Brandon asks, “I was given this ‘snoopy’ from my grandfather who flew for the US Air Force in World War II. Based on what stories he told me before he passed away, I believe this is at least 50+ years old. It’s made of leather, and old fabric for the ears, eyes, mouth, tongue and scarf. The only marking on it is a small tag that says ‘Made in Japan’ on the bottom. I have never seen anything like it and I was wondering if you knew anything about it or a value?”

Thanks for sharing your Snoopy Doll with us, Brandon! Unfortunately, this is what collectors call “unlicensed”. Businesses wanted to cash in on Snoopy’s popularity without having to pay for the rights to his image. There are many of examples of black and white dogs that are easily mistaken for Snoopy. The easiest way to tell if an item is licensed is by the copyright. If a Snoopy item says Copyright United Feature Syndicate (UFS) 1958, then it’s the geniune article.

So, what is Brandon’s Snoopy Dog? Luckily, I have a few more clues. In 1957, the President of Dakin toys was sent a train set. For some odd reason, they used small velveteen animals as packing material. The President liked them and ordered more. This is how Dream Pets were born. By the end of 1979 there were over 2,000 different Dream Pets characters. Twenty-four of the characters were re-issued in 2004. View a few favorites here…

Like any popular toy, there were copy-cats being made. Luckily, I rescued some of these dolls from my aunts a few years back, so I have an example to share (see photo below). A few of them say “Made in Japan” only on their tags and may be from the same factory as Brandon’s Snoopy.

A licensed version of a Snoopy dream-pets-copy-cat was released by Determined Productions in 1971 (See below, middle). It uses similar velveteen fabric, felt feature and sawdust stuffing as the original Dream Pets.

For clues to when Brandon’s Snoopy Doll was produced, we turn again to Peanuts. The Snoopy WWI Flying Ace character was introduced into the Peanuts Comic strip in 1966. Therefore, this doll was most likely produced sometime after that. If the goggles aren’t original to the piece, it’s possible the doll was produced earlier than 1966.

Finally, the value. Without knowing its real origins, I would look to the current Dream Pets and their copy-cats. The current market for most animal dolls from this era is around $5-20 depending on rarity and condition. The real value of Brandon’s Snoopy is the memories of his Grandfather he brings back.

If anyone has any clues or information on Brandon’s Snoopy Leather Doll, let us know!

Have a Peanuts collectible you’d like to know more about? Want to share a story about your Peanuts collectible? Send us a photo and any information you have to info@collectpeanuts.com.

Brenda asks, “Good Day: I am looking for any information available on this item. I have never seen another one after searching on the internet in the past couple of years. Anything you may able to tell me about it would be very much appreciated.”

Thanks for sharing your keychain with us, Brenda! Aviva produced a variety of keychains in different materials throughout the 1970′s. The brass figural keychains came out in 1979. They were sold loose or in blister packaging. A 1″ heavy gauge metal ring that matched the brass color of the fob came with it. As for the date on the back of the keychain, that refers to the copyright of the Snoopy character, not the item itself. For more information on that subject, read our story on Dating an Item.

As a collector, I would expect to pay between $4-6 for this keychain style in very good – mint condition. If it was in the original package, around $8-10. Since the ring is not original, it may detract from the value. Everything depends on the buyer.

Below are a few more examples of the Aviva Brass keychains. View more Aviva keychains…

Have a Peanuts collectible you’d like to know more about? Want to share a story about your Peanuts collectible? Send us a photo and any information you have to info@collectpeanuts.com.

Jack asks, “I have one of these that was given to my daughter by Andrea Podley the co-author of the “Official Guide to Peanuts Collectibles”. She had mentioned years ago that this would be worth quite a bit. Do you know the value?”

Thanks for sharing your daughter’s necklace with us, Jack! Aviva produced many varieties of products from the late 1960′s to the mid 1980′s, including this necklace. Their jewelry lines included pins, necklaces, earrings, keychains, rings, belt buckles, charm bracelets, money clips, bobby pins, barrettes, tie tacks, cuff links and more. These products were also advertised in the backs of Fawcett Crest Peanuts paperbacks.

Your necklace is a cloisonne piece. The thin strips of metal are laid down and then colored enamel paste is put into the spaces. The piece is then fired to melt the enamel. I have a variety of similar necklaces (see below). Based on the subject matter of the Snoopy hobo pack version, I would guess this line of necklaces was produced around 1972 when the movie “Snoopy Come Home” was released. A few other cowboy jewelry pieces also came out around that time.

None of my collector guides mentions this particular piece or pieces just like it. Due to the overwhelming variety of Peanuts jewelry, I’m not surprised. It’s hard to cover every piece of Peanuts memorabilia. From my experience, I don’t see them too often, but when I do I typically pay around $10-$20 for a piece in Very Good to Mint condition and including an original chain.

Have a Peanuts collectible you’d like to know more about? Want to share a story about your Peanuts collectible? Send us a photo and any information you have to info@collectpeanuts.com.

Jack asks, “I recently came into possession of this vintage Snoopy stuffed animal from my grandmother and I was wondering if it had any value. Do you think that you would be able to assist me?”

Thanks for sharing your Grandmother’s treasure with us, Jack! You are now the proud owner of a 1967 Determined Productions Snoopy Pillow Doll. It originally came in a plastic bag with the character name on the front. This doll is one of the first huggable, lovable Snoopy dolls kids could drag around with them. Snoopy is made of cotton with kapok inside. Kapok is fibers from the seed pods a South American, African and Asian tree – just in case you were wondering what was inside.

Mint in the original package, Snoopy would be worth around $50. Out of the package, he is worth around $8-15, depending on condition. Based on your photograph, I would say your Snoopy is about Good-Very Good condition. He has a few staining issues, but he seems to be in pretty good shape otherwise. He’s got years of love to give yet. If you try to clean him, I suggest surface treatment only, since using a washing machine might ruin his stuffing.

Snoopy wasn’t the only doll produced. Determined Productions also released Lucy, Linus, Schroeder and, of course, Charlie Brown. Photo below from my collection. View more Determined Productions Dolls…

Have a Peanuts collectible you’d like to know more about? Want to share a story about your Peanuts collectible? Send email us a photo and any information you have to info@collectpeanuts.com.

Today’s treasure comes from my collection – the Peanuts Character Portfolio. I was able to purchase this from fellow collector, Johnny. Thanks Johnny!

Johnny knew I’d love this piece since I’m a graphic designer by trade. The portfolio would have been sent out to licensees to select art for their products. Inside are the rules for art usage, color selection, approval process and, most importantly, lots of artwork. The artwork is ready to scan or photographed. As a designer, I thank my lucky stars that I don’t have to bother with this method anymore! Even the lettering would be manually crafted together.

The artwork is all Snoopy, with a little Woodstock thrown in. Every incarnation of Snoopy from 1989-1994 is covered by the portfolio. Sports, Flying Ace, Joe Cool and even some vulture poses show up in its pages. It seems the other characters must have gotten lost over time. Let me know if you find them!

Ok, so art guidelines might not interest every collector. What’s in it for you? Each page has the year on it. Having problems dating an item? Just look it up in the Peanuts Character Portfolio!* All artwork is only good for 5 years, so it’s easier to pinpoint when the item was produced. If only I had more than just 5 years! I even managed to find an example to show you.

I hope you’re as excited by this find as I am. Without further ado, the Peanuts Character Portfolio!

*I’m looking into a way to digitize the whole portfolio. Even then, I’m not sure if I could/should be posting online or distributing at all. There’s no real guidelines for that in the portfolio.

Thomas asks, “I have what I believe is a 1962 green painted metal peanuts toy chest my father bought before I was born. It has painted scenes from episodes such as the famous marcy holding the football for charlie brown. On the inside it is lined with black and white like wallpaper of the cartoon skits. The reason I am sending you this is that for years I have been to research this item without luck. I have not seen so much as a picture on the internet. A search for it yields nothing. Do you know anything about it? Thanks for your time! “

The problem with the internet is there’s no way to put in a photo and say find me more like it. If there’s a way to do this, please let me know!

What might help with your search is knowing just what the item is – a steamer trunk. The one you have looks to be the 30″ x 16″ x 12″ version. It was made by Armored Luggage in the mid-1970′s. Just a note – any copyright information on the trunk refers to the character copyright, not the manufacturing year.

Armored Luggage made a variety of trunks, footlockers and skate cases lithographed with various Peanuts scenes in a variety of designs. They were constructed by wrapping the thin sheet of metal over cardboard and plywood, stapled in place and covered with trim. When they show up on the market, they tend to be very used. Trim pieces and hardware are sometimes lost. The metal sides get dinged, pushed in and scratched. The metal surfaces are prone to rust. The white cartoon paper inside is usually soiled and a little musty. Compared to some, yours is pretty good. It’s still in very usable condition and would make a good display piece. The happiness theme is a current trend with Peanuts memorabilia. In mint condition (like new, no condition issues), the trunk could be worth around $250 in today’s market. In its current condition, without having seen it in person, I would expect it to sell around $40-$80. It’s a great piece! Enjoy it!

Just so you don’t feel so alone in the world of Armored Luggage, there is one steamer trunk on craigslist that’s been for for sale a long, long time because of its high price and not so great condition. Also, I have a few Peanuts Happiness is skate cases in my collection.

Final note: That’s Lucy holding the football.

Have a Peanuts collectible you’d like to know more about? Want to share a story about your Peanuts collectible? Send email us a photo and any information you have to info@collectpeanuts.com.

Lori asks, “I found these Hallmark invitations at a nearby 2nd hand store and originally got them to use for my son’s 6th birthday this year. 8 of them in a pack…in excellent condition. I am now reconsidering mailing them out as I noticed on the back of the cards the copyright dates are 1958, 1965, 1966… so they must be pretty old. In excellent condition and whoever purchased them (long ago) only paid 75 cents for the pack. It is a waste to use for a bday party, or should I keep these as a collectable for someone who loves peanuts?”

Thanks for sharing this fun find with us, Lori! Let’s start with what the package tells us. The tricky part of Peanuts collecting are copyright dates. Most dates on Peanuts collectibles refer to the character copyright, rather than the item release date. Hallmark started selling Peanuts licensed items back in the 1960′s and still do today.

Those two basics don’t help a lot with putting a date on this item. It takes a sharp eye and a experience to help narrow down the field. Peppermint Patty is our biggest clue. She usually has brown hair. However, these are printed with yellow hair, probably to save on printing costs since both her hair can share with the more important Woodstock yellow. Based on other Hallmark pieces, these cards probably date from the 1970′s. Hallmark started using more colors in their artwork going into the 1980′s and Peppermint Patty’s popularity was at its height in the 1970′s.

As for value, mint in the original package cards generally sell for around $5. It’s always tricky to know whether to use something someone else might enjoy more in its original condition. In this instance, I say enjoy them and don’t forget to send me an invite to your son’s birthday party!

Have a Peanuts collectible you’d like to know more about? Want to share a story about your Peanuts collectible? Send email us a photo and any information you have to info@collectpeanuts.com.

Aida’s shares her Snoopy collection from Mexico. Aida has had a love of Snoopy since she was a girl. She started her collection a year ago and already has 100 Snoopys! Rare delights fill her collection such as the book “El Amor Es…” and a Snoopy Doodle Doll. Keep up the great work, Aida!

View Collection…

If you’d like to share your collection on our site, please send us an email at info@collectpeanuts.com.

This is your chance to own a hand-painted, larger-than-life statue of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Woodstock. Brad B. is selling his trio of Santa Rosa Peanuts on Parade statues. The statues are located in the Santa Rosa, California area. The statues are about four feet tall and made of a dense styrofoam-type material. Each statue was painted by local artists. If you’re interested in learning more about the statues or making an offer, please send me an email at info@collectpeanuts.com and I will forward your message to Brad.

The Peanuts on Parade of Santa Rosa, California, was started in 2005 as a tribute to Charles Schulz. More information and photos of the statues can be found at peanutsonparade.com.

Karen writes, “Just uncovered this in my parents’ basement. Box measures 14 x 14 inches, is pale blue and orange. Label reads, “Peanuts Giant Family Jigsaw Puzzle 24″ x 24″ / Over 1000 interlocking pieces / Determined Productions, Inc./ United Feature Syndicate, Inc. 1968, 1970 – World Rights Reserved / #711-2. ” The picture on the puzzle is of a comic strip featuring Linus & Charlie B. turning a jump rope for Lucy. The box is in very good condition, no tears or rips and the pieces inside are in mint condition. Appears to have been never used!”

Karen has a wonderful example of a 1971 Determined Productions Puzzle. Determined Productions made a few different varieties of this type of puzzle. The box I would rate at a Very Good condition, since it has minimal damage and with just a hint of mildew damage probably from being in a moist, basement environment. On today’s market, this puzzle is worth around $20.

I have a Determined Puzzle that took a LONG time to build and it was a fun puzzle to put together. The puzzles tend to be a challenge since there are a lot of plain colored pieces, so bring the whole family. The best part of these puzzles is since they’re strip reproductions, you get to know the intricate lines of Schulz work really well in order to match them up. It’s a terrific piece to collect and a terrific piece to share (just handle with care!)

Final word: If anyone knows the exact date of this strip, please share! I didn’t find it in 1970 or 1969.

Have a Peanuts collectible you’d like to know more about? Want to share a story about your Peanuts collectible? Send email us a photo and any information you have to info@collectpeanuts.com.