Monday, July 5, 2010

Vintage Carnival Duck Pond Game Pieces

My favorite carnival game of all time is the Duck Pond, because, really, who doesn't like a game where you're guaranteed to win a prize, regardless of your lack of skill? All you have to do is pick up a little plastic duck floating in the artificial pond, turn it over, and the number marked underneath corresponds to the prize you win. Who cares that the prizes are flimsy plastic tchotchkes ordered by the ton: you won something! Yay!

I was very lucky to find some vintage Duck Pond ducks for sale recently. Those on the left are carnival-used, while those on the right, on the bobbing bases, are unsold old store stock.

Aren't they cute?!

These ones, I think, have a rather startled expression on their faces.

2 comments:

  1. Hi, My sisters and I grew up in a carnival, My parents had several games and each of us girls had our favorite that we would work. I was very young however I would work at the duck pond for hours at a time. back then the carnivals were run by families who would travel for the summers and when the winter came they would go back to their 9 to 5 jobs and we would go back to school. It was a very special place to grow up. The ducks with the round bottoms were actually the second group of ducks that we used. The first had a round head as well as a round bottom and didn't look like ducks really. My Dad was such a honest Man that he would line the bottom of the pond with mirrors so people would have a chance of seeing the bottom of the duck. And could pick a S M or L meanning small, meduim, or large. yes there was always a prize every time and for 25 cents, it was a great deal. I have been looking all over for ducks like that. i have a room that I call the carnival room that has old signs and things that my parents had. i would love the chance to buy just 1 duck to add to that collection. My email is PattyMurdock@hotmail.com if you are interested. funny that recently I had someone draw a picture of those same duck for a tattoo that I was thinking of getting. Thank you for the flash back.

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  2. Hi Patty,

    wow: what a wonderful childhood you had! The duck pond was always my favorite game at carnivals, and I would have been thrilled as a kid to play your dad's, with the added chance he gave to get the prize you wanted. What a sweetie!
    I'm afraid I only have 1 each of these ducks, so I don't have any to sell. However, they still have some in stock at the site I got them from: The Shine Gallery in Los Angeles. They are only $5.00 each, and they have lots of other old stock carnival and circus stuff you might remember. Here's the link:

    http://shinegallery.com/morestuff.html

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