@@vipergts109 Yes, I was wondering the same thing. I mean, when you see that it's on year after year, do you not begin to see that the show is iconic. 🤷♂
@@wsuams that makes it sounds like they just gave it to her after production wrapped. I don’t think that’s true. These were displayed in New York in the years after production. She got them at some point when Rankin/Bass shut down, guessing by five finger discount.
...and it is all part of their history. Pretty awesome that these puppets gave Christmas joy in so many incarnations, and now will continue to do so. That is the definition of priceless.
55 year old guy here and I have to say watching this got me a bit emotional. Thank you to the generous person that bought them in order to donate for the world to see.
A museum is exactly where they belong, where they can be enjoyed by people who grew up watching them and of all other ages. Those things have pride of place in so many people's hearts. :-)
A few months ago my uncle whom was like a father figure to me, told me YEARS ago that he’d seen an episode of this show with these puppets on it. We looked everywhere and couldn’t find a clip. He soon after passed away from His battle with cancer. I miss him everyday and this brought a smile to my face. I only wish I could have shared this clip with him.
I was 9 in 1964 too.. But I must be much younger than you are because I don’t have any grandchildren yet, let alone great-grandchildren! Lol! Happy Holidays to you!
I was five and still remember watching that show for the first time. In my case, it was the main entertainment at my fifth birthday party. We all sat around the living room eating my birthday meal while we watched the special for the first time ever. Then they sang happy birthday and cut the cake. the cake and the song were actually a let down after watching the show. I then opened the usual assortment of gifts appropriate for a five year old boy in the 1960's and the last gift was, looking back, the best. It was my Dad's copy of the original Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer book by Robert May that he got for Christmas at the age of 7 in 1939. Unlike most children's books, it was in mint condition because it was always stored in a closet with the Christmas decorations and only taken out and read once each year. My Dad lost interest when he was around ten so that means it only got opened and read four times and then the fifth time was when it was presented to me. I then would have it put away every year and I too lost interest in it after about the age of 12 and my mother stuffed it in her closet until she passed away and I rediscovered it going through her old Christmas decorations after she died. The book is still in extremely good condition. I only ever added my name inside the front cover in pencil (thank god I didn't use crayon like most kids would have) and it is currently in a small glass case hung on the wall with my other highly prized Christmas collectibles. I haven't a clue what it is worth and don't care. It is profoundly special to me.
YES! Imagine, Christmas shows that aren’t snarky, cynical, littered with innuendo, mean-spirited, crude or pushing a political agenda. I want to go back to a more innocent time!
I'm happy that they were restored, sold to a respectful collector and donated into a museum (where they belong) for everyone to enjoy. My grandparents would play this film for me when I was growing up.
This was the best episode ever! I grew up watching that cartoon and now watch it with my adult children! The museum was the perfect place for them to end up. Bless that anonymous person!
The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta that has these puppets, does a fantastic live puppetry show of the Xmas special each year it's a great Xmas tradition now. It's so creative the way they recreate so many of the scenes from the special. They ended up recreating working (mostly rod) puppets based on the originals. It is amazing to watch the puppet show it's like the TV special coming to life. This museum is an incredible museum if you ever get a chance to visit it. There's a whole new wing dedicated to Jim Henson with sections on the Muppets, Sesame Street, Dark Crystal and many of his other shows and movies, he left most of his papers, working models, archives to the museum. He was a huge supporter of theirs through the years.
@@johnnygucci9 Xmas goes back many centuries. The X here is from the greek letter that stands for Christ. Much like the fish symbol on many bumperstickers goes back to greek symbols for Jesus. So no, despite what uneducated culture warriors think, it doesn't stand for X-ing out or taking the Christ out. Though it's ironic you'd argue about Christmas when it is itself a coopting of the pagan Winter Solstice celebration some 300 years after Jesus's birth, and celebrated on a day most scholars admit has nothing to do with Jesus's actual birthdate, that no one seems to know when it actually was.
@@johnnygucci9 I presented well documented historic evidence, you counter with an ad hominem attack, so yeah as usual, a sign that a person doesn't have an argument to make.
Thank you for sharing this information! We will be in Atlanta in June and I just looked at the Center's website. I am a huge Muppets fan, so this will definitely be added to our itinerary!
No amount of money can buy my childhood memories of these two I was born in 63 and they were a big part of my life growing up every Christmas glad to see them once more
So Cool! Well, I'm now saving my money up to take a trip to Atlanta. A bucket list item for sure to view these priceless memories from my childhood! Thank you to the buyer that donated them!!
Everything to do with this wonderful 1964 Christmas classic, even this lil story years after the fact, makes one feel wonderfully young & like a child again :)
What a great ending for those two characters. They belong in a museum for sure. Something like that is a part of history that needs to be preserved. They look amazing in their restored condition too. A special thank you to the high bidder who donated these, whoever you are, you are an amazing person. Bless you.
I can only imagine the person who bought and donated them to the museum had done so well that this movie was a part of the persons life and wanted others to have the joy of seeing them up close. As soon as it was shown on this RU-vid, it brought back memories as well. Wow, what a nice person to do this. Such a lovely future this history will have.
@@mrequi1 At the end, they talked about the online auction where someone anonymously paid over $300K and then donated them to the Puppetry Museum in ATL.
What a great story. Such a beloved pair or puppets and a holiday tradition movie watching experience since I was a kid growing up in the late 60s and 70s. What memories.
My family name is Rudolph, so these characters have always felt pretty special to me for that obvious reason. Glad to see they wound up in a good home at that museum. I'm left to wonder if the generous donor is someone who has a connection to puppetry?
My 2 year old and 3 year old watched this film for the first this Christmas 💕 You get such a fuzzy feeling watching your own kids fall in love with something you enjoyed so much as a child ☺🙏 ❄ 🎄 😍 ❤
Happy to hear that they have a home in a museum. I have a strong belief that important pieces such as the puppets belong in museums. This allows everyone to be able to enjoy them and to give them the appreciation they deserve.
Who brought them I am thankful that they chose to put them on display for all to enjoy Santa and Rudolph story made in 1964 what great times☃️🎄⛄❄️ it was😉
I am happy these were donated to a museum so we may all enjoy them. Were I a billionaire I'd have bid half a million. I'd have enjoyed having them in my own display for a few years thrilling my Christmas guests with the opportunity to see them up close as they watched the movie. Then eventually they would have been offered to the Smithsonian as a gift on condition they would be part of an annual Christmas related exhibit.
@@ValleyoftheRogue Ok thx for that. I probably made this comment months or years ago and have no idea what you are referencing. But that's ok, sometimes I too make untimely comments on outdated posts too. Cheers 🥂😁
Omigoodness! I guess I am sappy, because I cried when he told the end of the story. I was 7 years old when Rudolph first aired - the perfect age. I have watched it over the past 6 decades with my children and grandchildren and never tire of seeing it. I was overjoyed that the first buyer had them restored. Whoever that person was must have been a fan also, because they look so beautiful and exactly like they did originally (our love for them overlooks any “aging” effects). Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful story about old characters that we think of as friends!
Great story!!! And great result...couldnt be a better outcome...and special thanks to the selfless generous and thoughtful anonymous buyer who donated it to be on display so others can view it and appreciate it..amazing!!!
Even on the other side of the world here in asia, I've watched the show as a kid and thought they were so adorable they made me happy watching them. It made me tear up knowing the last buyer really knew the true message of the cartoon show, which is sharing and spreading joy to everyone..
That is the best home for them. Grew up watching Rudolph. I was born in 1969. I still watch it every year. It will always be close to my heart. Feel like a kid every time I see it.
Of the most emotional moments on television. These are beloved family friends across the world. And they are so innocent and dear in their aged state. They haven't lost their spirit and joyful, lifelike presence.
So many antiques and works of art are considered "Priceless" but if anything should be considered priceless, its these two puppets. After all, hundreds of millions of both children and adults alike from all over the world connect so many happy childhood moments with these puppets. There isn't a single antique/work of art that can make that same claim.
