On Tue, 10 Mar 2009, Doug Henwood wrote:
> [from a news list run by Michael Munk - a large portrait of Bernie Madoff
> didn't sell, but...]
On a related note, from the International Toy Fair last month:
The New York Times
February 18, 2009
Invest Another $100 in Madoff (Hammer Included)
By CYRUS SANATI
Victims of the financier Bernard L. Madoff lost billions of dollars in
his self-described Ponzi scheme. For another $99.95 or so (plus
shipping and handling), they can let off some steam.
That is the going price for the Smash-Me Bernie doll, which was
introduced at this year's American International Toy Fair in New York.
The figure, about seven inches tall, features a smiling Mr. Madoff in a
red devil suit with a pitchfork. It comes with a gold "commemorative"
hammer, for the purpose of pulverizing Mr. Madoff in effigy.
While hardly likely to become the next Tickle Me Elmo or Furby, the
doll got a lot of notice at the fair, which ends Wednesday.
The doll is made by Mini-Me ModelWorks, a Phoenix-based company that
takes photos sent in by customers and custom-makes dolls out of a tough
plastic resin. Graeme Warring, the president, said that he was inspired
to make the Bernie Madoff doll after a friend said he lost money
investing in a fund that fed cash to Mr. Madoff.
"I made this friend of mine a Bernie doll with a devil body and I sent
him a hammer and I said `Here, take a whack at this to make you feel
better,' " Mr. Warring said. "He told some of his mates, and before I
knew it I had 50 orders for the thing." At last count the company had
more than 1,000 orders for the doll, Mr. Warring said.
But Mr. Madoff probably won't be the only Wall Street character in the
Mini-Me catalog. The company just received an order for 50 dolls that
look like John Thain, the former Merrill Lynch chief executive. The new
doll features Mr. Thain sitting on a golden toilet, a reference to the
more than $1 million he spent refurbishing his office when he took
over.