Currently on auction at Hake’s Auctions in the USA is a Phantom Syroco statuette.

The Phantom Syroco was produced by Multi-Products, Inc. in Chicago, USA in 1944, part of a set of 24 little statue style figures which make up a full set of characters licensed to King Features Syndicate. The full set can be seen below (the Phantom Syroco only is being offered by Hake’s Auctions).

The 6″ wood-look statues were originally sold in dime stores for 25 cent, with some offered only as mail-in premiums for Cream of Wheat and Farina cereals (see below advertisement). The statues appear to be carved wood, however they’re actually produced using a mold, with the materials used being made up of a sawdust/wood fiber/resins composite, a technique developed by Adolph Hostein in the 1890s.

The Phantom Syroco was offered in 2 different colors, in purple and also in a brown wood-look finish, with only 500 of each produced. The Phantom is seen with crossed arms in a standing position on a round disc, with the word ‘Phantom’ seen on the front and ‘1944 K.F.S’ on the back. Both versions are hand painted once removed from the casting mold.

The version offered at action by Hake’s Auctions is the more colorful version, the purple version. The front and back of the Phantom Syroco as seen on the action listing can be seen below.

The description offered by Hake’s Actions is:

5″ tall wood composition w/incised 1944 KFS copyright on back of base w/raised “Phantom” name on front. This figure was produced in two color varieties – purple and brown. Offered here is The Phantom’s traditional purple costume. Both figures are among the scarcest and most desirable in the set. Due to the figure’s thin, fragile legs, this figure is typically found w/ankle repairs. This example is repair free. Figure shows scattered aging w/trace wear to edges of underside of base, but figure stands well and displays Exc. Among the nicest we have ever offered in our 57 years.

All Syroco statuette were originally sold in a cardboard box with the figures wrapped in a corrugated piece of cardboard before being placed into the box. The Phantom Syroco listed by Hake’s Auctions seems to be missing these items. An example of the cardboard box and wrapping can be seen below, not part of the action. An image of the Phantom is found on one of the sides.

As noted by Hake’s Auctions, the Phantom Syroco is the figure which seems to be the hardest to locate from the set of 24, very much sought after by most Phantom fans for their memorabilia collection. Due to their age and the materials their made from, Phantom Syrocos are generally found in a bad condition with missing paint and have often been repaired due to breakage.

The Phantom Syroco being offered by Hake’s Auctions seems to be in better then average condition, however it does show signs of age with some paint missing, yet no repairs present. It’ll certainly make an excellent addition to any fussy collectors display case!!!

To view the Phantom Syroco auction on Hake’s Auctions website, click HERE

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