Mr. & Mrs. Claus and the Knee-hugger Elf's Home at the Victorian

Mr. & Mrs. Claus and the Knee-huger Elf's Home at the Victorian ... Christmas season is coming upon us soon, and Santa and Mrs Claus Have joined the Knee Huger Elf's ... Many of the now popular vintage Knee Huger Elf’s were made by Napco,and Yuletide Company of Japan throughout the 1950s and 1960s. They did an excellent job with their Elf’s and became very popular in the United States and Canada during this era. The Yuletide Company of Japan was one of those amazing companies that were part of the rebuilding of Japan peace time manufacturing after World War II. Companies like Napco, Yuletied and Dakin with the help of the United States government during the occupied period were able to retool and build new peace time manufacturing centers in Japan. The new Christmas holiday based Japanese factories that manufacturing of toys and novelties such as Napco, Yuletide and Dakin were part of restoration of Japans economy during this era.
The first year for production of the smaller, made-for-the-consumer Santas was 1957. The 15 inch Santa Claus made in 1957 was the first item Harold Gale ever aimed at Christmas shoppers, rather than department store displays that he made. The smaller 15 inch Santa dressed in red satin with white go-go boots and a white belt is today one of the most widely listed Santas for sale on eBay. And amazingly seems to have been the most successful Santa in the Harold Gale line of products. At first these smaller Santas were sold at Sears and Roebuck, and as bonuses or awards for many items, including Stanley Home Products, Parker Pens, 7 Up, Teleflora, & Knox Hats. But by 1963, most department and gift stores were carrying them in their Christmas decorations departments during the holidays, and they were hard to keep on the shelf. Remarkably in the year 1960, Harold Gale was producing over 100,000 Santas, from the large, department-store size, to the smaller made for consumers. The number of the smaller Santas that are seen on eBay suggests volume got bigger every year throughout the 1960s, with the mid 1960s being the best years for the company.
Holidays, Christmas Decorating,