I am committed to not letting new items pile up without being blogged like I did in late 2017. With that in mind it's time to look at the newest items in 2018. Here we go.
First up is a super rare red interior Raincoat. Back in 2013 I added the blue interior version to the collection. In the formidable days of this blog I was throwing around the word "holy grail" a little too often, denoting several items with the moniker. I've come across so many super rare items since, particularly the mythical swimming pool, that I don't use the term as much. This is a incredibly scarce item, and harder to find than the blue interior version, but I can't use holy grail when I describe it. It's close, but not quite. It is a little wrinkled, but maybe I can get the vinyl flat again. The only differences from the blue one is, obviously, the red interior, and the stitching, which is red on this one.
The graphics are the same on both. I've had my eye out for a red variant for a while and was really excited to add this to the collection. It is in very good condition with no tears or holes. The wrinkling is the only issue and I think I can fix that. I'm surprised there wasn't a Golden Era Dukes umbrella to go along with the raincoat.
Swellwear made both versions of the raincoat. Even the tag is wrinkled. I've got my work cut out for me to bring this little bugger back to mint.
I can't pass up a bargain. Even when I already have an item, if I see it for a ridiculous price, I gotta get it. This 12 inch Figures Inc. Cooter figure was yelling at me from ebay that he really wanted to become part of the collection. I couldn't say no. He was only a few bucks with shipping. I couldn't leave him out there in the cold. Even though I already have the figure as well as all the Figures Inc Dukes line, I bought this package-less Cooter to keep watch of my collection when I wasn't there. So far he's done a bang up job. I also hired him to help show off some items. He's excited about the opportunity.
I put him right to work. Cooter is showing off a weird green vinyl version of Waylon's 45 single Theme From The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys). Good job Cooter.
I have no idea why it's green. Both the vinyl and the label are Kermit-colored.
The flip side has Mr. Jennings' It's Alright on it. The standard 45 has the same combination of songs.
Underneath RCA's lovable mascot Nipper, the record is marked NOT FOR SALE. About 37 years after that statement was printed, someone broke the rules and sold it to me. Nipper is going to be mad! There is also intro and fade information on there which tells me this was a radio station copy. Maybe it was printed green so it stood out to coerce the DJ to play it more. It's a cool, different version of the greatest theme song in TV history.
Next up is a non-Dukes related item. Jeffrey got me this and the next few items for Christmas. It's a 1:5 scale replica of the legendary Back To The Future Hoverboard!
This thing is so cool it comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. It was created for Loot Crate by Quantum Mechanix.
It has a cool little mirror display and clear stands that give it an appearance of hovering.
Everything looks perfect with the design, except it doesn't have the Mattel logo on it. Funny how other toy makers make replicas of a fictional Mattel toy. That's the world we live in.
Cooter had to take it for a spin! Where he's going, he doesn't need roads!
Jeff also got me a General Lee pin. Though I recently added one to the collection, these are the kind of items you can't have enough of. Cooter approves.
The final item Jeff gifted to me is this unique beer bottle. Yup, that's the General Lee on the bottom of this "Bo and Luke" brand of brew. It's much larger than a standard bottle, originally holding 24 ounces.
I don't know much at all about craft beers but I did a little research about this one. Against the Grain Brewery is based in Louisville, KY and brew a special batch of this bourbon inspired beer each year. The moonshine theme lead them to likening it to the Dukes and the name and bottle artwork were born.
They reference the theme song while describing the beverage.
The information about the brewery is on the opposite side of the bottle.
I found a full image of the label on ATG's website. Though the General Lee is bald, they did a nice job capturing our favorite car's features. The characters on the label seem to be sort of mascots for Against the Grain. Reading on their site, Bo and Luke is one of their prized creations and is only sold once a year and is highly sought after. I've seen the image above before but wasn't really aware of the product. I'm glad Jeff tracked down this item and I'm going to see what else from ATG I can add to the collection. Thanks for the great stuff Jeffro!
You may remember some time ago when I added this cast and crew belt buckle to the collection. These buckles are individually numbered and personalized to the cast or crew member. Mine is number 186 and personalized to Don. I have yet to figure out which of many Dons that worked on the show this belonged to. I told Cooter it was too big for him, but he wanted to put it on anyway.
I recently added an item to the collection that is related to that belt buckle and is one of a kind.
At first, Cooter had no idea what the item was. I explained it to him, let me explain it to you.
This incredible item is the original mold that was used to create those cast and crew belt buckles! This is a piece of Dukes of Hazzard history! The mold even comes with the original cast proof buckle! I can't believe I now own this amazing item!
The mold is in two parts that can be pressed together. The halves are made of a rubber compound. They were hand crafted and have so much detail. The image is reversed on the mold. I'd say this is one of the only items that has a 10 on the Gen'ral that is legit.
The back has an area for the cast and crew impression. It also has holes that formed the buckle catch and the part that connected to the belt.
The proof came with the mold. It is the first buckle that was created. It still has the rod attached to it that would have been removed from the 200 actual buckles that were given out. All of the details of the mold are captured on the proof as well as the buckles. There is no name inscribed on the bottom.
The back of the proof has the catch as well as the attachment that has not been bent down.
The personalization area has the writing "For The Cast & Crew of The Dukes Of Hazzard" and a ___/200 on it. Obviously the proof wasn't numbered.
Here are closer shots of the inside of the mold to see the detail better.
Cooter wanted to show off both Don's buckle and the proof.
Here is a comparison shot of the two. Besides the debris on Don's buckle, they look identical. There is no question my mold was used to make all the buckles.
Everything about them is the same. Don's buckle has been bent around the belt attachment. The proof is still as it was when it came out of the mold.
If you look very closely at Don's buckle, you can see the imperfection where the rod was removed. You can tell it was sanded right after the rod was taken off.
This is a remarkable piece. I was incredibly happy when I got Don's buckle, but now that I have the mold that made all 200 cast and crew buckles, I'm ecstatic. It came to the collection by way of the original belt buckle maker's best friend's granddaughter. She felt it would be more appreciated in my collection than in her shed. She told me she got it from her grandfather's pal when she was young because she was a fan of the show. I'm really grateful she found me and let me add it to the collection. This one of a kind piece is just plain amazing.
Cooter approves of cast and crew belt buckle mold and proof. My dad made a good joke when I showed him these pictures. We're glad they didn't"throw away the mold" when they made these belt buckles. I think maybe Ol' Cooter will help me show off more items in the next few blog posts I write.
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