Fun & Fabulous Wizard of Oz Coffee Mugs

Wizard of Oz fans will be tripping over their ruby red slippers to try and find some of these fantastic Wizard of Oz-themed coffee mugs! Unfortunately, most of them are retired but they are still available outside of ordinary retail locations. Read on!

THE MOVIE, THE BACK STORY

On August 18, 1939, the New York Times highly praised The Wizard of Oz calling it a movie that left 'youngsters' eyes shining' and that lent a 'quietly amused gleam' to the eyes of the older folk. They called The Wizard of Oz the best film since Snow White. Starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan, this MGM film is a musical that was based on the 1900 L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It won two Academy Awards: Best Song and Best Original Movie Score but lost Best Picture of the Year to the also enduring movie called Gone with the Wind. I am sure that no one anticipated the tremendous staying power that this film would have. The Library of Congress would eventually call it the most-watched motion picture in history.

Fans and collectors of The Wizard of Oz are fortunate in having a wide range of top-quality merchandise with which to celebrate this iconic film. Whether you are familiar with The Wizard of Oz from the movie theatre, from watching it every year when it was aired on television as I did or you are a more recent enthusiast, you will enjoy this selection of the best Wizard of Oz coffee mugs available on-line.

WICKED MUG BY LORRIE VEASEY AND OUR NAME IS MUD 

What a WICKED mug this was, LOL! This green and purple mug was by Our Name is Mud and featured the positively wicked witch of the west. It was Amazon's most popular Wizard of Oz mug having gained extra popularity, I expect, from the Broadway musical of the same name. The front features the wicked witch on her broomstick and the back warns you not to make her call the flying monkeys. Unfortunately, this mug is now out of production and you will have to turn to eBay to find it.  Click here to search for Lorrie Veasey's Wicked mug on eBay. Note that the company produced a few styles of wicked mugs.

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD SCULPTED MUG BY VANDOR

This Ding Dong the Witch is Dead coffee mug by Vandor featured one of the most popular lines from the Wizard of Oz. The song that was sang by Glinda, The Munchkins and Dorothy Gale was written and composed by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen. The mug was a very attractive piece, holding 14-ounces of your favorite hot beverage. Like the previous mug, it too is discontinued but you can click here to look for this Ding Dong the Witch is Dead coffee mug on eBay. If you are able to find one and you plan on using it, note that it needs to be hand washed.

RAE DUNN GLINDA THE GOOD WITCH MUG

So many nice mugs! I'm featuring just one of the Rae Dunn Wizard of Oz-themed coffee mugs and that is this pretty-in-pink Glinda the Good Witch mug. I think that it is fabulous but if this is not the one you are looking for click here to see the full collection of Rae Dunn Wizard of Oz themed mugs available on eBay.

IRMA STAR TWISTER OR TORNADO MUG

Here's an interesting hard-to-find, handcrafted mug. It depicts the twister or tornado and Dorothy's house landing on the Wicked Witch of the East. Also featured are the Tinman, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion as well as Miss Almira Gulch on her bicycle. 

Creator Irma Starr is a potter based in Kansas City who crafts pieces in an old-fashioned style. Her work is featured in museum gift shops around the world with this piece from The Oz Collection sold at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. 

Look for your Irna Starr Wizard of Oz tornado mug here on eBay. I expect it was fairly limited in distribution and may or may not be available on eBay right now. As I write this, I note that there is a Scarecrow ornament available by Irma Starr but that there are no mugs.

CAN A COFFEE MUG BE TOO NICE TO USE?  

When I saw that first mug I could not help but wonder, can a coffee mug be too nice to use?  I was definitely thinking, "Yes."  Since then, I found a great solution to this problem and that is buying two of the coffee mugs that you love. One for display in your collection and one for everyday use and enjoyment.

'WITCH' WIZARD OF OZ MUG IS YOUR FAVORITE?

Finally, I close with asking, 'witch' Wizard of Oz movie mug is your favorite? Honestly, I cannot pick one. I like them all. If you are undecided on which one, click here to see all of the Wizard of Oz themed mugs available on eBay today. As I write this, there are more than 3,100 new, used and vintage mugs available.

See you
at the movies!

MORE WIZARD OF OZ READING

The Wizard of Oz Centennial Edition Book

The Wizard of Oz Book & Movie T-Shirt

Why are Ruby Slippers so Popular?

The New York Times Original 1939 Movie Review

The New York Times original 1939 movie review that I quoted in the introduction really is a very interesting read (and not too long, either.) If you ARE a Wizard of Oz fan, I encourage you to check it out. I enjoy reading all of the original movie reviews.