Gurley Candles: History And More

Have you ever been curious about those charming little Gurley Candles that you see out there? Have you ever wondered where they came from? Have you ever wondered if you have one? Come get the candle scoop!

I love the thrill of the hunt! I adore the rush that I get when I ‘unearth’ an exciting new piece and I have enjoyed carefully building my collections over time. While there are so many things that I do love to collect, one of my favorite things to hunt for are Gurley Candles. Especially around the holidays, these candles fill me with that good old Christmas feeling!

If you are not already familiar with Gurley Candles then you are in for a treat! These little decorative candles are quite charming and actually have an interesting history!

The History of Gurley Candles

Dating all the way back to 1939, this candle company began in Buffalo, New York under the candlemaker Franklon Gurley’s W&F Manufacturing Co. Inc. But, the candle company actually got it’s start in conjunction with the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company. Now ExxonMobile, the oil company commissioned the candlemaker to recycle the excess paraffin from their oil refinery process to create these decorative candles. What a smart business move! I love the way people did not let anything go to waste back then!

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Franklin Gurley’s first candles were created using this process and were marketed under the name, Tavern. During their first several years of production, Tavern candles made a very small amount of small figurine-shaped candles as well as wax lips and teeth.

In 1949, Franklin Gurley bought the Tavern brand and changed the name of the candle company from Tavern to Gurley Novelty Co.

Under the new name, Gurley Novelty Co, the candlemaker managed to build a brand of wax figures that were mainly centered around seasonal and holiday themes. What is so interesting is that they were never really meant to be burned, but rather they were meant to be used as decorations.

These candles continued to rise in popularity through the 50’s and 60’s. Then, in the late 70s the company sadly began to decline in popularity.

How To Identify Gurley Candles

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Most Gurley candles have a cardboard label attached to the bottom. Each of those cardboard labels will be marked with the name Gurley and most will also have a price marked as well. Gurley candles were not expensive. I have smaller candles that are marked for $0.10 and larger ones that are marked for just $0.49. There are larger ones that had higher prices also! (Tavern candles were marked in the same way.).

Where Were Gurley Candles Sold

Gurley candles were mainly sold at dime stores and later were found in larger stores such as Macy’s. They were sold individually and as sets.

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Gurley Candles Today

While the brand may have seen a decline in popularity back in the 70s, that is certainly not the case now. Today, Gurley Novelty Candles (and Tavern candles as well) are considered to be very collectable and continue to rise in popularity. Specifically, the Halloween and Christmas candles are currently in hot demand.

Gurley Candle Reproductions

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Many years ago, the Vermont Country Store bought the rights to the Gurley Candle molds and they now reproduce them.

How To Display Them

There is never a right or wrong way to enjoy a collection that you love! I truly believe that! I always just ‘go with my gut’ each year and I tend to end up displaying them in new ways each season. From popping them onto a shelf to stuffing them into a cabinet – there really is no right or wrong way to do it!

The Rarest Gurley of All

After doing a little digging, I discovered that Gurley Glow Candles are the rarest of all. That is because they were expensive and were never really that popular. That means that there simply are not that many of them out there in circulation today. These glow candles are quite light weight and larger than the typical Gurley. These are also unique in that they burn a bit differently than a typical candle. They actually cast a ‘lantern glow’ when lit. I have one, thanks to a dear friend, but I will never burn it!

Where To Find Them

As always, I find the majority of my vintage candles out hunting at estate sales and resale shops. I also have found quite a few in antique malls. I always prefer to shop in person! I like finding it – nothing beats the thrill of the hunt! However, I do know that it can be hard to find these little guys depending on where you live. With that in mind, I wanted to share that you can find them here on Etsy and here on Ebay. Also, I have included a few links to some of the cutest ones out there right now!

In Closing

I love to research the things that I find (just like my dad taught me to do) and thankfully there was a lot of info out there about these charming Gurley candles. After years of collecting them, I am so happy to have a little spot on the internet where I can share with all of you! My hope is that now that you are aware of their history and that they exist, YOU too will be on the hunt for these special candles as well.

If you enjoyed my Gurley candle collection then you may also enjoy seeing my vintage Santa mug collection. You can read all about my Santa mugs here.

As always, thank you for joining me here at My Weathered Home. Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

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