Not something I would spend that kind of money on, but I do think the price reflects reasonable value for both the Toby and General Savage Mugs, as unique collectables, the mugs come with other movie memorabilia, and are obviously in demand by fans of the show as shown by k5dh's post seeking one.
According to the website, The Toby is reproduced from a unique movie prop, by researching the stills of the show apparantly with assitance and approval from the film company, its been researched and moulded privately and apparantly is hand painted and then glazed, its certainly not the type of thing usually available cheaply from Tiawanese importers.
The General Savage Mug is apparantly licenced by the film company and Gregory Peck and due to his death production has ceased?
Both Mugs are feeding into an obvious niche collector/fan market not sourced by others, and would have high production costs over perhaps low volumes, I think its unfair to complain against the price as "rip-off's" unless there are similar /better equivalent products at much lower prices, which it seems there isnt.
(I assume the items on ebay are 2 hand mugs originally from this same supplier?)
Its a luxury item not an essential service, market forces apply.
Regards
Mark Pilkington
Quote:
TOBY MUG
This toby jug is an exact replica of the original movie prop use in Twentieth Century Fox's 1949 hit, Twelve O'clock High, starring Gregory Peck and Dean Jagger. It is part of the FIRST production run of this particular toby jug design which was created by the Fox prop makers specifically for the movie.
The whereabouts of the original toby used in the movie is not known but we were able to achieve this incredibly accurate replica through years of R&D and continued refinement which involve studying stills and movie scenes provided to us by Fox and by hand sculpting and painting more than ten plaster models. Once the sculpted model was finished and approved by Fox, we searched the U.S. and U.K. to find a manufacturer capable of consistently meeting our demands for top quality.
The results of our efforts are clearly evident in each piece. Our replica 918th Bomb Group toby jugs are cast in small batches and then hand painted, glazed and triple fired. Each jug is "double" quality checked, at the factory and again when we pack them for shipment. This assures that you are receiving the very finest quality possible.
Quote:
GENERAL SAVAGE MUG
"General Savage" was released in time to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the release of Twentieth Century Fox's classic film Twelve O'clock High and is destined to become an heirloom of unprecedented collectibility and sentimental value. It is a lasting tribute, not only to Gregory Peck as one of the greatest actors of our time, but to the men the character represents -- the brave American airmen who fought the air battles over Europe in WWII.
Designed and sculpted by skilled artists this 7 1/2'' American-made ceramic character jug exudes bravery, leadership and patriotism. Each hand-painted jug is an individual work of art, "a portrait in 3D," which features and incredibly accurate likeness of Peck suited out in WWII bomber pilot attire: A-11 leather helmet, B-8 goggles, B-4 "Mae West" and A-2 jacket. The unique handle finishes off the theme with a 22 karat gold plated B-17 "flying high" above majestic clouds nestled atop the mighty 48-star American flag.
Each jug is numbered and bears a reproduction of the actor's signature on its base. To complete the package, each "General Savage" character jug comes with a certificate of authenticity, an information card and a studio still of Gregory Peck as "General Savage." Of course, the "General Savage" character jug, likeness and signature are approved and reproduced under an exclusive license with Twenty Century Fox Film Corporation and Gregory Peck.
This special edition Character jug of Gregory Peck as "General Savage" was originally limited to 1,999 numbered units to be distributed internationally. However, due to contractual limitations following Mr. Peck's death, production will be halted indefinitely. We only have a limited number of the original stock left.