Vintage Blow Molds

If you were a child in the ‘50s and ‘60s, you may remember your family decorating with large plastic light up figures such as snowmen, nativity figures or Santa. This large plastic blow molds were very popular and didn’t use much electricity as they were lit with a night light bulb. The figures were called blow molds because they were made of hollow hard plastic that was formed in a mold. They contained colored plastic in certain areas or were painted after hardening.

Blow molds first appeared in the 1940s and were two dimensional until the 1950s when Empire Plastics and Union started making the famous pink flamingo yard ornaments. They were cheap and easy to produce and were very popular at the local five and dime stores.

Other companies joined in and produced all kinds of figures, including other holidays, such as Halloween. Nostalgia sells, and people love to find these vintage blow molds. The cartoon figures and other holiday figures are more rare and harder to find. Blow molds are still made, but most of them come from China.

Most of the time, these figures spent winters outside, and sometimes the plastic and paint becomes faded, but you can easily restore these vintage pieces by repainting them with using the right type of paint. The most valuable ones though, have their original paint. Merry Christmas and happy collecting!

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