| Here you will find the story of Sebastian miniatures presented as an historical "time line" from the earliest years and events to the present. The number of different miniatures introduced by year is shown in the right hand column; this does not include variations of many individual items. |
| PERIOD | MAJOR EVENTS | YEAR | NEW |
| Prescott
W. Baston
Preparatory Years |
March 17, 1909
born in Arlington, MA. 1928: Attends Vesper George School of Art in Boston, MA 1930: Creates models of Exeter and Deerfield Academies - first miniatures 1933-36: Works for Boston clock company, installing clocks. Works for furniture moving company. (These are years of Great Depression.) Receives commissions for large art murals. |
1909 to 1938 |
0 |
| Store
Sales
War Years Marblehead Era |
Baston designs and makes first miniatures for the Shaker Glen House
restaurant - Shaker Man and Shaker Woman (SML-1 & SML-2). Works with Carbone, a Boston wholesale gift distributor. Creates "early pairs" - reproductions of famous American couples. In 1939-41 Baston designs and manufactures items in the basement of his Arlington, MA home. Employs several people to make molds, cast figurines, and has them painted in homes - an early "cottage industry." During 1941-1945, Baston experiments with a number of designs including animals. These are very scarce today. Marries Marjorie Keyes in Dec, 1941. Son "Woody" born January 24, 1945. Moves to Marblehead, MA and sets up studio there. Works at M. I. T. 1941-45. From 1946 to 1950, creates many designs sold by Carbone through area gift shops including Dickens series and other characters from American and English literature - Irving, Mark Twain, etc.. Some designs are done for commercial interests including department stores, manufacturers, banks, etc. producing much larger orders than did items made for retail store distribution. |
1938 | 1 |
| 1939 | 18 | ||
| 1940 | 16 | ||
| 1941 | 12 | ||
| 1942 | 6 | ||
| 1943 | 1 | ||
| 1944 | 0 | ||
| 1945 | 0 | ||
| 1946 | 15 | ||
| 1947 | 28 | ||
| 1948 | 25 | ||
| 1949 | 28 | ||
| 1950 | 22 | ||
| Commercial
Sales
|
In 1950, relationships with Carbone and Schmid (another local distributor) are
ended. Starting in 1951, design and production activities are focused on
commercial designs; prior to 1951 only 10% of designs were for
commercial interests but 70% after 1951. Retail business became a
"fill-in" between commercial assignments. Note: From collector's view, commercial items were made to be given away in conjunction with advertising promotions or as rewards or incentives of some type and most have been discarded, damaged or lost. Many commercial designs are now scarce and valuable. These include, as example, items produced for Boston radio station WEEI and the Jell-O series. In 1953, a new local and a national sales organization is hired. Catalog produced & distributed. Godey series designed and distributed. Baston makes personal appearances around the country. Contracts with Johnson & Johnson, Museum of City of NY produce popular pieces. Three large Rogers group statues were reduced and cast in brownish plaster. 1963, several large Ceramastone designs are executed - very rare today. Several designs are incorporated to include a pen stand for ball-point pens. Other landmark designs include Toby Jugs, several religious designs (including several attractive "Madonna" items), and a Jell-O cow picture (100,000 made in Japan). |
1951 | 27 |
| 1952 | 18 | ||
| 1953 | 18 | ||
| 1954 | 20 | ||
| 1955 | 8 | ||
| 1956 | 19 | ||
| 1957 | 14 | ||
| 1958 | 20 | ||
| 1959 | 13 | ||
| 1960 | 10 | ||
| 1961 | 14 | ||
| 1962 | 8 | ||
| 1963 | 5 | ||
| 1964 | 1 | ||
| 1965 | 4 | ||
| 1966 | 10 | ||
| 1967 | 8 | ||
| 1968 | 4 | ||
| Pewter Years |
Baston contracts with Lance Corporation of Hudson, MA to reproduce some
figurines in pewter including Lexington & Concord minutemen
reproductions. Several new designs are created. Designs set of pewter plates to commemorate American Revolution for bicentennial plus assorted other figurines and plates. Marblehead operations virtually discontinued and no commercial orders are accepted. By the end of 1975, a total of 368 designs with 192 variations of Sebastian Miniatures had been produced. |
1969 | 0 |
| 1970 | 2 | ||
| 1971 | 2 | ||
| 1972 | 3 | ||
| 1973 | 0 | ||
| 1974 | 0 | ||
| 1975 | 0 | ||
| Lance Era |
Lance Corporation assumes production and distribution of Sebastian
miniatures at its plant in Hudson, MA. Initially Lance reproduces 94 of the most popular older
designs and distributes with its line of Hudson Pewter gift items.
Additional pieces reintroduced in 1976 and 1977 (142 in all).
Between 1976 and 1983 a total of 1,250,000 individual pieces were
produced. Baston works with Hudson overseeing production. Rough painting of large volume of figurines is distributed to local painters with details done at the factory. National sales distribution system creates widespread demand. Some are issued as limited editions. In 1979 a new plant is set up in Lee, NH. Also in 1979, the labels became color coded, a new color for each year. Sebastian Miniatures Collectors Society formed in January, 1980. First Sebastian Miniatures Collectors Guide published and Sebastian Collectors Society organized. Baston makes many personal appearances. Sales top $4 million (best year). The Stacy's Festival was held for the first time in 1980. In 1981 Woody (Prescott W. Baston, Jr.) creates first design - First Kite (SML-390). Sebastian Museum, founded by Sherman and Doris Edwards, dedicated at Stacy's Gifts in Walpole, MA. The first all-Sebastian auction was held in 1980. Glenn Johnson publishes full-color volume: The Sebastian Miniatures Collection in 1982. Sebastian Exchange founded by Paul J. Sebastian to focus on secondary market collector interest and publishes a newsletter and value listing. P. W. Baston Sr. dies in 1984. From 1984 to 2000, 416 additional designs were produced totaling about 500,000 individual pieces. |
1976 | |
| 1977 | 0 | ||
| 1978 | 2 | ||
| 1979 | 3 | ||
| 1980 | 5 | ||
| 1981 | 10 | ||
| 1982 | 12 | ||
| 1983 | 20 | ||
| 1984 | 20 | ||
| Modern Era | Advisory
Council is formed by Sebastian Exchange to determine values of secondary
market figurines. Value Register is published to establish
and stable values for collectors. Woody Baston continues Sebastian tradition. Many new figurines introduced over the next few years. 50th Anniversary special commemorative pieces issued in 1988. Traditional Ceramastone replaced by bonded porcelain for most production activity. (Both materials were used in late 1987 through much of 1988.) Stacy's remodeled and museum rededicated in 1989. Midwest Fair inaugurated. Features include "Sebastian figurine look-alike" costume contest, paint-your-own Sebastian contest and auctions. Corporate leadership problems develop at Lance. Sales decline (1990-96). Lance Corporation purchased by Woody Baston and others in 1996. Lance dissolved with a new company, Hudson Creek being formed to assume assets and operations. About 50 pieces are retained in line with others temporarily discontinued. Spoontiques purchases Hudson Creek in 1998. Reissues 38 pieces and has them produced overseas. In 2000, Sebastian Exchange closes. Sebastianworld Incorporated formed and first official Sebastianworld figurine created (The Scotsman). Wayland Studios assumes production with its first figurine, Sebastian Festival Y2K medallion. The Sebastian Miniatures Gold Book of Information and Values issued. New web site, sebastianworld.com launched and first issues of Sebastianworld News newsletter published in 2001. Sebastianworld Collectors Guild formed effective January 1, 2002. |
1985 | 25 |
| 1986 | 18 | ||
| 1987 | 27 | ||
| 1988 | 31 | ||
| 1989 | 19 | ||
| 1990 | 33 | ||
| 1991 | |||
| 1992 | 13 | ||
| 1993 | 18 | ||
| 1994 | 3 | ||
| 1995 | 18 | ||
| 1996 | 9 | ||
| 1997 | 14 | ||
| 1998 | 7 | ||
| 1999 | 10 | ||
| 2000 | 5 | ||
| 2001 | 14 | ||
| 2002 |
 |
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Copyright © 2002 Sebastianworld, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
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