It Keeps Going, for $20,000

One of the original four Energizer Bunnies will be sold at Heritage Auction Galleries, Beverly Hills. It comes with the original custom made cases for both the Bunny and the three controllers. It is expected to bring $20,000+.

The pink bunny with sunglasses, a drum and blue and black flip-flops became instantly recognizable to consumers since the minute it was introduced in 1989.

The bunny still runs as it did in its heyday, which means that you would need three people to operate it in its full glory: the head is on a gimbal, allowing for full range of the motion for the head; the arms bang the drum and move up over its head; drumsticks spin in its hands; his ears move backwards and forwards, the feet march and it moves in all directions, and spins on its axis, on tracks.

In fact, the consignor is in the process of getting the bunny back in shape so that it is every bit as nimble and energetic as collectors – and consumers – would expect it to be. “It still works perfectly well,” Norwine said. “It just hasn’t been charged up and run for several years. It won’t take long, though, to have running exactly as it was before.”

The Energizer Bunny became digital in commercials about five years ago before the company re-commissioned the mechanical bunnies for a new round of commercials within the last year. As far as the original examples go, however, collectors aren’t likely to get another chance any time soon.