Specifically designed and manufactured by famed candlemaker Franklin Gurley, novelty candles first entered the market in the 1930s. Originally, the candles were ordered by Socony-Vacuum Oil Company (now ExxonMobile) simply so they could use the excess paraffin that was produced during the oil refining process. Made by confectioner Franklin Gurley at his W&F Manufacturing company, they were originally marketed under the name Tavern Novelty Candles. Over time, Gurley’s business shifted from paraffin confections, such as wax lips and teeth, to the almost exclusive production of candles. Tavern was purchased and the name changed to Gurley Novelty in 1949.

Tavern and Gurley wax figures and candles were most often sold at discount stores such as Woolworths, but could also be found at department stores such as Macy’s. Gurley made candles for all the major holidays, but the ones most sought after by collectors today are generally Christmas and Halloween candles. However, vintage Thanksgiving and Easter candles are also quite popular, so you can expect prices for all candles to remain quite a bit more expensive than the cost of the candles at the time of the manufacturer.

Individual candles sold for between 10 and 99 cents, and sets sold for slightly more. Today, you can expect to spend at least $10, and many candles sell for a little more. However, you’ll often find that you’ll be able to pick up an entire set in a single auction if you’re buying on Ebay.

Almost all of the vintage Gurley candles you will find on the market today have unlit wicks. Although they were marketed as candles, the small figurative candles were never really intended to be burned. People collected them to display them. In fact, there are some wax figures under the Tavern brand that don’t even have a wick, like a Nativity set that was designed by Gurley.

For Thanksgiving, some of the popular vintage Gurley candles that are collected are Pilgrim men and women, an Indian boy and maiden, various turkey and Mayflower shaped candles. There is an even greater variety of vintage Christmas candles from Gurley including Santas, snowmen, Christmas trees, choirboys, angels and more.

If you are a collector who is only interested in the original Gurley and Tavern candles, it will be important to note that the Vermont Country Store has purchased many of the Gurley candle molds and makes candles that look exactly like the original candles. If you want to make sure you’re buying vintage collectibles and not reproductions, it’s important to look for candles that still have the original Gurley tag so you know you’re buying a vintage item and not a new one. If you find some candles that have lost their labels, one way to tell the difference is that the newer candles will be very bright in color compared to their older counterparts.