Any other RCA Dog "Nipper"collectors out there?

[-reverb-]

My Mom bought me a 16" ceramic Nipper about 25 years ago. When it arrived, it was damaged - one of the ears was broken during shipping. The company sent a replacement but I didn't have the heart to toss out the first one - it just wasn't damaged that badly. They both stood "listening" to my left and right speakers until I had kids and needed to pack them away.

About 3 years ago (once Nipper(s) would be safe again), I unpacked them and placed them out to be enjoyed. It was nice to have them back - Mom had recently passed away so these had a very special place in my heart of course.

One day, don't really remember what happened, but the undamaged Nipper was struck and had a huge chunk broken out of most of his back. I was completely devastated. Funny thing when you lose a loved one, an otherwise mundane object - because of it's connection to that person, can take on an enormous importance. Thus was Nipper. At that point, I just could not look at the damaged pieces and thought they both needed to be retired to the trash. I asked the wife if she would take care that - I just couldn't bring myself to doing it. She did, and that was that...... or so I thought.

Unbeknownst to me, the Wifey (who works at the local High School) had taken both Nippers to the Art teacher there and asked if she could do anything with them. Somehow the Art teacher managed to use the original damaged Nipper for parts to fix the newly damaged Nipper. My Wife brought it home and gave it back to me. I was stunned. Good as new - Nipper 2.0

It was one of the kindest, most touching things that anyone has ever done for me. Although I have told her time and time again, I don't think she realizes how much it meant to me to have that little ceramic doggie back.

DSC_4211

• -reverb-
• Jul 13, 2016

 

[Poultrygeist]

Great story,

Thanks for sharing

 

[vintage 5.0]

That is a cool story and that is so nice of your wife to know what that meant to you. Life can be like that when some things were given by a loved one there is just no replacing that item and the memories.

 

[Nipper Dog]

I have a cool book that you can get that has all the RCA collectibles in it and values. It is a hard back and is a good source of information.

I have this book and it is very informative. I have recently inherited a rather large Nipper collection from my sister. She was an avid collector for years and she recently passed away. It looks like lots or really vintage Nippers and other Nipper collectables. Any suggestions of what I can do with them would be appreciated. When I googled Nipper collectors, you are what came up so I thought I might try and contact you.

 

[kcline]

Vintage RCA/ Victor/ Nipper collectables could be sold online thru an antique auction house, the more modern ? I work at a auction house we had a large collection of these the vintage did very well the newer had to be sold in group lots. We would not handle the newer items unless part of an estate which is our main business here

 

[Poultrygeist]

Nipper likes H-frames as he doesn't have to sit on the floor.

 

[Sam08861]

Used to work at RCA many years ago (back when a 50” plasma screen was over $50k and MP3 players were starting to hit the market) at their headquarters in Indianapolis and had more Nipper and Chipper chatchkies than I could keep track of. Chipper is the puppy version of Nipper and the field service techs used to have a diagnostic device to check the TVs firmware and hardware called the. “Chipper check”

 

[cubdog]

 

[Dswankey]

First I know this is an old thread however instead of creating a new one I just thought I'd add to this for the "Nipper" collectors to check out.

I stopped into my local reuse/recycle joint this morning and I noticed an old upright console build & size wise, I opened up the doors and the unit had been gutted of all electronics.

Turns out it was an RCA Victor and then I noticed this pin which was purposely pushed into the bottom part of the unit via the speaker grill cloth.

I asked one of the sale associates if I could just buy the pin and he said sure $5 later here it is.

It's about the size of a Silver dollar pretty solid, looks pretty cool and thought I'd share.

My guess, as the console was mono, circa mid-late 50's?

 

[Pio1980]

Why the phase "His Master's Voice"?

For anyone you hasn't heard the story:

His owner had passed and upon hearing a recording of his voice Nipper perked right up in recognition. The message in this early advertisement is that the gramophone's sound is life like.

I've heard the original showed an Edison cylinder player. Edison wasn't interested in its advertising potential and took a pass, the artist repainted it with the Victor disc player and there it is.

 

[Buck Rogers]

Worked at RCA in the 1980's.

Owned hundreds of RCA pieces still have a bunch from TV repair places that went out of business.

Cool items like 40 feet of RCA Drapes. Nipper salt shakers, Nipper chairs, Light up signs.

Found this on ebay.

 

[Pio1980]

Worked at RCA in the 1980's.

Owned hundreds of RCA pieces still have a bunch from TV repair places that went out of business.

Cool items like 40 feet of RCA Drapes. Nipper salt shakers, Nipper chairs, Light up signs.

Found this on ebay.

Heard a story abt Jack Welch acquiring RCA for GE and almost immediately, the archives were ordered dumpstered. A volunteer overnight rescue brigade was organized with employee vehicles to rescue as much RCA history as could be done.

 

[Buck Rogers]

Yup, That's Jack "The Reaper" Welch.

The list of companies, Assets and employees he destroyed would fill many pages.

I watched them load a small warehouse of Video consoles, Broadcast transmitters & Cameras into a compressor and crush all of it into huge cubes.

Still have nightmares and that was 45 years ago.

 

[Pio1980]

Yup, That's Jack "The Reaper" Welch.

The list of companies, Assets and employees he destroyed would fill many pages.

I watched them load a small warehouse of Video consoles, Broadcast transmitters & Cameras into a compressor and crush all of it into huge cubes.

Still have nightmares and that was 45 years ago.

One historically significant rescue, the surviving example of RCAs first CRT field test television receivers.

RCA 1932 Field Trial Set

early television

www.earlytelevision.org

 

[Buck Rogers]

That is so sweet, I had the 1946 HH Scott TV using a 4" Philips CRT.

The top raised 45 degrees and a screen folded out.

 

[UncleAng]

World' oldest record store (est. 1886) Valletta, Malta.

 

[twiiii]

Some of the late 50's mono microgroove recordings are really out standing as it just proves what you could can do with one mic. I also like a lot of the early stereo LP's where thet kept the recording process simple. They were almost doing Living Presence before Mercury was. All that said I don't collect the dogs but I have quite of few RCA albums with pictures of the dog on the album covers and on the Red labels. My mothers Victrola was an RCA and it had images of the dog on it and when she added the 45 RPM player it had the dogs image, also. That had to be before 1950 when we moved to Santa Rosa California, I was probably 4 going on 5.

 

[egellings]

I once saw a parody of Nipper in which he raises his leg on the horn.

 

[Pio1980]

That is so sweet, I had the 1946 HH Scott TV using a 4" Philips CRT.

The top raised 45 degrees and a screen folded out.

I had a separated Philips Protelgram projector as a teen that I connected into a 10" Admiral chassis, worked great until the HV arced thru a bubble in the 3NP4 and ruined it. I did power an old sniperscope with its HV ps for funzies, worked great.

 

[yzzaj]

Nipper, Son of Nipper and Grandson of Nipper: