Posted By:
Rob DewolfThere was a period during my Indians collecting life when I, shall we say, went a little overboard on the Stanford Pottery Chief Wahoos:
I picked this up at an auction in Columbus, Ohio, about 10 years ago. I've always considered it to be either a salesman's sample or some kind of prototype. It is significantly smaller than the standard size Stanford Cleveland Indian and has markings from the factory on the underside:
It's not unusual to see decals on the bases of the Gibbs-Connor Cleveland Indians (ones that read "Souvenir of Cleveland" or "Souvenir of World Series"), but I rarely come across them on Stanford Pottery statues. This one reads "Souvenir of Cleveland, Ohio" (sorry for the poor photo):
Finally, on about 199 out of 200 Stanford Pottery figurines (I'm guessing), you'll find the typical manufacturer's stamp on the right. The round stamp, pictured on the left, is rarely seen:
One final note: I picked up my first Stanford Pottery Wahoo in the pre-eBay days of 1991. At that time, Cleveland Indians collectors considered them pretty darn rare. Even in the early days of eBay (10-11 years ago), you wouldn't expect to pick up a Stanford Pottery Indian for less than $300. Now, I bet you can always find at least five or six for sale at any one time.
Hope some of this is remotely interesting and/or helpful.
Rob