Boglins Hand Puppet Value Guide

Vintage 1987 Boglins SQUIDGE Puppet Rubber Monster Seven Towns Mattel Toy | eBay — Boglins Hand Puppet

Estimated Value

$60 – $75

Period: 1987
Origin: United States
Materials: Latex rubber, Plastic
Category: Boglin puppet

Released in 1987 by Mattel, Boglins are iconic latex hand puppets created by Tim Clarke and Maureen Trotto that defined the 80s monster toy craze. These grotesque creatures are highly collectible for their innovative internal levers that allow users to manipulate both the mouth and the distinctive rolling orange eyes.

What Is Boglins Hand Puppet Worth?

The typical price range for Boglins Hand Puppet is $60 - $75 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

Condition of the latex, as these puppets are prone to 'latex rot,' cracking, or becoming sticky over time.
Presence of the original cardboard and plastic cage-style box, which significantly increases the $60-$75 base value.
Functionality of the eye-rolling mechanism and the integrity of the internal plastic finger grips.
The specific character model, with larger 'Great Boglins' like Dwork, Vlobb, and Drool often fetching higher prices than smaller variants.

How to Identify Boglins Hand Puppet?

Check for the original 'crate' packaging which features wooden-style plastic bars and a 'property of' warning label.
Verify the presence of the internal mechanical lever system used to rotate the large orange plastic eyes.
Look for the Mattel and Seven Towns copyright markings typically found on the base or interior of the latex skin.
Examine the texture for the specific porous, flexible latex rubber characteristic of the 1987 production run.

History of Boglins Hand Puppet

Boglins were a popular line of puppet toys released in 1987 by Mattel, created by Tim Clarke and Maureen Trotto of Seven Towns. These latex puppets were distinctive for their grotesque, goblin-like appearance and their highly interactive design, allowing the user's hand to control the mouth and the character's rolling eyes via levers inside the head. Marketed as creatures that lived in the "swamps and bogs" and escaped from their crates, they became a memorable part of 1980s monster-themed toy culture.