Atlantic City Weekly

Go Nuts

Planters celebrates 100th anniversary at Atlantique City this weekend

By Lori Hoffman --> It was a ritual of summer. My brothers and I rode our bicycles on the Atlantic City Boardwalk every Saturday morning. We would ride the length of the boards and visit the seals at Starn's. On the way back we would often stop at Planters' showcase store on the Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue, opposite the Steel Pier, and buy some fresh roasted nuts, plus pigeon food. The pigeons hung around the store entrance waiting to see those bags, and would flock to us. It was almost a scene out of Hitchcock's The Birds; we were covered in pigeons. That store was magical, with every imaginable Planters product — Mr. Peanut straws, Mr. Peanut beverage glasses, etc., and the smell of those fresh roasted peanuts was intoxicating.

For those with similar recollections, this weekend's spring Atlantique City at the Convention Center will offer a special attraction: an appearance by Mr. Peanut and his NUTMobile as part of the company's yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary. Says Heath Osburn, senior brand manager at Planter's, "We're inviting America to join us for a full year of fun, fresh, exciting activities."

Planters was the brainchild of Italian immigrant Amedeo Obici, who, along with his friend Mario Peruzzi, established the Planters Nut Company in Wilkes Barre, Pa. in 1906. One of its busiest stores was the Atlantic City location, an extremely popular spot in the summertime with its high-traffic location across from Steel Pier. The store opened on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in 1930. It closed its doors in 1978 to eventually make way for the Trump Taj Mahal.

The dapper Mr. Peanut was the result of a contest in 1916 when a young man from Virginia, Antonio Gentile, won an art contest to design a Planters symbol. A commercial artist later added the signature top hat, monocle, cane and gloves.

Someone who was clever enough to find and keep Planters memorabilia is radiologist Anthony Scola of Philadelphia and Margate, current president of the Peanuts Pals Collector's Club. He will feature his private Planters collection at Atlantique City with about 75 items. Scola became a collector thanks to a combination of being bored when his wife went shopping for antiques, and his brother giving him a piece of Planters memorabilia as a family joke.

Explains Scola, "When I was [three] I was on the Boardwalk with my family, and we were passing by the [Planters] store and Mr. Peanut frightened me." It became a family joke to tease little Anthony that Mr. Peanut was going to get him.

"Years later, just when I was looking for something to collect, my brother gave me a Mr. Peanut statuette," he says. "He's a psychiatrist and he said, 'Hopefully this will serve as a symbol of turning your fears into strength.'"

And so a passion for Mr. Peanut was born. At the 2002 Atlantique City, Scola met Bob and Judy Walthall and learned about the Peanuts Pals Club. "She had on a Mr. Peanut leather jacket that you could see a mile away. The next year I went to the Peanuts Pals convention and [my collecting] took on a life of it's own."

His favorite piece in his collection is constantly changing as he acquires more and more. "At this moment my favorite is the penny scale [a cast-iron, four-foot-high Mr. Peanut scale]. There aren't many of them around, and it was a surprise gift from my wife."

As for how much his collection is worth, it's a mix of supply and demand, going to swap meets, printed price guides and studying the market. "It's almost like going to college," he says. "You get a degree in peanutology."

According to Scola, Planters was a cutting-edge company when it came to marketing and promotion. "So much of what we take for granted in advertising today, Planters was at the forefront of," says Scola. "They were extremely savvy about how to sell a product."

Atlantique City Quick Facts

The largest indoor antique & collectibles show in the world
Exhibitors from 41 states, Canada, Great Britain, Europe and Asia with over 1,000 booths
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year
American art pottery expert David Rago will attend with items from his collections
Landmarks Gallery of Milwaukee will demonstrate art restoration techniques

Free verbal appraisals by six experts:
• Ray Mansfield (NBC-40's Let's Talk Antiques)
• Ellen Schroy (editor of Warman's Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide)
• Elyse Luray (PBS's History Detectives)
• Caroline Ashleigh (consultant to Sotheby'sand William Doyle Auctioneers)
• Carolyn Remmey (owner of RemmeyAntiques and Fine Art)
• Kyle Husfloen (Antique Trader magazine).

Joltin' Joe Collection
Baseball fans should flock to Atlantique City for a special display of memorabilia from the personal collection of the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio. These items are being displayed for the first time in public, and will be presented at auction in May by Hunt Auctions, Inc., of Exton, Pa.

The items on display will include:
• Joe DiMaggio's 1947 MVP Award plaque (estimated value $150,000-$250,000)
• Set of New York Yankees World Series rings circa. 1936-1996 ($100,000-$150,000)
• 1951 DiMaggio New York Yankees road jersey ($100,000-$150,000)
• DiMaggio's 1941 MVP Award pocket watch ($50,000-$75,000)
• 1941 record-breaking 45th consecutive hit baseball from the 56-game streak ($50,000-$75,000)
• Marilyn Monroe "To Joe" signed photo-graph ($30,000-$40,000)
• Marilyn Monroe painting by Jon Whitcomb ($20,000-$30,000)