Pins (Subbuteo - UK) | Beatles memorabilia
- faBgear
- Jan 1, 2025
- 2 min read
In 1964, The Beatles were popular all over the world. Subbuteo Sports Games, a company in England, usually made sports games. That year, they decided to try something new. The owner, Peter Adolph, got the rights from Brian Epstein’s company to make Beatles toys. Subbuteo named the new set "The Pop Stars In Miniature Series." They asked Charles Stadden, who was great at making tiny model figures, to make the Beatles. Stadden spent eight days making figures of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Each one stood about 2½ inches tall and had its own head, guitar, and bright paint. Stadden was paid fifteen pounds for each Beatle and two pounds for each guitar.
Subbuteo made two versions of the Beatles figures. In the UK, the box (measuring 11½" x 3¾" x 1½") came with four soft plastic Beatles figures that could stand on their own and a small card drum set for Ringo. For the United States, Subbuteo made some changes. They put the figures on round plastic bases, either red or white. The American versions had a hook on the back so fans could pin them to their clothes and a sticker that said "Made In England." Subbuteo sold these as "Beatles Official Pins" for fans in the United States.
After the Beatles played on The Ed Sullivan Show, Peter Adolph and his wife went to the United States to show the new pins to stores. To help sell them, they made display cards in two colors. The cards were about 20 inches tall and 11 inches wide. They had pictures of the Beatles and a big headline: "...Here They Are! The Beatles Official Pins." Each card had a stand on the back, so store workers could set it up on a counter, making it easy for shoppers to see and buy the pins.
Charles Stadden did a great job on the Beatles figures, but they did not sell well in the UK. Because of this, Subbuteo decided not to make figures of other British stars such as Cilla Black, Gerry Marsden, or The Dave Clark Five. In the United States, teenagers loved the Beatles pins and wore them proudly to show they liked the band. Subbuteo sold many pins in the US because of this.
Today, people who collect Beatles items really like the 1964 Subbuteo Beatles pins and figures. These toys combine British games, small sculptures, and 1960s pop culture. The boxed figures from the UK and the pin versions from the US show how creative companies were back then. Whether you find them on American display cards or in rare British boxes, the little Beatles figures made by Charles Stadden are still favorites among collectors.
Subbuteo Limited
The NEMS agreement was with Subbuteo Limited, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The date of the agreement for the manufacturing license was December 30, 1963, with the initial term for '2 years. Option to renew.’ The initial license was for ‘PVC Plastic mouldings of figures 2¼” high,' and the territory listed for distribution was ‘World.'
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