Original 1964 UK Gonks Ltd Fred Gonk, small size (approx 4") made by the Chad Valley toy company for the UK market. More details below. For a large Fred Gonk, see my other items.

Condition: Has clearly been unpicked at back and base for restuffing at some point. Label still present and intact. One of the red fastners on his braces has been replaced. Some of white felt areas a little discoloured. Otherwise great.

International postage quoted is for USA & Australia. For Europe it would be £13. Other territories also differ. Either ask for a revised invoice if you win or pay the full amount and I'll refund any significant overpayment when I mail the item. If I occasionally forget... remind me!

Details:

You'll see a lot of items on eBay described as 'gonks', most of which aren't. Gonk was a trademark belonging to Gonks Ltd of London and only applied to the items made by and with permission of that company from April 1964. Gonks were originally egg-shaped kapok-stuffed mascot figures aimed at teenagers, and came in three different sizes, from large cushions to small desktop ornaments around 4 inches tall, like this one.

Fred was conceived as an everyman figure, a Gonk of the People, a character who would 'introduce debs [that is, debutantes] to dustbinmen'.

His collarless shirt, belt and braces and flat cap were stereotypical working class English male clothing: a bit Andy Capp (especially in the way the cap covers the eyes) and a bit Harold Steptoe. Paul McCartney of the Beatles had also dressed in this fashion for a skit in the Beatles 1963 Christmas Shows (see pic 10). Fred's name was probably inspired by the 1962 novelty Bernard Cribbins novelty hit 'Right Said Fred', and if that is the case, Fred got to pay his dues when he starred in a stop-motion animated promo film made to accompany the song around 1965-66 (you can find it on YouTube). Fred also appeared in a couple of sequences in the 1965 movie Gonks Go Beat.

Gonks were made largely of felt, a fragile material given to tearing and wearing through, and the eyes and other features were stuck on with glue. That explains why the smaller ones so often seem to be missing the odd eye or accessory and why so few of the larger ones have survived intact.

There were six Gonks in the range, and before long they were ubiquitous features of Swinging Sixties London. Pic 8 shows a mini Fred like this one perching on Beatle George Harrison's shoulder in Fabulous magazine; pic 9 a large Fred on the cover of Mod's Monthly magazine; pic 11 Upside Down Gonk on the cover of Honey fashion magazine; and pic 12 a large Beat Gonk (see my other items) arriving at a Variety Club of Great Britain charity event with Santa Sid James. (Pics 8-12 are included for information only and are not part of this auction). 

I try to list vintage collectable figures and memorabilia every week or two, so if you're a collector why not add me to your saved sellers list?

I will combine postage where possible.