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The Miller Company by the Dinosaur Collector
The Miller Company in the 50's produced a line of large and small Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Mammal figures. Miller figures were marketed through Gift and Novelty shops more than Toy and Dime stores like the Marx figures. The company lasted until 1959 with the last advertising flyers appearing dated 1960. The figures were created in Aluminum injection molds out of a waxy medium that has not proved to be very enduring. The injection mold system was very cutting edge when it was introduced by Miller. All the figures are collectible with mint figures often selling for several hundred dollars. Small Millers seem to have had a high extinction rate and are correspondingly highly valued. The rarest are the Miller Wax/Plastic Dinos is the Sinclair Gas Attendant Dino and a super rare green Brontosaurus. The prehistoric mammals are exceedingly well done and current toy reproductions have yet to surpass them. J.H. Miller known as Tyke invented the Mold A Rama machines based on his injection molding process developed circa 1955 In Quincy Illinois. They allowed you to make your own dinosaurs out of a waxy composite. Sometime in the early 60's Tyke sold his invention to a big conglomerate vending company. These machines were made famous by the Sinclair Oil Company during the New York worlds Fair. At least a couple of the machines still exist in various museums across the country. The waxy plastic Miller used is distinctive and subject to speculation. Tyke in an interview in a trade journal said he used polyethylene plastic (PE). The early PE was probably purchased from Sinclair given the known relationship. Based on Lenard Carvelo's article in Prehistoric Times the best hypothesis is that Miller used a custom formula of the low density PE. Miller retained Frank Dutton and Ruth Dudley as sculptures. These is at least one extent picture of Ruth Dudley working on the large dinosaur prototypes.
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This is a nice example of the small figures from the collection of Lenard Carvelo but notice the cracks.
Small figures seem to suffer more than the large.
Miller small series are very rare. These pictures are from the collection Lenard Carvelo. The small series included the mammal Brontops and the dinosaurs Protoceratops and Trachodon, not in the larger series, but otherwise the figures looked similar. The pieces are fragile and they were never recast, copied or knocked off that I know off. Casting or flash marks on the bottom of the feet indicate the two part molds included the feet.
Brontops
This is a particularly interesting figure reminiscent of a Charles Knight or Zendeck Burien painting, from the collection of Lenard Carvelo.
Dimetrodon
This figure has held up well over time and the feel of the Ajax figure. From the collection of Lenard Carvelo.
Protoceratops
Protoceratops has the look of a Charles Knight painting. from the collection of Lenard Carvelo.
Stegosaurus
This one pretty closes resembles the larger figure. From the collection of Lenard Carvelo.
Giant Ground Sloth or Megatherium
The large figure is a almost a perfect match. From the collection of Lenard Carvelo.
Trachodon
It is hard to believe this ugly figure could be worth several hundred dollars. From the collection of Lenard Carvelo.
Tyrannosaurus
The Ajax and Tim-Mee figures recall the look. From the collection of Lenard Carvelo.
Miller large series have held up better than the small series. Miller is known to have used two part bottomless mold for his Nativity sets circa 1955. The Miller large dinosaur molds were two part, there was no bottom to these two part molds. There are no mold separation casting marks under the feet. The two halves slid over a stationary plate with injection holes. These holes line up with the underside of the dinosaurs feet. This is the same method of casting on The Mold A Rama Machine.
These figures were sold on Ebay note the damage to the tails and horns. Ebay is the best source for collectors but mint figures are hard to find especially the small figures. Damaged figures are often repaired the Paleo artist Jack Arata is famous for his restorations in addition to his other work.
Brontosaurus,
The Ajax and Tim Mee Apatosaurus look a bit like the Miller. It actually is more accurate than the the Marx figure.
Dimetrodon
This is mirror image of the small figure turning to the right.
Woolly Mammoth
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The tusks and trunk are commonly incomplete. This is referred to as a mastodon in some references but a the Miller pamphlet Animals of the Prehistoric Ages lists a Woolly Mammoth.
Pterodactyl
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The undamaged is one of the most sought after of the larger figures. The later Lido Nabisco Rhamphorhynchus figure can give you idea of how the Miller figure should be restored. The Miller pamphlet lists a Pterodactyl but it certainly appears to be a Rhamphorhynchus as some sources describe it.
Giant Ground Sloth or Megatherium,
These two figures appear to be duplicates. They look at lot like the Timpo figure. From the collection of Lenard Carvelo.
Saber-Toothed Tiger or Smilodon,
The undamaged Saber toothed tiger a sought after figure. The long tail was a common mistake from the time, still is for that matter. I suspect corrective surgery applied by budding paleontologists accounts for many of the shortened tails. This could still pass for one of the other saber toothed cats like Eusmilus.
Stegosaurus,
This one looks pretty like its smaller counter part.
Triceratops
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The Linde figure has a similar look.
Tyrannosaurus,
The Ajax and Tim Mee T rex has a Miller look.
Woolly Rhinoceros
Coledonta or Woolly Rhinoceros is an excellent figure thedynamic posture is superior the modern figures. Commonly the nose horns and tails are broken. This is a personal favorite. Check out the Miller and other Woollies at the Ice Age page.
Cave and cave family
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The family set with the cave is very rare and sought after by collectors. There were 2 different caves produced this is the more common small opening cave. The cave with large opening is very rare and highly sought after.
The contemporary Marx Toys were widely imitated by other companies in their day and even today knock offs abound. The ghosts of the Miller dinosaurs have had a lighter foot print. The Tim-Mee , Lido and Timpo figures show a Miller look so inheritance seem likely. The Apatosaurus, Dimetrodon and Rhamphorhynchus show that they may a least share a similar source with the Millers. There is an echo of Miller in the Linde Triceratops and Timpo Sloth but again the creators may have just been using the same reference materials.
Prices for figures are very difficult to estimate ebay seems to have driven prices for the large figures very high. Mint large figures can go for several hundred dollars. It is reasonable that mint small figures can much higher. Jack Arata a well known paleo artist has had success repairing figures using medium retrieved from other Miller figures. He suggests the sculpty clay product is an option for those of us with limited budgets.
Special thanks to Lenard Carvelo who with the help of Mark Rich and others who shared their knowledge and experiences on the J.H. Miller Saga. Recently The Miller Soldier Company has begun producing recasts of some other Miller figures but there isn't any word of Dinosaur recasts.
For more information on Millers Toys see the magazine
'Toy Figures from the elusive J.H. Miller' by Mike Fredericks. 'Plastic Figure & Play set Collector' #67 August 2000
'King Of Plaster and Wax/Plastic' by Glennon and Carvelo. 'Prehistoric Times' #72
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