy)!"

Speaking of ephemera: In this day of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, et al, and the never ending demand for eye-catching online content, it's sometimes difficult to find JK-related material that hasn't already been shared, tweeted and pinned seven ways from sundown.

However, another bit of ephemera just joined the Kellection which I think will be new to you. (It was to me!) Like the Maverick ad above, it's nearly 60 years old. It originated in a long-defunct "niche" publication and it's not only about JK it's by JK, too! It expresses his views on a subject not usually associated with him. Oh, and it has some dreamy pix, too. It's coming next in TDS...please stay "tuned"! ;>

The Kelly Pages: Brrrr--Paper Show Day! :)

Hi All!

I risked frostbite to attend the semi-annual paper (ephemera) show today. See, the parking lot was full, meaning I had to park a few blocks away and walk in 11-degree weather to reach the show's venue, which also hosted a bridal show and a graduation ceremony today (why parking spaces were at a premium).

Don't worry--I was bundled-up, and the wintry walk was well worth it, because I found kwite a few Jack Kelly Kellectibles! :)

Such as a very nice copy of the book Poker According to Maverick, with a great color photo of JK and James Garner on the front cover, for just $1!

Plus, a few movie magazines with JK inside. For example, the Hollywood Secrets Yearbook (published 1961) with this hot shot of JK and wife May Wynn:

The caption says: "It's no casual peck on the cheek for head of the Kelly house when he sets off to work. May Wynn kisses her Jack as though she means it."

Yes, that definitely helped chase the chill away! ;->

Stay tuned--more new Kellectibles next time.

The Kelly Kollection - The Paper Chase

Howdy! Yesterday, I visited our local paper (ephemera) show. It occurs twice a year and features dozens of dealers selling vintage books, magazines, postcards, photos, posters, etc. I've attended this show for at least 15 years now and I usually make some good finds.

Unfortunately, this show has shriveled somewhat over the years, maybe due to the economy and/or eBay. The venue used to be completely filled with vendors--yesterday, not so much.

However, I managed to buy the Maverick comic book pictured above for just $5.00. The cover is kind of scuffy and a previous owner wrote their name on it in green ink. But, the inside is okay, and I saw the same issue in not much better shape up for bid on eBay for $16.99. So, I guess I got a pretty good deal. ;->

I bought a few movie magazines, too, but none had Jack Kelly in them.

Next weekend, I'm planning to try my luck at a major antiques fair almost 40 miles from my home. Sure, it's a bit of a drive, but it's usually worth it, and, at any rate, it's a nice trip into the country. :)