What You Should Know About Vintage Golly Badges

For a large portion of the 1900s, the Robertson's brand of marmalade and preserves was instantly recognisable by the Golly icon. The icon branched into Robertson's Golly badges, jewellery, actual dolls, ceramic figurines, and children's games. You can find an assortment of vintage Golliwog badges for sale on eBay.

What year were the first Golliwog badges created?

John Robertson got the idea of the Golliwog badge while on a tour to the United States. He observed many children playing with black rag dolls made from their mothers' discarded clothing. He felt that this Golly, as it was called, would be a great mascot for the company. In 1910, the idea was accepted by Robertson and the icon started to appear on price lists and shipping labels. The first Golly badges were produced in 1928 as a brooch that was meant to be a collectors' item. The first design was a golfer.

Types of Golly pin badges

The Golly badges had such a long and successful run that it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how many different types of badges were created. The Golliwog badge price lists are continuously being updated. If a collector wants a specific badge to add to their Golly brooch collection, they will be willing to pay more than someone who is just starting to collect. Here are just a few of the many options of vintage Golly badges you will find on eBay:

Footballer
Cricketer
Golfer
Nurse
Seasonal, such as Father Christmas

Why aren't there any Golly badges from 1940?

The Second World War started in 1939 and the need for metals was high. To assist with the war efforts, Robertson discontinued the badges from 1939 through 1946. In 1946, with the war over, they began putting out badges again. In 1970, the design of the badges changed. The first run of Gollys had pop eyes, while the badges from 1970 and later have eyes that look to the left.

Are the later Robertson badges considered Gollies?

In 2001, Robertson created a series of seven Roald Dahl figures that replaced the traditional Golly badges. The original Golly badges were discontinued in 2002 but the Roald Dahl figures continued until 2006. In 2014, badges were once again produced, this time in conjunction with the Paddington Bear movies. While these figures are not considered vintage Golly badges, you may see them listed alongside the original badges.

Robertsons Golly Badge Collectables

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