It’s a sad day today.
The factory that has cranked out over 20 million pink flamingo lawn ornaments since 1957 has gone out of business.
Production actually ceased in June, but the lights in the factory went out today.
Designed by Don Featherstone in 1957, the pink flamingo as we know and love it is now extinct. Several companies have expressed interest in acquiring the mold for phoenicopteris ruber plasticus but it just won’t ever be the same.
You can go to eBay (quickly) and bid on a pair. The current bid is $81 (retail is $10 – 15).
Much to the dismay of my neighbor, we had a pair in the backyard by the pool. Delightfully tacky, yet refined, they graced the yard for several years. One succumbed to the Phoenix sun, which turned it a pasty yellow color. The other was demolished by Trudy, our German/Australian Sheppard mix when she was a pup.
Here’s a couple of links to the news stories. Bring a box of Kleenex.
Fly Away Pink Flamingo
Swan Song of the Pink Flamingos
Extinction of an American Icon
[tags]Pink Flamingo, extinction, lawn ornament[/tags]
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May be they will sell the mold on e-bay
Jeff – did you ever get your blog going?
I have fond memories as kid running around with my buddies snatching as many as we could and loading up one lawn with em. We always returned them unharmed to their natural habitat.
Jay,
I came here looking for your highly linked to 404 error article about the activerain carnival. I am thinking this is not it.
MF
Darn! I was just thinking of buying a couple Flamingos to photograph in the snow. My plan was to send the photos to my real estate buddies in the “warmer climates” for use in marketing…shucks!
This is one of the american icons. Sure most people think they are tacky but we had alot of tacky things in america. I hope who ever buys it keeps them in the USA.