Gurley Novelty

Gurley Novelty was a manufacturer primarily known for making holiday candles shaped like small figures. The company was owned, and its products designed by candle maker Franklin Gurley. In recent years Gurley candles have become popular collectibles.

W&F Manufacturing

Gurley Novelty started out in Buffalo, New York in the 1939 as part of candlemaker Franklin Gurley's W&F Manufacturing Co. Inc. At first the Gurley line was commissioned by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company (now ExxonMobil) as a way to reuse excess paraffin produced as a by-product of the oil refinery process. Gurley's first products were marketed under the name Tavern. The product line consisted of wax lips and teeth, as well as a limited number of small candle figures in holiday shapes such as ghosts, pilgrims, and Santa Claus. By the late 1940s the company's business was almost exclusively novelty candles. In 1949 W&F's Tavern brand was bought out by Franklin Gurley, and the name changed to Gurley Novelty.

Gurley Novelty

Under the Gurley Novelty name the company continued to manufacture the small wax figures that had made it prosperous. Most candles were manufactured for specific holiday themes. The largest variety was the Halloween candle line, which consisted of ghosts, cats, witches, skeletons, Jack-o-lanterns, skulls, and others. By the time the company went out of business in 1994 they had produced 67 different Halloween candle designs. The second greatest variety was for Christmas, which included Santas, reindeer, carolers, and pine trees of various sizes. A Thanksgiving line consisted of pilgrims, Indians, and turkeys. Later, an Easter line was added consisting of brightly colored bunnys.

From the 1930s until the late 1950s most Gurley candles measured around 3 1/2 inches high. Around 1960 the company began introducing larger candles that eventually increased to 9 1/2 inches or higher.

Another popular line introduced in the 1960s was the Glow Candle. The Glow Candle was a wax panel displaying a scene. When a candle was placed behind the panel it would illuminate the scene from behind.

Though each candle came with a wick, they were not marketed as practical candles. Rather, most were purchased as small wax figures for holiday display.

Gurley Novelty closed in 1994.

Sales

Tavern and Gurley candles were inexpensive. The 3 1/2 inch figures were sold for decades for $0.10 each, in packs of two for $0.29, and threes for $0.49. Individual larger sizes rarely exceeded $0.99, with candle sets and Glow Candles selling for more. Tavern and Gurley candles were pirmairly sold at dime stores such as Ben Franklin's and Woolworth's, though they could also be found at larger stores such as Macy's. Sales continued to rise throughout the 1950s and peaked in the late 1960s. By the late 1970s the company was in decline.

Packaging

Smaller candles were sold individually out of shallow cardboard boxes. Sets, and larger candles were sold in sealed paper boxes. Beginning in the 1960s the two and three-candle sets, and larger candles, were generally sold shrink-wrapped in cellophane. Most candles had a round paper Gurley label attached to the bottom.

Survivors

Today, Gurley Novelty candles have become popular collectibles. By far the most popular is the Halloween and Christmas candles, though the prices for Thanksgiving and Easter candles have risen in recent years. Expect to pay $5.00 to $10.00 for Halloween and Christmas theme candles. Larger candles, though more recently produced, often sell for $15.00 or more. The Glow Candles were the company's most expensive products, and were never a big seller. Today they are rare, with excellent examples selling for $50.00 or more. Expect to pay more if the candle is in its original packaging.

Reproductions

Several years ago the Gurley candle molds were purchased by the Vermont Country Store, which has begun reproducing them. Collectors are advised to be watchful of these modern reproductions. They will not have the Gurley label on the bottom, and are generally more brightly-colored than originals.