From Courier Press: An empire built on peanuts
Within the annals of American industrialist history, the Planters Company is known as an American success story and the company gave birth to a most popular advertising image, Mr. Peanut.
Mr. Peanut reigns supreme in the antiques community as the first advertising icon.
Mr. Peanut's age and popularity has made Planters' collectibles highly sought after objects.
Today, Planters Nuts is a division of RJR Nabisco and boasts one of the most recognizable trademarks in the industry. Mr. Peanut is a celebrity. This advertising icon is the basis for a Peanut Museum located in "America's Peanut Capital" in Suffolk, Va. Mr. Peanut's age and popularity has made Planters' collectibles highly sought-after objects.
Schoolboy's drawing
Mr. Peanut reigns supreme in the antiques community as the first advertising icon. Introduced in 1916, the debonair image of Mr. Peanut derived from a crude drawing by a Virginia schoolboy. Prompted by a nationwide contest sponsored by the Planters Company, schoolboy Antonio Gentile won $5 for his design submission of Mr. Peanut. Shortly thereafter, a professional illustrator enhanced the youngster's drawing adding the monocle, top hat, and walking stick to create the company logo that promotes the brand as being in a class above the rest.
The town of Suffolk became the second home of Planters founder, Amedeo Obici, an Italian immigrant. Born in 1876 near Venice, Italy, Obici came to America at age 11 and settled in Scranton, Pa. Obici then moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he operated a fruit and nut stand on Market Street. Obici established his niche as "The Peanut Specialist" in the early 1900s and partnered with Mario Peruzzi in 1906.
The partners developed a new method of blanching whole roasted peanuts and omitting the hulls and skins. From these beginnings, the Planters peanut empire was founded. Obici realized that repeat business would be the key to his success and he wanted his brand name to be associated with quality.
In 1908, Obici's firm was incorporated as Planters Nut and Chocolate Company. In 1916, the Planters founder married and that same year, Planters introduced the world to Mr. Peanut.
Peanut craze
Collectors agree that Mr. Peanut is a collectibles gold mine. Mr. Peanut objects include baby spoons, mechanical banks, tin signs, dime store storage jars, salt-and-pepper shakers. There is even soap made in Mr. Peanut's likeness. Mr. Peanut antiques and collectibles are going for high prices.
For instance, a Mr. Peanut collector in Massachusetts shelled out $20,700 to buy an authentic Mr. Peanut coin-operated scale. Even basic Mr. Peanut history doesn't come cheap: vintage Mr. Peanut jars and Mr. Peanut toys sell for prices ranging from $500 to $1,500. Collectors are nuts about Mr. Peanut.
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