Ben Cooper Inc.
55 years in operation (1937–1992)
About Ben Cooper Inc.
Ben Cooper was the dominant producer of inexpensive Halloween costumes and character dress-up sets in America from the 1950s through the 1980s. Their plastic mask and polyester costume sets in colorful boxes were a staple of five-and-dime Halloween displays. The company produced licensed costumes for virtually every popular TV and movie character.
Founding
Ben Cooper, a Broadway costume designer who applied theatrical costume-making to the American Halloween trade.
History of Ben Cooper Inc.
Ben Cooper and its rival Collegeville between them defined what an American Halloween costume looked like for half a century: a thin printed rayon or vinyl smock and a moulded plastic mask with an elastic band, boxed with a cellophane window. The costume made no attempt at physical resemblance — the character's name and picture were printed on the front of the smock, which is exactly why they are now such vivid period artefacts.
The business ran on licences, and Cooper was aggressive and early in securing them. The company had costumes on shelves for Star Wars in 1977 within months of release, and its catalogue across the decades tracks American children's television and film with unusual precision. It also produced original characters when licensing failed, and occasionally sold a costume for a property it had licensed before the property flopped.
The company filed for bankruptcy in 1991 and its assets were sold to Rubie's Costume Company, which continues in the business today.
Timeline
- 1937Ben Cooper Inc. is founded in Brooklyn, New York
- 1950Licensed character costumes with printed smocks and plastic masks become the standard product
- 1977Star Wars costumes reach shelves within months of the film's release
- 1991The company files for bankruptcy
- 1992The assets are acquired by Rubie's Costume Company
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Ben Cooper superhero costumes
- Ben Cooper Star Wars Halloween sets
- Ben Cooper monster masks
- Ben Cooper Disney character costumes
- Ben Cooper TV character dress-up sets
Identifying & Dating Ben Cooper Inc. Toys
- Boxes carry the Ben Cooper name and logo with a copyright year and the licensor's credit; the licensor line dates the costume closely.
- Masks are usually marked inside the chin or forehead with "Ben Cooper Inc." and sometimes a year.
- A smock with a printed character name and a matching thin vinyl mask, with no attempt at three-dimensional costume, is the recognisable house style.
Collector's Notes
- The box is the collectible. A boxed costume with intact cellophane and strong artwork is worth many times the same costume loose, because the artwork is what people are buying.
- Value tracks the franchise sharply. Star Wars, superhero and horror licences command real money; generic clowns and witches do not.
- The rayon smocks are thin and tear at the neck and armholes, and the mask elastic has almost always perished. Neither is unusual, but check the mask itself for cracks around the eye holes.
Currently for Sale on eBay
Live listings for Ben Cooper Inc. toys and collectibles, fetched directly from eBay.
As an eBay Partner, this site may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. Figures shown are current asking prices on eBay, not appraised market values.
Categories
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Ben Cooper Inc. founded?
Ben Cooper Inc. was founded in 1937, based in Brooklyn, NY.
Is Ben Cooper Inc. still in business?
No. Ben Cooper Inc. ceased operations in 1992, after 55 years in business.
What is Ben Cooper Inc. best known for?
Ben Cooper Inc. is best known for Ben Cooper superhero costumes, Ben Cooper Star Wars Halloween sets, Ben Cooper monster masks, among other toys.
Where was Ben Cooper Inc. located?
Ben Cooper Inc. was based in Brooklyn, NY.
What kinds of toys did Ben Cooper Inc. make?
Ben Cooper Inc. is categorized under character toys, costumes, novelty toys.
Who founded Ben Cooper Inc.?
Ben Cooper, a Broadway costume designer who applied theatrical costume-making to the American Halloween trade.
How can you identify genuine Ben Cooper Inc. toys?
Boxes carry the Ben Cooper name and logo with a copyright year and the licensor's credit; the licensor line dates the costume closely. Masks are usually marked inside the chin or forehead with "Ben Cooper Inc." and sometimes a year. A smock with a printed character name and a matching thin vinyl mask, with no attempt at three-dimensional costume, is the recognisable house style.
Are Ben Cooper Inc. toys valuable?
The box is the collectible. A boxed costume with intact cellophane and strong artwork is worth many times the same costume loose, because the artwork is what people are buying. Value tracks the franchise sharply. Star Wars, superhero and horror licences command real money; generic clowns and witches do not. The rayon smocks are thin and tear at the neck and armholes, and the mask elastic has almost always perished. Neither is unusual, but check the mask itself for cracks around the eye holes.