Birdwatching? Nearly Extinct Pink Bird Sighted!

In the 1950s when America's populus was heading to the suburbs and Florida tourism was booming, the plastic pink flamingo lawn ornament was hatched. In just under 50 years, production of Union Product's pink flamingo lawn ornament (the original) had reached an amazing 250,000 units per year.

By 2006 our mock feathered friend was facing extinction. Faced with increased costs and loss of financing, the original plastic pink flamingo's Massachusetts manufacturer, Union Products, closed its doors November 2006.

Don't despair. It's not time to mourn yet. HMC Products International LLC in Westmoreland, New York, purchased the copyright and plastic molds to resume production.

Tacky or not, you may still be able to purchase the "original" pink flamingo lawn ornaments . . . and if you have the originals, hang on to them. They may become a valuable collectible. Originals have the signature of the creator, Don Featherstone, etched on the rear end and were manufactured by Union Products.

We've searched the internet and originals are still few and far between. If you are a pink flamingo collector, you might want to grab a pair now.

The original pink flamingo lawn ornament is currently available at Sheridan Collectibles, an eCRATER store.

You can recognize the original by their unique markings. The original pink flamingo has Don Featherstone's signature etched on the rear.

The Original Pink Flamingo lawn ornament also bears the Union Products name on their bellies.