Mego Mayor (Item No. 51502/1): The first in the line of Mego Wizard of Oz Munchkins, this item recreates the character of the Munchkin Mayor from the film. The figure's outfit is represented mostly by molded-on or painted-on detailing to the body. The figure has light-blue pants, red shoes, purple arms (with the hands painted flesh), and a white torso with buttons, pocket watch and bowtie molded on; the tie and watch are detailed in yellow, while the entire torso front is detailed in red intersecting lines, giving the impression of a plaid waistcoat. The ensemble is completed by the only two cloth portions of the figure: a blue, velveteen top hat, and a purple, nylon jacket (sleeveless, as the purple plastic arms create the illusion of sleeves).
Package Variants: The Mayor came in only one style of package. However, the Mayor figure was also included in the Mego Munchkinland Playset.
Figure Variants: There are no known figure variants for the Mayor.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The packaging for all four of the Munchkins is virtually identical. All four inserts are exactly the same, and the only difference in the outer packaging lies in the figure name and Item No., both on the front panel. Also, the Mayor and the General both have the same arms (molded in different colors), and the Mayor, General and Flower Girl all have the same legs and feet (again molded in different colors).
Caution Collectors: The Mayor was manufactured around the time that Mego began using a lower grade of plastic for the heads of their figures. As a result, the Mayor (as well as the other three Munchkins) is extremely susceptible to "graying" of the face, so try to keep him out of direct sunlight. Also, the rubber bands that hold the Mayor to his insert are almost always broken or rotted away. Most collectors don't really care about the presence or absence of a couple of tiny rubber bands, and understand that time takes it toll on everything, even packaging elements; however, should you stumble across a specimen that still has its bands intact, kudos to you, as these are certainly more desirable.
Did You Know?: The Mayor is marginally more common than the rest (due to his inclusion in the Munchkinland Playset), and therefore worth slightly less than the others; however, as rare as the Munchkins are, the mint-in-box Wizard still has them beat by a mile.
Click on the icons above to view detailed scans of the Mayor's Box and Box Insert!
Above is an example of a mint-in-box Mayor.
