Ventriloquist Central – A Tribute To Ventriloquism

Comments come in to me on a regular basis thanking me for sharing the Ventriloquist Central Collection with the public. I am of course always appreciative of these comments as this love of the ventriloquist figure of mine just has to be shared. How else can I put it ?

When Steve and I first got together to do the web site it was to showcase the ventriloquist figure collection I had put together at that time. I wanted everyone who had a love of ventriloquism to be able to see them at anytime day or night twenty four seven.

The web site was the only way. Of course the web site has grown to much more and it is a true labor of love between Steve and me.

I have tried to show each figure from all angles and give history and data on each one. It is only fair that you as the onlooker should have all the information on each piece.

I have done a series of videos for Ventriloquist Central and will keep doing them unabated so that you get to see each figure working and moving. I myself love showing all of you these great works of art. Why else would you collect if you were not going to share your collection.

So keep checking in as new items get added to the collection all the time and if you are in the Boston area make sure you contact me so that you can come by and see the collection in person.

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

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Dan Willinger is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. He created the Ventriloquist Central Collection. It now has over 100 ventriloquist figures and over 50 of them are Frank Marshall figures. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2010 by Dan Willinger

NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com

Wigging a ventriloquist figure can be a challenging task. The first thing you must try and do is find a wig that is small. Most wigs that you can purchase in the stores are for adult heads. Ventriloquist figures use a small child’s size wig. If you have a wig shop near you many times they will carry wigs for children that have cancer. These wigs work rather well but depending on what they are made from they can be expensive.

You first lay a piece of clear plastic on the figures head and mark with magic marker the exact line for where the from hair will sit then go around the ears and then around the back of the head. This will form a plastic template of the figures hairline. Now you place that inside the wig and start to cut. I always cut a bit over the line because you are going to have hair loss due to unraveling of the wig.

Once you have cut away the excess of the wig you can place it on the figures head and you will find it fits rather nicely at this point. Now depending on what your figure is made from you can decide how to attach the wig. I like to use carpet tacks in the wooden heads but in resign heads I will use staples and hot glue. Hot glue is a must for the front hairline to really keep it in place and it works very quick so make sure you have the wig placed in the exact spot. Gluing the side burns also eliminates them from not lying flat to the head.

Once you have the wig on the head then you can brush it to where you like, use thinning shears to eliminate some bulk and use very sharp scissors to trim. I prefer scissors with a very short blade for the trimming.

Paula Young wigs sells a model named Abbey which comes in a mini petite size and I have used this wig many times but it still requires quite a bit of cutting to make work but after a few times you will get the hang of it.

Remember this is not rocket science.

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

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Dan Willinger is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. He created the Ventriloquist Central Collection. It now has over 100 ventriloquist figures and over 50 of them are Frank Marshall figures. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2010 by Dan Willinger

NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com

Most people out there have no clue what provenance is nor do they care. Provenance is the complete lineage of an item. Who first purchased it and the hands that it has gone through to the present. This is another fundamental piece of a true collector and it especially applies to ventriloquist figures.

As a collector of vent figures I want to know who has owned the figure so that I can regurgitate the information to anyone that may ask. I always list as much information as possible about a figure when I list it in the Ventriloquist Central Collection page. To me it is one of the most important things other than originality of the figure.

If you are a performer, then who cares who owned it. You wrap your hand around the head stick, go out on stage and the figure talks and makes people laugh and the world smiles. Makes absolutely no difference if you were the first owner of the figure or the third or seventh.

I recently purchased a figure on a public sale that said it belonged to a famous person. After I purchased it I asked the seller for the provenance to prove the ownership. They said this was not something they do. I said then how can I, a collector, list him on Ventriloquist Central Collection as being previously owned by this famous person if I have no proof.

They understood and then sent me the info from where they purchased the figure. I was able to then confirm the originality as being true. I am sure they didn’t want me to see where they purchased the figure but now I am satisfied. I will be showing this figure to everyone in the not too distant future.

So when you decide to collect, and it makes no difference what the item is you collect, always try to get the provenance. It just adds to the items value.

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

***************************************************

Dan Willinger is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. He created the Ventriloquist Central Collection. It now has over 100 ventriloquist figures and over 50 of them are Frank Marshall figures. Because of his love for the art of ventriloquism, Mr. Willinger created the website Ventriloquist Central. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2010 by Dan Willinger

NOTE: You may use this blog article provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email a copy of your publication with the blog article in it to: webmaster@ventriloquistcentral.com