John Wayne Collectibles

Howdy Folks, I thought that today I would talk a little bit about two of my favorite things combined: John Wayne and Collectibles. I have been a huge fan of John Wayne for many years, and I have been collecting John Wayne related items for just about as long. Ever since the Duke's 100th birthday in 2007, the John Wayne collectible market has gone virtually hog wild. Now, of course, there have always been John Wayne collectibles, at least since his passing in 1979, but these days there are hundreds if not thousands of collectible items available.

The problem is though, that the vast majority of these items are massed produced, made in China, overpriced, and so readily available that they really do not have any "Collectible Value." This is not to say that they aren't nice to have (in case my children are reading this), but as investments, they simply don't have the value that many people think they do. However, there are still a lot of John Wayne items out there that are very collectible, and are great investments.

Occasionally, rare radio and television appearances by John Wayne show up, and some of these are highly sought after by collectors. For instance, a copy of the full 1943 radio show "Three Sheets to the Wind" would be priceless, as none are known to exist. Other rare John Wayne collectibles would be a copy of the 1935 Big Little Book "Westward Ho!" which features stills from the John Wayne film. I have seen these go for as much $135. Or a 1959 paperback edition of the book "Rio Bravo" which have sold for over $200. Another rare John Wayne collectible is the 1930 board game for the John Wayne film "The Big Trail." These can go for hundreds of dollars. They are very rare.

But there are still some good buys out there, all you have to do is look. Well, I hope you found this little entry at least somewhat informative, and as you can see I am experimenting with adding photos to this blog, and still learning as I go. So, until next time,
Adios,
Whiskey Jack