Frog of the Day

Avon - Garden Delight Rain Gauge
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Woke up to a rainy day here at Frog Central, which of course all the frogs just love. I'm not sure how much rain is supposed to fall but I'm sure this guy will measure it for me.

This cute frog rain gauge comes from Avon and is called Garden Delight Rain Gauge. The idea of a frog rain gauge has become quite popular over the last several years, but I honestly haven't cared much for them. Then along comes this guy and it's as cute as could be. Although with the felt pads on the bottom I don't think I'll be putting it outside anytime soon.

Frog of the Day

Window Cling Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Whew! An extra hour of sleep was just the thing I needed. I think I'm going to turn back the clock every night!

This cute little frog has a window suction cup attached to the back of it. I do not know who manufactured it or any other information about it. I received it as a gift this year.

Frog of the Day

Andrea by Sadek - Blue White Fishnet Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

The weekend is here and it's an extra hour long - so get out there and enjoy!

This porcelain collectible is from Andrea by Sadek and is called Blue White Fishnet Frog. It is 4 inches tall and 6 inches long and is hand painted. This is a cute item that I found in a gift shop around 2000. It is still available on-line and costs about 14.00.

Frog of the Day

MSR Imports - Frog Alarm Clock
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It's Friday! Don't forget to turn back your clocks tomorrow night. Can you believe the St. Louis arch is 40 years old today? Actually, for some reason I thought it was much older. I guess it having been there for the most of my life, I just thought it was alwas there.

This froggy item is from MSR Imports and is a frog alarm clock. It runs on batteries (don't forget to remove batteries from your collectibles when not in use!). I'm not sure the date of this item, I do know I've had it for quite some time.

Frog of the Day

Maranatha Cards - Frog Note Cards
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Today's errand day - and the list keeps growing! I better get busy and hop to it!

This is the face of a note card that I received a couple years ago. It was made by Maranatha Cards in Indonesia, a self-help project by Indonesian women. A beautiful note card.

Frog of the Day

Otigiri - Mary Ann Baker Frog Design
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It's Wednesday and today was trash day - they come at 3 a.m. Yes, three o'clock in the morning! Guess who will be at the next town hall meeting.

This piece of pottery is from Otigiri of Japan. The design is by Mary Ann Baker. This set of Otigiri is highly collectible and very hard to find. It dates to the early 1980's.

Frog of the Day

Annalee - Patriotic Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Today saw a grim statistic on the news - the passing of the milestone of 2,000 American servicemen who have died in Iraq. No matter what your political beliefs or view of the war, I'm sure we all share the support of our men and women in harm's way. So today's frog is a small way for me to show my support for them and to mourn the passing of so many young lives.

Today's frog collectible is from Annalee. It is a patriotic frog airman. He has his flying goggles and parachute pack, as well as the long white scarf. He stands holding the flag. This piece dates to 1991 and is in very good condition.

Frog of the Day

Russ - Flemington Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Sorry for the late post today - the internet server was down all morning. It's given me the time to unpack all my winter clothes! It has turned very cold here at Frog Central the last couple of days and the first frost is forcast for tonight.

This frog is from Russ Berrie Co. and is a bean bag type plush called Flemington. I love the material that this frog is made out of - both soft and shiny. This is from the Earth Zone Collection and is called a Zonie. It dates to February 1997 (from the hang-tag in Beanie Baby fashion - it gives a birth date).

Frog of the Day

Fishing Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Well it's finally turned colder here at Frog Central and the need to turn on the furnace. As I heard it run last night all I could think is that it's costing 70% more to get warm. Well at least I'll save some money with the fish dinner I'll be having - just look at all those fish!

This collectible is in the tradition of the long-legged plush shelf sitters of fishing frogs. They are all cute in their own right and all a bit different. This one has not only a fish on his pole, but a string on fish in his other hand. His hat has a number of very decorative flies. His overalls say "Fish till you croak!" This has a Made in China sticker on the bag it came in along with the name Fishing Frog. No other information is known. As I said, this type of frog is very common and popular.

Frog of the Day

Hamilton Collection - Easy Green Rider
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Who says it isn't easy being green?

This collectible is a limited edition piece from Hamilton Collection. It is entitled Easy Green Rider - The Muppet Mortorcyle Mania Collection. It is limited to 90 casting days. Each piece is numbered - mine is number 11088. It comes with a certificate of authenticity. Ride on Kermit, ride on!

Frog of the Day

Stone Critters - Mr. Bullfrog Holiday
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It was a rainy night last night and a cooler morning. It's time to get busy and Mr. Bullfrog says lets get ready for Christmas! I never should have gone to the store - I can't believe all the Christmas displays already.

This United Design Stone Critter is called Mr. Bullfrog Holiday. It's inventory number is SC-470 and dates to 1994.

Frog of the Day

Avon - Springtime Mini Bucket Candle - Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It's been a tough week here at Frog Central. Tadpoles going in every diffent direction along with the continued task of unpacking. It's time to light a scented candle and relax a bit!

This frog item comes from Avon and is labelled as Springtime Mini Bucket Candle - Frog. It is a little pail votive candle holder. The candle that is in it comes with is very fragrant - it may be an Avon scent, but it smells very much like vanilla. A cute little froggie to add to the collection.

Frog of the Day

Wooden Frog Ornament
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It's only what - 65 days to Christmas! Time to start getting all those wonderful froggy ornaments out and ready for the tree.

This is a wooden Christmas ornament. It has a Made in China sticker on the bottom, otherwise no other information is known.

Frog of the Day

King Plush - Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

The week is starting to get busy! Whatever happened to customer service? Your blood pressure skyrockets trying to get through to these people who can't think beyond their computer screen. It just makes me want to send in King Frog!

And with King Frog out there they made a movie about an ape! This plush is from King Plush and is their King Frog. It dates to 2005.

Frog of the Day

Stained Glass Frogs Suncatcher
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

I'm very late today - I was up all night with a toothache. They are the worst! A bit better this morning but I think a trip to the dentist is in order - maybe I'll go down to lake where the Sprogz are hanging out and see Dr. Hop E. Flosser.

This is a great suncatcher. I do not know who made it - it was probably from a kit and was homemade. It has lots of glitter in it and catches the sunlight really nice. A cute addition to the collection.

Frog of the Day

Nanco - Kermit
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Happy Birthday Kermit! He turned 50 years old yesterday and this was taken at his party last night - he looks like he had a bit too much mosquito wine!

This Kermit collectible is from Nanco and is officially licensed by the Jim Henson Company. This dates to 2005 and stands 18 inches tall.

Frog of the Day

Motorized Frog Tub Toy
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Rubber Duckie . . . I prefer my plastic froggie who has legs that splash around and make him swim! I do not know who manufactured this fun little frog. It is made entirely of plastic and runs on a battery. When turned on the legs and arms move back and forth to make him swim. Makes me want to go splash around in the tub!

Frog of the Day

Otigiri - Tape Dispenser
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It's Friday and the frogs are looking forward to the weekend!

This collectible is from Otigiri in Japan and was designed by Mary Ann Baker. This set dates to the early 1980's. They are highly collectible and hard to find. The set included dishes, desk set, and bathroom set.

Frog of the Day

Westland Giftware - Prince of the Pot
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

I think I became the butt of somebody's joke with cute little froggie. And I don't care because I will defend a guy's long standing tradition of reading in the bathroom - besides, I'm not moving the library!

This is from one of my favorite companies - Westland Giftware. They have done great things with frog collectibles over the years and they make pieces that are excellent quality. This is from their My Prince line and is called Prince of the Pot. It is a bobble - both at the head and at the waist. The front of the shirt says Prince of the Pot and his newspaper is The Hoppy Herald. A fun piece.

Frog of the Day

Cottage Collectibles - Floyd
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

I feel dapper today like this frog, all dressed up and ready to go out on the town!

This wonderful collectible is from Ganz and is part of their Cottage Collectibles Wobbles line. The name of the piece is Floyd and he dates to 1995. He is designed by artist Lorraine Chien.

Frog of the Day

Frog Culture - Yellow Dart Poison Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It amazes me that people are able to keep these poison frogs as pets. In the wild just handling these frogs would kill you in very short order. It apparently has to do with diet and since they do not eat the same thing in captivity, they lose their toxicity. Cool, huh? I think I'll still continue to only take my chances with the plush though.

This frog collectible is from The 24K Company's Frog Culture line and is labelled Yellow Dart Poison Frog. It dates to 1997.

Frog of the Day

Ty - Pillow Pal - Ribbit
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Happy Columbus Day! True story - my mom was going to name me Christopher until the day I was born - Columbus Day (that was when it was on the 12th of October every year). She thought I'd be mad so that is why she named me Ken.

This collectible is from Ty and is from their Pillow Pals line. His name is Ribbit. It is number 3009. There are two other color variations which I do not have. They are number 3006 - green frog (no yellow), and 3106 - red frog. The pillow pals were introduced in 1995 and I believe that is when this one if from.

Nibco - Frog Handle Coffee Scoop

Nibco - Frog Handle Coffee Scoop
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Today was a tough day to get out of bed, but a good cup of coffee makes all the difference.

This frog hangs out in the kitchen and is a coffee scoop. Made by Nibco (stamped on the bottom of the scoop), this is a cute froggie collectible that makes a fun addition to my collection.

Frog of the Day

Graphique de France - Fabulous Frogs Calendar
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It's Saturday, nice and cool, and Shadow and I were wrapped up in a blanket listening to some good music on the radio. Who wants to get out of bed on a day like that?

I love getting my frog calendar every year. Sometimes I even get two! This one is fantastic. It is from Graphique de France and is called Fabulous Frogs by David McEnery. McEnery takes pictures of animals in humorous situations. All the photos are black and white and indeed make you smile. This calendar is from 2003. If you would like to see more, including the 2006 Fabulous Frogs calendar by David McEnery, you can go to www.graphiquedefrance.com. Of course I'd like a copy of the newest calendars, both wall and mini (which are different) - hint, hint, hint!

Frog of the Day

Hill Design - Frog Pond
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It is a nice cool day here at Frog Central and what a better thing to do on a cool day than bake some cookies with hoppin frog designs!

This collectible is a cookie stamp from Hill Design Brown Bag Art's The Cookie Stamp. It is number 32, Frog Pond and dates to 1998. These are heavy stamps, each is hand-painted and numbered. It comes with a very small recipe book which is in pristeen condition.

Frog of the Day

Gifted Stickers - The Croak Club
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It's been a great week here at Frog Central. And Shadow, The Frog Herder, has already been hard at work making sure all the frogs stay within the area of the pond. All in all, everyone's happy. Now if I could just get all these boxes unpacked!

This is a set of stickers from John Grossman, Inc.'s The Gifted Line. They are on acid-free paper and could be used for memory books. What I especially like about these stickers is that they are based on actual Victorian paper patterns. The title of this set is called The Croak Club. Wouldn't this pattern make great wallpaper?

Frog of the Day

Annalee - Scuba Frog
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

It feels so green to be back! The new Frog Central is slowly getting up and hopping. But you have to remember to have fun amidst all the work. Today is what they are calling here the last day of summer weather. It will be near 90 degrees today and in the 60's tomorrow. So scuba wanted to go out one last time!

This collectibele frog is from Annalee and is called Scuba Frog. It stands 10 inches tall and is made of felt over wire. This piece dates to 1999. It's a great piece and a lot of fun.

Frog Central Update

Hey all! I'm finally back on the web and the first Frog of the Day from the new and improved Frog Central will be up tomorrow. The cable company just left and so I'm setting everything up to hop back on the lilypad. The frogs have all been as anxious as I have - so thanks for bearing with me through the move and I hope you've had fun looking through the archives!