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How to Find Gurley Candles

Gurley vintage candles were first made in the 1930s. They included pilgrims, snowmen, angels, ghosts, American Indians, Santas, Christmas trees, turkeys and more. These popular holiday-themed 3- to 7-inch candles may have originally sold for about 10 cents but are now collectibles, priced anywhere from $5 to hundreds of dollars, depending on condition and rarity. The famous candle maker Franklin Gurley was originally commissioned to make the little wax figures to use up extra paraffin from the oil-refining process. They were first marketed as Tavern candles. In 1949 the name was changed to Gurley Novelty. You can still find mint condition vintage Gurley candles with the Gurley seal.

Things You'll Need

Computer with Internet access
Pricing guide

Instructions

- 1
  Look for candles with unburned wicks that still have the Gurley seal or Tavern seal on the bottom of the candle. These seals will tell you that these are vintage candles, not reproductions. Be aware that candle manufacturers' colors were not as bright in the mid-20th century as they are now. Vermont Country Store has bought many of the Gurley candle molds and is reproducing candles that are identical to the originals, although they are more brightly colored and don't include the seals.
- 2
  Shop on http://www.ebay.com for original Gurley candles. A 2009 ebay search brought up hundreds of single Gurley candles, as well as pairs and sets. The bidding for singles and pairs started from $4.99 to $19.99. An opening bid for a vintage Christmas Gurley Tavern Caroller Candle Set was $125.
- 3
  Search ̶0;buy Gurley candles̶1; on Google. This search will bring up Gurley candles offered by collectors, vintage toy retailers and dealers at a set price. An entire box of medium-size, vintage Santa candles was offered for $135 plus shipping in 2009.
- 4
  Enter ̶0;rare Gurley candles̶1; in your search and find the most unusual and hard-to-find Gurley candles. Angel candles with pink or yellow dresses are more difficult to find than all-white angels. The Halloween pumpkin candle with a black cat inside is so rare that collector Scott Mangini said he would be surprised to find another one for less than $100, according to an article in "Country Living" magazine. African American choir-boy candles are rare, as are golden bells, and even 10-inch church and steeple candles.
- 5
  Check out the value of Gurley candles on Worthpoint or other guides that show pricing from sales and auctions.

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