This trophy was on eBay, late October 07'. Most of us are aware of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place trophies that were awarded to winners of the Famous Monsters of Filmland/Aurora Corp. contest and the accompanying certificates.

No one I've talked to, with Aurora history, remembers seeing this particular trophy in connection with that competition.

Phil Ceparano writes;


"I don't know if they are Aurora trophy's, but I do have all of them... 1st, 2nd & 3rd place.

This is only the second time I've seen them. The 1st time was when I won all three of the same trophy's on eBay about 8 years ago. This is a nice rare item, but Aurora? I don't know.

As far as I know the only Contest Trophy's were the three Frankenstein plaques."

FMOF Model Winners

The lack of any "Aurora" wording had me thinking this isn't an official trophy connected with the contest. Later, I received this e-mail from Bob Morris:


"I am the guy that had the Frankenstein trophy on eBay.

It is DEFINATELY a genuine, vintage 60s factory produced piece (not homemade or something), and originally made for the Aurora monster model contest... but it was not made by Aurora Plastics (which made injected plastic products, not metal trophies).

They were produced by a company that specifically made metal trophies, for the Aurora sponsored contest. I have a 1960s-dated, complete unused contest kit in my collection, with the 3 trophies, window poster, entry blanks, cover letter, etc. that attests to the era and originality of the trophy I sold.

I had a couple of eBay users email me that they remember their specific model stores giving these away for the Aurora Master Monster Model contest, and this is how they were offered to hobby stores by Trost Hobby in Chicago in the mid 1960s.

In 35+ years of serious collecting, I have seen individual trophies come out of Missouri, Texas, South Carolina, Illinois, and New York. I also have a complete unused Aurora distribution kit for the MMM contest, with the 3 plaques, letters, posters, entry blanks, etc. Both kits were distributed by Trost in the 60s. The two kits are very similar in design, and they were both distributed nationally."

So there ya go... you decide. - Buc

The writeup on eBay:

A 1964 "Master Monster Model Contest" FRANKENSTEIN AWARD TROPHY.

Manufactured for the legendary contest sponsored by AURORA PLASTICS and FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND Magazine, and was awarded to the first place winners of the contest.

This piece was manufactured in the early 1960s for distribution through local model shops, and is much much rarer than the vacuform plastic Frankenstein plaque that pops up from time to time. The trophy is extremely well made...very impressive and statuesque. The Frankenstein figure itself is beautifully modeled directly off of the famous Aurora Plastics figure kit, and cast in gold plated metal . It is a heavy and substantial piece, the Monster's arms to his sides and standing atop a base that resembles a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup! He is bolted through a base of white/ivory marbleised bakelite -type plastic, made to resemble polished marble stone.

The front of the trophy consists of a sliding "brushed gold" plaque that measures 3-3/4" X 2" that proclaims "1st PLACE - MONSTER CONTEST", with a 1-1/4" tall line drawing of Frankenstein's head, right off the cover of the classic James Bama Aurora model kit box. Under this is a drawing of the "Aurora Bat" (from the Dracula and Batman kits) and a spider web and spider sprawls eerily across the bottom of the plaque.

The trophy stands overall about 10" tall, and base itself is about 4-3/4" wide X 2-1/2" deep. Overall in really excellent condition for being over forty years old...there is a tiny chip on the top left edge of the slot that holds the plaque in (see pic), but this is very minor. It is otherwise immaculate.

This piece is offered from the collection of Bob "Mr. Monster" Morris, and is fully guaranteed as presented.

- mondo*memories
Midwest, United States
Oct-28-07

Junk Drawer