Beatles Memorabilia Reference Guide

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The Beatles Kaboodle Kit was manufactured and sold in the USA by Standard Plastic Products (SPP) in 1964.  SPP also manufactured pencil cases,  wallets and 3 ring binders.  9 different colors of Kaboodle Kits are currently known:  red, light blue, dark blue, yellow, hot pink, light pink, peach, lavender,  and beige(or tan).  None of them are considered by experts any rarer than another.  We have seen probably an equal amount of all colors over the past 25 years.  Considered to fall under the lunchbox category today by many collectors however it was not sold as a lunchbox originally - it was a Kaboodle Kit...meant to put knick-knacks and treasured items inside!!!  Many kids who got these originally did use them as a lunchbox.  Please note that this item was not issued with any kind of a thermos.  The Kaboodle Kit is considered a "MUST HAVE" item for all Beatles memorabilia collectors!  Shown below are all 9 known colors!

Kelsboro Ceramic Heads were mfg by the Kelsboro Co in the UK in 1964.  Originals are painted and glazed and marked Kelsboro on the back.

Keychains,  see Jewelry Items.

Apple Keychain mfg in the UK in 1968.

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Beatles Lamp mfg in the USA in 1964.  There were 2 styles: one with feet and another meant to hang on the wall.  2 different pictures were used on the front - these pictures are just cardboard promo cards available at the time glued onto the lampshades.  In the UK a nice lampshade was mfg with the Beatles pictures made right into the paper.  This lamp was available separately or on a nice black ceramic base with a gold guitar emblem on the front.

Beatle Lamps were also made in Sweden in several different styles.  Very rare.  Shown is the original advertising flyer for the lamps.

Beatles Licorice Records were mfg in England and sold in the USA and Canada in 1964.  Five different designs are known and were sold from an orange cardboard store display box.

Li-Lo.  see Airbed.

Beatles Line Drawings from 1964 in the original manila envelope.  Each measures 12"x12" and is printed on heavy posterboard.

Beatles Irish Linen mfg in Ireland in 1964.  The same company made a tablecloth also.

Beatles Lipstick container mfg by KIGU in the UK in early 1964.  Beatles compact also shown mfg by the same company.  Lipstick is marked KIGU on the bottom while the compact is usually not marked.  This set is sometimes found in a rare custom made box which has formed pockets for each item.  The set is quite valuable as there have only been a couple of these ever found!!!

A Beatles Litterbag for your car was mfg in the USA by AirFlite.  Made of thick vinyl, this strange item came in either white or red.  See also these AirFlite items: Record Carrying Cases,  Lunchboxes and Overnight Cases.

A large smoked glass Beatles Loot Tray mfg in the USA.  Hard to find.

Beatles Lunchboxes came in many sizes and styles in the sixties.

A blue metal Beatles Lunchbox mfg by Alladin Industries in 1965.  Item included a matching thermos with blue plastic cap and top. Commands a premium when found in mint condition.  Click here for a view of The Yellow Submarine lunchbox.

Beatles Lunchboxes mfg by Air Flite USA in 1964.  These vinyl carrying cases never came with a thermos and might not have been originally sold as lunchboxes, but today they are considered lunchboxes by most all collectors.  Black is the hardest color to locate.  The last one pictured with the larger picture of The Beatles is the rarest.  See Carrying Cases for more Air Flite products.

Pictured first are Original Hand Written Lyrics to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band;  the First Draft done in Paul McCartney's hand, circa 1967.  Next,  the Hand Written Lyrics to Hey Jude done in Paul's hand in 1968.  This is a Studio Rewrite version of the song.  Also shown are a few other original lyrics including John's first draft of You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, the studio rewrite of Nowhere Man, and the studio rewrite of Yesterday!

Hand Written Lyrics are the Ultimate Beatles Memorabilia Item, Bar None!!!  We wish we could show you more pictures of this type of collectible, but because of their rarity, photos of these do not turn up in public places very often.  To own a First Draft or a Studio Rewrite of an original 1960s Beatles Song would be the ultimate achievement of any Beatles Collector!!!  A First Draft would be Number One on the desirability list as The Beatles would use anything to write on when the first inspiration for a new song came to them;  sometimes they wrote on the backs of envelopes, phone books, even match book covers!!! Whatever was available at the moment is what was used.  First Drafts are extremely rare to find and this type of collectible would be on par as one finding an original Beethoven manuscript!!!  Studio Rewrites are examples of Hand Written Lyrics that a Beatle would do once he had nearly completed a song;  he would write out the complete lyrics as clearly as possible so that the other members of the Beatles would be able to follow along in the studio.  Again, these are extremely rare but not as desirable as a First Draft Beatle Song!!!  It is quite likely that the First Drafts of many Beatle songs simply do not survive!!!  As a song was nearing completion, it would be transposed into a Studio Rewrite then the First Draft was then discarded, as none of The Beatles put any value on these 'original manuscripts' during the 1960's time period.  Additionally, most of the Studio Rewrites were tossed out into the trash at the end of a recording session at Abbey Road Studios in London once the group was finished with a song.  Hunter Davies' 1968 publication The Beatles An Authorized Biography is a great source of information on Hand Written Lyrics.  There are several stories told of how these were trashed at the end of recording sessions plus examples of The Beatles themselves actually trying to complete songs and lyrics in the studio!!

A Studio Rewrite of Nowhere Man done in John's hand from 1965 sold for approximately $455,000.00 US Dollars in the summer of 2004!!!  This particular Rewrite was saved from extinction by one of the Studio Engineer's at the time.  Wow, no one could imagine that a piece of paper would be worth a half million dollars some forty years later!!!!

Please see our Autograph section for many great examples of autographed items from the band in the 1960s.

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M is for Mastro Industries,  click here to skip directly to that section.

Many different Beatles Magazines were mfg in the 1960's. Here is a sampling of what you could have bought at your local grocery or five and dime store back then.

Magazine Promotional Posters.  Several Magazine companies issued promotional store displays for their merchandise.  There were 2 promo posters issued by POST Magazine for their August 8-15th 1964 issue. The smaller one is printed on thin cardboard and measures 10" x 13.5"; the larger POST magazine promo poster measures in at 22" x 28" and is in full color.  Last pictured is a rare UK promotional poster issued for Liverpool Echo Magazine issued in February 1964; this promo store display measures 16" x 22";  also shown is the original Liverpool Echo magazine this rare promo poster was advertising.  See also Bookstore Promos for several store promo posters for various 1960's Beatles books.

A small pop-up cardboard magazine display was inserted into Fab magazine in the UK in 1964.

The Magic Slate manufactured in the UK in 1964 by Merit.  This same company also made the Magnetic Hair Game toy.  A very hard to find item.

Magic Trick,  a card game with several different cards, a cardboard TV and instructions.  Made in the UK in the early 1960's.  Another hard to find item.

The Magnetic Hair Game Toy mfg in the UK by Merit which also made the Magic Slate Toy shown prior.  This item is easily located when compared to the Magic Slate Toy; still a highly desirable piece of originally licensed memorabilia.

Mascot Dolls, see Dolls.

M is for Mastro Industries which made some of the most desirable Beatles memorabilia in the 1960's.   Collectors love these items!!! Shown is an assortment of toy instruments. Click here for more detailed information on Mastro Industries and the items they made.  Click here to read an article in Vintage Guitar Magazine about the creator of Mastro Industries,  Mario Maccaferri;  it is very interesting reading and it also addresses the licensing agreement he received to exclusively produce Beatles toy instruments back in 1964 for the USA.  By mid summer 1964, Mastro had reportedly shipped 500,000 toy instruments out to consumers and they were projecting 2,000,000 by years end!!! Wow, where did they all go?;  especially the Beatles promo models where as few as half a dozen exist for some models.   As a matter of fact, there has not yet been even one documented  case of a promotional Beatle-ist Guitar!!! They certainly were made as they have appeared in vintage photographs.  As of this writing in early 2004,  these are the estimated numbers of Beatles Promotional Guitars by model type:  Junior Guitar = 3,  Four Pop Guitar = 2, Yeah Yeah Guitar = 5, Beatle-ist Guitar = zero!  If you find one out there, please contact us and send us photographs for our Reference Library.  We can also almost guarantee we can sell that Promo guitar on consignment for you for at least $10,000 US Dollars!

Matchboxes, mfg in Holland in 1964.  One of each Beatle was made plus a group box.

Medal, see Silver Coin, UK, 1965-66 and 1966-67.

German Medallion mfg in 1966.  It was originally issued with either a long matching chain or in an original nicely decorated Beatles cardboard box.

Plastic Beatle Megaphones were sold at many concerts in the USA in 1964.  These were mfg by Yell-a-phone.  Manufactured in 3 colors,  yellow, orange and white each with a metal ring mouthpiece and a long chain to hang around your neck.  They are sometimes found with the metal chain inside a small paper envelope taped to the inside of the megaphone;  the envelope is marked Yell-a-phone.  A small quantity of original megaphones were found a few years ago, all unused with the metal chains still unopened in the small white envelopes.

A Beatles Large Mirror was issued by Capitol Records in 1974 for the Beatles 10th Anniversary on Capitol Records.  Features a silhouette of the Rubber Soul album cover.   This mirror has been reproduced:  the original has Paul on the right side of the mirror, the reproduction has the picture in reverse so Paul is on the left side in the reproduction. 

Plastic Model Kits were mfg in the UK and USA in 1964 by Revell.  These kits are most desirable when complete and unbuilt.  One of each Beatle. There were 2 promotional posters and at least 1 flyer made to promote these kits;  one flyer pictures Paul McCartney on one side and Ringo Starr on the other side.  One banner-style promotional poster states "Build The Beatles" and shows John and George (photograph courtesy of Rory Williams) while the second banner poster shows Paul and Ringo; both banner posters are quite hard to find.

Beatles Monthly Magazines were mfg by the Official Beatles Fan Club in the UK.  Each month a new booklet was issued.  Number 1 is hardest to find.  Issues 1 - 77 plus a couple of Christmas Specials in 1965 and 1966 were made.  These have been reproduced so you'll need to have an original one handy when examining the repros as they were done extremely well.  A grey cloth binder was mfg in the UK to hold your Beatles Monthlies - this item has not been reproduced nor have the Christmas Extras.  

8mm Movie reel still sealed in it's original packaging. USA 1964.

Another type of Beatles Movie was issued in 1964 via mail order.  Many different titles were available.

Movie Items and Posters were mfg by United Artists for A Hard Days Night, HELP!, Yellow Submarine and Let it Be motion pictures.  Original United Artists movie posters came in a variety of sizes from Window Cards, Insert Posters, half-sheet, 1 sheet, 3 sheet, 6 sheet and 24 sheet.  The 1 sheet poster has been widely reproduced.  Also produced were 40"x60" oversized 1 sheet posters on poster board - these versions are highly sought.  Many other items were produced for the Beatles' movies such as tickets, giveaways and movie programs.  See other sections for additional information.  See the UK Yellow Submarine Movie Premiere Ticket or Yellow Submarine Movie Posters or Press Books for additional movie items. 

Also shown below are the original UK A Hard Day's Night, HELP! and The Yellow Submarine 1 sheet posters.  Each of these 3 UK posters have been heavily counterfeited.  Here's how to tell the originals:  the original UK AHDN posters are easy to detect as they have pink highlights in the printing and around the photographs of the Beatles - fakes do not have this pink highlighting;  poster measures approximately 26.5" x 39.5"; see the 3 pictures below for details. 

Original HELP! UK 1 Sheet Posters are easy to detect as they have pink highlights in the printing of the words "COLOUR" and "SEVEN NEW SONGS" - fakes do not have this hot pink highlighting. Poster measures approximately 27" x 39";  see the 3 pictures below for details.

Original Yellow Submarine UK 1 Sheet Posters measure 30" x 40" exactly,  are very sharp and clear with very bright colors!  The detail and fine print shown below is either missing or not sharp on counterfeit copies. 

Original UK 1 Sheet A Hard Day's Night :

Original UK 1 Sheet HELP! :

Original UK 1 Sheet Yellow Submarine :

Other various US and UK movie posters...

This Beatle Mug was mfg in the USA, not Canada, by the US Ceramic Company in Pennsylvania.  Several different shapes are known and was available in either white or pastel blue color.  Also found without a handle and called a pencil cup.  The same company made a Desk Set and several jewelry items with the exact same colored drawings of The Beatles.

A Beatles ceramic drinking Cup or Mug mfg by Washington Pottery UK 1964.  Some are stamped England on the bottom.  Several minor variations of this item were made such as a straight or flared top and handle variations.  See also tumblers and glasses.

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An early piece of original Beatles memorabilia: Beatles Napkins were mfg in the UK in 1963 by The Rolex Paper Company in London England.  50 paper napkins having repeating patterns of Beatles with autographs contained in a poly-bag which was printed with nice graphics.

The only officially licensed Beatles Necktie manufactured in the 1960s was this 1964 silk tie that came in several different colors with a repeating pattern of Beatles Autographs all over. A very difficult piece to find.  On the backside is a sewn-in tag which states the item was copyrighted by NEMS Enterprises Limited.

Nodder Dolls,  see Dolls.

Beatle Notebooks came in many styles and were mfg in the USA and UK.

Nylon Stockings by Ballito mfg in the UK.  There were 3 variations of these made.  Usually sold still-sealed in the original packaging.  A nice cardboard display box was also made to hold several packages of stockings.

Nylon Store Display mfg in the UK by Ballito and containing an advertisement for the UA motion picture The Beatles A Hard Days Night!  Very cool!

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Overnight Cases mfg in the USA by AirFlite.  This is also called a hat box.  Has thick vinyl covered cardboard with a zippered top that goes nearly completely around.  Thick vinyl strap handle on top.  Found in either red or black.  Also check out these other AirFlite items: Record Carrying Cases, Litterbag, and Lunchboxes.

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Paint by Number Kits mfg in the USA in 1964 by Artistic Creations (actually a Pat Boone cash-in on the Beatles).  Large box contained a completed paper portrait, a paint by number portrait, paint brush, paints and thinner.  A very large box with nice graphics.  One of each Beatle was made.  These originally came sealed in shrink wrap.

Beatle Ink Pens were mfg by several vendors in 1964.  All four Beatles heads in cast metal are mounted on the front clip (see close-up photograph for detail).  The plastic barrel of the pen has The Beatles logo in a drum head along with facsimile signatures of each Beatle.  The front plastic barrel is known to exist in the following colors:  white, green, blue, red and black

Pencil Case mfg in the USA by Standard Plastic Products, DAME and in Canada.  Very hard to find in the original packaging.  Heavy vinyl with zipper on top.  Issued in Beige, yellow, pink, red and blue.  The second picture has a black Dame issued pencil case in addition to the rare pink vinyl SPP case.  SPP was one prominent company that produced other nice Beatles items such as Kaboodle Kits,  wallets and 3 ring binders.  Not all colors used by SPP have been verified for each of their products.  For instance a peach, purple or light blue colored Pencil Case mfg by SPP has never been documented! 

Pencil Case mfg in the USA by DAME.  Cloth backed grainy vinyl with zipper on top.  Came in a variety of colors.  Originals did not have any dates nor mention of NEMS Enterprises Ltd on them.  Fakes have smooth vinyl surfaces.

Pencil Case mfg in Germany approx 1966. Pictures the Beatles on both sides..

1964 Beatles Pen Holder mfg by the US Ceramic Company in 1964.  This rare NEMS Enterprises Ltd fully licensed ceramic desk set pen holder was made by the same company that made many Beatles jewelry items such as bracelets and necklaces plus Beatles ceramic mugs.   All use the exact same graphic images.   Has a blue felt bottom and brass pen holder with a black plastic pen with brass trim.  There are 2 variations found of this pen holder:  one has the Beatles signatures in black print while the other one has their autographs in gold print;  both styles are shown below.  The only other original licensed 1960's licensed penholder made was the Yellow Submarine manufactured by A&M Leatherlines. 

Beatle Pennants came in a wide variety of styles and sizes.  Some pennants have been counterfeited so beware of fakes.  Pennant photographs courtesy of Jeff Augsburger.

Beatles Perfume bottle mfg in Liverpool England in late 1963. Made by the Olive Adair Company of Liverpool England.  Bottom of bottle is marked France in raised lettering mfg into the glass.  It is believed that Olive Adair also manufactured packets of bubble bath.  See consumable products for other items that were most likely tossed out after being used up - this factor greatly contributes to the rarity of these pieces.

Beatles Color Photos were issued in shrink wrap with a cardboard header.  Six 8"x10" color photographs on still cardboard.

This promotional color photo was mfg in Australia by MOBIL.  See Posters section for another Australian MOBIL item.

Beatles Picture Frame for your Car!  An interesting item from 1970 with licensing by Chrysler Corp!  A small picture frame on it's original blister pak with a B/W photograph of The Beatles inside.  Dated 1970.

Beatle Pillows were mfg in the USA by Nordic House.  There were 4 different variations manufactured by Nordic House:  1. Head and shoulders picture,  2. Head and shoulders picture with carrying strap,  3. Half bodies with guitars,  4. Full bodies with guitars.  They were originally issued with 2 cloth tags, one of which states "The Official Beatles Pillow by Nordic House".  Also pictured is a red and blue pillow mfg in the UK in the 1960's, manufacturer is not known, very rare.

Pin Up Screamers in the original packaging.  A quantity find of these was recently made.  Also shown is the original Promotional in-store display poster!

A canvas portrait sold as a placemat in the USA in 1964.  This item is not known to have been originally sold in any type of packaging.

Wall Plate by Ross of Mayfair, UK, 1964.  A hard to find item.

Playing Cards came in only these 3 different types in either single deck(orange or blue cards) or double deck boxes(which contained one of each color deck) in the USA in 1964.  These were made in the USA in 1964 by The Arrco Playing Card Company from Chicago Illinois, USA. The Ace of Spades is marked with the manufacturers name.  The single blue deck is the hardest to find of the 3 different decks.  Sometimes you can find the orange deck with a blue box and the blue deck with the red box; those are the hardest combinations to find.  The orange deck in the red box is the easiest to locate.  The double deck boxes came in either green or black cardboard.  The backside of these boxes are stamped in gold, The Beatles.

Apple Records also issued a set of Playing Cards in 1968.

Beatle Playtapes were available in the 1960's by Playtape Inc.  These short-lived, 2 track tape cartridges featured 2-4 songs on each small tape.  You needed a proprietary tape machine to play these tapes which is shown below.  Especially desirable are Beatle Playtapes found sealed on the original backing cards.  Many other artists were manufactured too.  The first issues of Beatles Playtapes had no photographs on the labels. 

An original Beatles Pomade store display box held 50 packs of hair pomade.  This item was reproduced in the 1970's and 1990's so beware of these plentiful reproductions.  Original boxes had 10 cents printed in a circle on the front while the reprints did not.  Even the hair pomade packs have been reproduced - originals were marked H.H. Cosmetics, Philippines.

Beatle Pom-Poms were made in the 1960s but the marketing campaign fell way short and these were not widely available.  However, these store displays were made and never used.  The Pom Pom itself was a black furry little ball with eyes - it had no Beatle markings on it.  To date we've only seen 1 actual Pom Pom itself.

Pop Up Display,  A small cardboard display item which was included as an insert in Fabulous Magazine in the UK in 1964.

Pop-Stik, see Stickers.

Portraits came in a variety of sizes and types in 1964.

There were several types of original Beatles Postcards mfg in the 1960's.  Most were standard size however the most desirable are the jumbo-size postcards like the brown background one shown.

Original large 1964 London Palladium Poster.  This poster has been heavily bootlegged over the years with the bootleg featuring the wording "The Beatles" in red print - the original poster has the wording "The Beatles" in black print.  The bootleg poster is also a different size than the original;  original posters measure exactly 20.5" wide x 28.5" high.  The fine print along the bottom of the original poster says in black print  "ORIGINAL MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN", "Litho by Louis F. Dow Co., U.S.A." and "© 1964 NEMS ENTERPRISES LTD."   This poster was printed in the USA during 1964-1965.

This rare Ringo for President Poster was mfg in late 1964 in the USA.  This company also made a rarer Ringo for Santa Claus poster in late 1964 with Ringo dressed in a red Santa hat and coat. 

Black Light Posters mfg in 1967 in the USA.  See Yellow Submarine Posters for additional examples of Black Light posters mfg in the 1960's.

Posters by Richard Avedon circa 1967 and mfg by LOOK Magazine in the USA.  This poster was also manufactured in both England and France with the foreign versions being smaller than the USA versions.  The French Set was produced by Stern Magazine and the 4 Beatle posters measure exactly 19" x 27" and the French Banner poster measures 14" x 40"(see photo below).  A French display bin is also pictured below in black/white.  A set of four 22.5" x 31" USA posters were made, one of each Beatle.  Also a wide banner poster was included in the set.  Beware of counterfeits as they are not the same size as the originals.  The USA version of the Beatle Banner poster measures 16" x 42" wide; again this poster has been heavily counterfeited. See photos below of USA originals.  A nice cardboard store display box was also made to hold these posters (note that the original USA version sizes are stated directly on the store display backing)..

Poster.  Dated 1969,  this poster is fairly hard to locate.  Renaissance Minstrels is the title of this neat item.  

Poster, Mobile Oil Company in Australia issued these give away 12" x 16" Beatle posters in 1964-5.

Poster, an early 60's nice poster mfg in the UK.   Manufacturer unknown at present.

Posters, other miscellaneous Posters from the 1960's.  The first poster shown in this grouping was available through mail order in 1964-66 and was billed as a "Life Size Poster of The Beatles" even though it's only approx 5' high.  It has their printed autographs on the bottom right corner and says PRINTED IN ENGLAND on the very bottom right corner border.  The 3rd poster is 1 of 2 different DELL posters that were sold for 29 cents and are quite wide, nearly 5 feet wide.  the next two are in store promotional posters for Hardcover books issued in 1968.

Posters, Life-Size, see Heinz Store Display.  Magazine Promo Posters, see Magazines.

Beatles Pottery was made by a few manufacturers in the 1960's.  The majority of items made were done in the UK by The Washington Pottery Company and in the USA by The US Ceramic Company. In the UK, they originally made a plate, a biscuit plate, a cereal bowl, a set of 4 small candy dishes, and a handled mug.  Only the 4 candy dishes had a gold leaf edging.  Many of these items were marked either England or Washington Pottery however some originals were not marked.  Beware of reproductions and other items that were made in the 1980's such as teapots, plates with gold leaf edging.  Only the above stated items were made in the 1960's.  See also US Ceramic Company and Plate by Ross for other examples of original pottery-type pieces.

This zippered Pouch was mfg in the USA by Select-o-Pak.  This large vinyl pouch only contained a removable insert paper with The Beatles pictured on it, that was placed inside a clear vinyl outer slip on the pouch.  Many colors were made and this is not that hard an item to locate.  Also several vinyl textures were made.

Beatles Press Books mfg in the USA by United Artists.  One was made for each of their full-length motion pictures.  See Movie Items for additional information on their movies.

Beatles Punch Out Portrait Book mfg in the USA by Whitman.  

Beatle hand Puppet was mfg in the USA by World Confectionary Candies.  One of these puppets was available in the store display box that held the small candy cigarette boxes.  See under Candy Cigarette Box for pictures of those items.

Purses and Handbags came in many sizes and styles.  Some were used as pencil cases also.  Beware of any that state 1964 on the item itself as these are fakes.  Originals were made of heavy material.  The small figural purses shown on the far right were not officially licensed items but many collectors like them because they are vintage 1964 items made in Hong Kong.

The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics Puzzle in a Puzzle was mfg in a very large colorful box in the UK in 1970. A fully licensed item!  Puzzle contained 800 pieces and included an instruction sheet sealed inside an envelope plus a full color large poster.  Produced  in conjunction with Alan Aldridge's two great books, The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics.

Beatles 340 piece Jigsaw Puzzles were only made in the UK in 1964.  Four different boxes were made and each was sealed with a piece of cello-tape.  The only official piece of original memorabilia that featured the Cavern Club was one of these puzzles.  In 1968, Jaymar of the USA made Yellow Submarine puzzles;  see that section for photographs of those puzzles.

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