Wednesday 16 June 2010

Colani Elephant money boxes, How to tell how old they are ?


Colani Elephant money boxes, originally uploaded by planetutopia.

Designed by Luigi Colani for Dresners Bank in Germany in the 1960s, these money boxes have become a design icon, and are becoming increasingly sort after.
There is alot on confusion for buyer's, over the different types on Elephants. So here's some help.......
This Elephant is not a reproduction, its a second generation original 1970s, it has the "Dresdners Bank" logo marked on the base, small original elephants are also unopenable. ( +Very rare)
1st generation originals are made of a softer plastic, they have the Dresdner logo inbetween the legs on the smaller elephants, (these are like gold dust, & Very very rare) , but usually quite worn, with eyes missing.
90's reproductions still precious, but not quite as rare, these have no logo, and have a black plastic base which can be opened.
Some people like new things, some like old worn things, some like shiney things, but i think buyers have a right to know what they are buying.

6 comments:

  1. I adore these elephants but apparently they weren't actually designed by Colani after all!
    (according to here - http://daddytypes.com/2008/10/30/not_luigi_colani_another_non-german_engineering_scandal.php)

    I'd still love one no matter who they were designed by.

    Which generation is the brighter green one from?

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  2. I have heard the same rumour, but they are still Colani, taken from his orginal Elephant design, which I seem to remember is black with a rainbow, these are very rare, I saw one a while ago, and now wish I had brought it. The bright green one is a 90's reproduction.

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  5. Wow! Thanks for the information! I lived in Germany and every Saturday I would go to the flea markets and buy these little elephants. I love round, shiny, and plastic things. The Germans laughed and said "Why are you buying those?" I just loved them. I have Seven large ones including a first run dark green, Four medium sized ones, and 11 small ones, most original. They look so great as a heard on my shelf. Now I know for sure they are special at least to me!

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