By Morf Morford
Tacoma Daily Index
It’s been closed for about twenty years, but Never Never Land, and of course, its surreal statue collection, has been part of Tacoma lore for a couple of generations.
More than 90,000 visitors breezed through in the attractions’s first year – 1964.
After twenty or so years, the novelty wore off and kids, or at least their parents, wanted more sophisticated entertainment.
Nestled in the thick woods adjacent to Fort Nisqually, Tacoma’s version of semi-enchanted fairy tales was immensely popular and then suddenly it wasn’t.
Tastes in children’s activities changed, and time and weather took their toll on the stucco statues, and vandals damaged or threatened the rest.
Kept in storage for decades, they are now available for that Tacoma memorabilia collector with lots of space – or a traditional fairy tale obsession.
The auction, running until September 22, is being administered by the State’s Department of Enterprise Services.
Never Never Land items are listed under “Fine Art” from the state’s auction page: govdeals.com/wasurplus.
As you might guess, due to weather and aging, the condition of the remaining pieces varies and is reflected in the starting bid prices based on the condition, size and prominence of the figures within the scenes in which they were set.
If you have memories of certainly one of the strangest attractions in the Pacific Northwest, or if you have some other motive for collecting fairy tale creatures and props, take a look at the links, details and profiles on your favorite Tacoma-flavored nostalgic fantasy artifacts here https://www.metroparkstacoma.org/never-never-land-figures-set-for-auction/?.
The props, statues and artifacts available for auction are;
Kitten with Mittens
Billy Goats Gruff
Three Men in a Tub
Little Jack Horner
Bambi
Cow and chicken
Little Miss Muffet
Cat in a Well
Three Little Pigs
Elves (x2)
Tortoise and Hare (Racoon)
Lambs (x2)
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Crooked Man
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater (Wife)
Goldilocks/Three Bears
Hansel and Gretel (Witch)
Little Red Riding Hood (Wolf)
Smaller Humpty Dumpty
Extra Large Humpty Dumpty
Turtle from pond
Alligator
Wooden Sleigh prop
Pies and misc. props
You can see the fine print and submit your bid here;
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To restate the obvious, these are one-of-a-kind pieces with a unique fairy tale/Tacoma history spin.
No one will ever have anything like these collectible pieces. And yes, once they are gone, they are gone for good.
Just imagine the conversations you can have around your very own Little Miss Muffet, Humpty Dumpty, Bambi or Three Little Pigs!
Contact Claire Keller-Scholz at 253-305-1003 or clairek@tacomaparks.com for questions regarding the condition of items, to schedule a viewing appointment, or to discuss pick up following the close of the auction.
