Offered for bid is a nearly impossible to find 1950's Fujiya Candy Company cast metal promotional store display Peko Chan window display bobble head doll. I imagine there is only a very small number of these original dolls left worldwide and I have never seen one offered for sale or even in images online. As bidders will know, Fujiya never offered their store display dolls for sale to the public. This rare piece has a beautiful history to it that is documented and included with the doll. The dolls owner passed away recently at 84 and he proudly displayed Peko in his home. Nick was a Military GI stationed in Japan in the 1950's. He collected Jazz records and was an avid photographer. I am happy to share the story of this very early Peko Chan doll. Here is what the tag reads that is attached to it. He translated the original Japanese written letter to him and typed it on a tag that he displayed it with.
Dated Oct 14, 1954 Hello: My name is Peko Chan. I stand on counters and shelves throughout Japan, In candy shops where my brand of candy is sold. The people who make my brand of candy, the Fujiya Company, distribute me to all the shops which sell "Milky" candy. Therefore I am just a sample and am used just for advertising purposes. Thus I am not for sale---The only reason I was purchased this time is because and American soldier named "Nick" was very persistent. You see, he thought I was very cute the very first time he saw me months ago, and he decided that he would buy one of me before he left Japan. But try as he did, he was never able to find a candy shop that would sell me. This GI, Nick tried in Kyoto, in Tokyo, in Sendai, and everywhere else where he saw my smiling face a candy shop. Each time he was told that I am not for sale, that I am "just a sample". Then about a week ago, while shopping in nearby Ishinomaki, he came across me once again, this time in a shop he had visited before. He had been unsuccessful in one other shop shortly before, but he decided to give this one a try anyway. So he walked in and asked "Ekoora Neski" which means " How much?" He received the usual questioning, followed by a shake of the head, indicating that it was still "just sample". However, this time he found a Japanese boy working in the shop who knew some english. This boy asked why Nick wanted to buy such a doll. The GI explained that is was because he thought it very cute, that in America there is nothing like it, and that it was because such a doll would be a nice souvenir of Japan. For some reason the Japanese boy agreed to sell it---and for a mere 200 yen, or $.60. Further, the american boy was surprised to learn that the doll he had been seeing all over Japan had a sister companion (me) and after he was shown a brand new, unused model (of me) he was offered a choice between me and my brother. He decided on me because I was so new and shiny. So here I am with you now, in america. I hope you will like me. (If you do, pat me on the head, and I will nod approvingly---I might shake my head from side to side, too) Please let the person who bought me know what you think of me. Oh, before I forget, the Japanese writing on my front means (on my chest) "Milky, Fujiya Co.," and on my leg is my name ..........Peko chan. P.S. please treat my head with care.