Karen and Richard Carpenter Fans

Though the duo, Carpenters, was only considered active in the music industry for just under thirteen years, their popularity generated the sales of not only millions of records and singles, but hundreds of collectible items. So many artists, actors, television shows, and movies of the time were caught in the 70s ‘memorabilia madness.’ The Carpenters were no exception. From posters, to magazines— at the height of their fame, everything had the faces of Karen and Richard Carpenter plastered over it, some items of which have been noticeably used in television and in films to represent the heart of 70s pop culture.

Many of these items continue to grow in value, some exponentially. With that being said, here is a countdown of five highly collectible and valuable Carpenters memorabilia.

5. Karen Carpenter Bobble-Head

It is only once in a blue moon that this original collectible Karen Carpenter bobble-head pops up on eBay, or any auction site for that matter.

The 8” figurine’s outfit was based on the outfit Karen wore in the 1972 Jim McCrary ‘Now and Then,’ Photoshoot, which was the same outfit Karen wore for the Carpenters Christmas Card, which was sent out to members of the fan club, in 1972. Only 50 were made for the celebration of the Carpenters 40th anniversary. Each was numbered. Though the release of the product was not officially or directly affiliated with the Carpenters brand, it is still a heavily sought after item because of its limited production and its age. Based on my research, it is clear that there was never one made for Richard Carpenter.

It has previously been sold on various sites anywhere from $150-200 depending on condition.

4. Carpenters 1971 Poster

Like many other celebrities of the 70s, such as Farrah Fawcett and Janis Joplin, the Carpenters had a famous poster.

Though the Carpenters had many promotional posters released throughout the years, this particular poster was notably showcased in ‘That 70s Show,’ who’s set designers were determined to represent 70s pop culture among different kinds of teens. If you know anything about the show, the character Jackie Burkhart, played by Mila Kunis, is known as a feminine, hopeless-romantic who just so happens to love the Carpenters among other bands portrayed as ‘lame’ by the others in the midst of the rock scene. Jackie’s room is decked with posters and cutouts of the Osmond brothers among other heartthrobs of the 70s. On the back of her bedroom door, there is a large vintage poster of Karen and Richard.

This is an actual collectible vintage poster that was sold in 1971. The photograph was taken by Guy Webster in 1971 in promotion for their third studio self-titled album, ‘Carpenters,’ aka ‘The Tan Album.’ The original poster measures 23×29 and was distributed by Frank Kay. Many people have sold counterfeits online. For identification purposes, It is important to note that the bottom left corner of the poster features the Frank Kay logo as well as a PO Box Address. The poster is made of a thin, but tough card-stock-like paper material.

The value of this poster is difficult to gauge. The poster has been sold anywhere from $75-$100 depending on condition. I was able to find my personal copy for $35– but that was quite a deal.

3. Japanese Fan Club Magazines

The Carpenters’ Japan fan-base was (and still is) possibly the largest of any other country to this day. There were many records, magazines, books, and other merchandise specially released in Japan, sometimes along with the UK. This includes their two live albums, ‘Live in Japan,’ taken from their 1974 Japanese Tour, and ‘Live at the Palladium,’ from their 1976 UK tour. Released solely in Japan were a number of compilation albums (such as ‘Gem of the Carpenters), and alternative covers to certain singles and records. As they grew more successful, the Carpenters developed a few different fan clubs for different countries.

In the mid to late 1970s, a series of Carpenters books featuring rare photos and articles were released exclusively to members of the Carpenters Japanese Fan Club.

The issues of the magazine have previously individually been sold anywhere from $100 to $300, though it’s rarely been sold on .

2. Carpenters Watches

Throughout the years of their success, the Carpenters’ fan club became increasingly popular. The Carpenters club was run by the Carpenters’ fan club managers, Evelyn Wallace and Rosina Sullivan. Evelyn apparently often wrote personalized letters back to many of the subscribers. Subscribers were met with pens, pencils, photographs, promos, posters, flags, flyers, bags, buttons, pins, key chains, etc., along with a new letter each month (All of which are fairly valuable). Some packages came with a catalog for merchandise available for sale. One of those items was a Carpenters wrist watch featuring a photo of the duo from their 1971 ‘A Song For You’ album photoshoot (though the album was released in 1972). In addition to being advertised in the 27th Carpenters Fan Club monthly newsletter, the watches were also advertised in Carpenters 1973 tour programs.

For a seemingly unknown reason, these watches have become quit hard to find. It is my suspicion that they either didn’t sell, or fans threw them out after they stopped working or were broken. They retailed at $18.95 and were made Lafayette Watch Company. The watches came in two different styles— men and women’s. In mint or near mint, and especially in working condition, it is my estimation based on previous sale prices that one of these could be worth anywhere from $800-$1200 due to their rarity; However, this price has not been formally determined by an auctioneer or any other ‘expert’ on celebrity memorabilia.

1. Magic Lamp 45s

Perhaps the rarest and most valuable item in the catalog of Carpenters memorabilia is Karen Carpenter’s first single recorded in bassist, Joe Osborn’s garage in 1966. Osborn ran an independent record label called Magic Lamp Records and decided to solely sign Karen to save money, though Richard was still the producer, writer, and arranger of their songs. Their first 45 featured their two songs “Looking for Love” on the A Side, and “I’ll Be Yours” on the B Side. The value of this record ranges from $1000 to $2000 depending on condition according to my record pricing book. I have personally seen it being sold for even $2300. To put that into perspective for all of the record collectors reading, a ‘2nd State’ Beatles Butcher album is worth the same price. Only 500 were pressed, and Richard Carpenter, himself, supposedly owns 15 of those. He has apparently been offered thousands upon thousands of dollars for one of them, but has consistently refused the offers.

Karen also recorded backup on Mickey Jones’ single ‘I Can Live Without You’ under the same label. Though not as rare or valuable, this is still one of Karen’s first released recordings. The value of this vastly ranges from $50-$300 based on past sale prices, but the price continues to climb.