My Marilyn Monroe collection: Ornaments
What I spent my 21st Birthday money on?… Marilyn, Marilyn and more Marilyn!
With the money I received for my 21st birthday last month, rather than just splashing the cash on something useless or temporary, I decided to spend it on something I really wanted.
I often browse on eBay or Amazon for Marilyn Monroe merchandise or related items. I own a small Christmas tree ornament of Marilyn and wanted to collect Marilyn figurines. A particular collection of Marilyn ornaments caught my eye- The Diamonds and Pearls: The Fashions of Marilyn Monroe collection. Created in 2001 by Chris Notarile, The Diamonds and Pearls is a limited edition collection produced and marketed by the Bradford Exchange. The attention to detail and the quality of the ornaments make them an asset to any Marilyn collection.
The biggest problem for me is that I live in England and most of the Marilyn items on eBay are shipped from the US, China, Australia and others. This means the price is ridiculously high and I can’t buy afford to buy them. Then a few weeks ago I saw one of the six figurines from the Diamonds and Pearls collection available on eBay from England. This meant no additional charges and for less than £25, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity! I immediately bought it.
Show Stopper is the third issue in the collection and consists of a porcelain figure and similar oval plate of Marilyn wearing the gorgeous blue dress from the final scene in There’s No Business Like Show Business. The detail, colours and quality are amazing and surprisingly the figure actually resembles Marilyn. The plate is similar to a colourised portrait of Marilyn.
I was so overwhelmed by the Show Stopper that I really wanted the full collection but I couldn’t find any of the others on eBay from England. I was just glad to own one of the ornaments by chance and I didn’t have my hopes up.
As usual I continued to regularly check eBay for Marilyn Monroe related items, especially after I received £170 for my 21st birthday. Then by the greatest luck, I found all six of the ornaments from Diamonds and Pearls: The Fashions of Marilyn Monroe collection. They had very recently been put on eBay, were individually priced, in perfect condition AND they were from England!
All but one of the ornaments were in their original packaging and were brand new and 4 of them included the certificate of authenticity. Happy Birthday Mr President is the first issue of the collection and is by far my favourite! It wasn’t in it’s original packaging and the previous owner had lost the certificate of authenticity but it is still in perfect condition and is a real treasure.
Obviously, this ornament celebrates an iconic moment when Marilyn sang Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and the iconic dress she wore for the event. Marilyn’s flesh coloured gown by Jean Louis features more than 2,500 hand-stitched crystals. The dress was sold at auction in 2016 for a record breaking $4.8 million, making it the most expensive dress ever sold at auction.
My other favourites in the collection are issue 2 A Girl’s Best Friend and Divinely Marilyn the third issue. Both of these figurine plates beautifully replicate Marilyn Monroe as Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Issue 2 is for Marilyn’s pink dress that she wore when performing Diamonds Are A Girl’s Bestfriend. I love that the porcelain figure is even covered with diamonds.
Divinely Marilyn has the ornament wearing the gorgeous bejewelled red dress that Marilyn and costar Jane Russell wore in the opening scenes of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Marilyn and Jane wore the glittering red gowns and matching head pieces for the song Two Little Girls From Little Rock. Both of these iconic outfits were designed by William Travilla and are iconic pieces of film history.
Another dress that appears briefly in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is the gold lamé halter-neck dress also designed by William Travilla. The fourth issue in the Diamonds and Pearls collection is called All That Glitters. It has a porcelain figure of Marilyn wearing the low cut gold dress which she wore to the Photoplay Awards in 1953 and for a photo shoot. The oval plate has an amazing picture of Marilyn and looks like a display of fireworks.
The final ornament is spectacular! The figure and plate are from Marilyn’s most famous moment and one of the most iconic moments in film history. The figure perfectly captures the moment when the subway grate blows The Girl’s dress up over her head in The Seven Year Itch. The famous white dress designed by William Travilla is regarded as one of the most iconic images of the 20th century. The figurine and the plate are so gorgeous.
In fact, all of these ornaments are so beautiful and definitely one of the best Marilyn ornaments there are. They best resemble her and beautifully honour her style, films and influence. Altogether they cost £135 from eBay which is actually a bargain considering it usually costs £30-£50 for one! The lady I bought them from was more than generous with the price and I’m so glad to have this collection of hers. I adore them and would recommend them to Marilyn and Old Hollywood fans for their brilliant quality and beauty.
My advice? Keep searching on eBay, Amazon for Old Hollywood related items. New items are constantly added online from different parts of the country so you’re bound to find something you like. You might get lucky like me and find exactly what you want for an amazing quality, price and available in England. I also recommend looking in charity/second hand shops and car boot sales.
