East Valley woman has bevy of Betty Boop baubles

Glenda Scott’s Betty Boop collection can bowl you over because of the sheer quantity and range of memorabilia.

And because that collection includes a Betty Boop bowling ball.

The collection in her home near Sam Boyd Stadium takes up one 10-by-10-foot room that includes thousands of items. Those include Betty Boop figurines, cookie jars, perfume, comic books, art, purses, wind chimes, ties, coffee mugs and Pez dispensers.

It’s rare for her to come across something Betty Boop-related that she doesn’t already own.

“I go to antique stores because I love the thrill of the hunt,” Glenda said. “Most of the antique shops know who the Boop lady is.”

She began collecting more than 20 years ago after a co-worker gave her a Betty Boop doll. About 10 percent of Glenda’s collection was gifted.

The iconic character was created in 1930 as a human-like poodle. After several cartoons, the animators dropped the dog aspect and made her the ultimate flapper — the fun-loving party girl of the age.

The Betty Boop animators seem to have borrowed heavily from the look and sound of singer Helen Kane, who was known in the 1920s as “The Boop-Oop-A-Doop Girl.” Kane filed an infringement lawsuit against Paramount Publix Corp. for $250,000 in May 1932, claiming the animation company exploited her personality and image. Lawyers argued that Kane had seen the look and sound of African-American performer Esther Jones, who performed at the Cotton Club as Baby Esther.

Another contender for the origin of the look of Boop is actress and former Nevada first lady Clara Bow.

While Glenda doesn’t have an estimate of the collection’s value, she has it insured for several thousand dollars.

Her husband, William, retired from the Marines in 1993, and the couple moved to the valley soon after. The collection started about a year later.

“I’m amazed about it,” said William, who has his own collection of military-vehicle models that he has built. “I just let her do her thing. You never complain about your wife. If it makes her happy, I’m all for it.

Glenda has worked at Williams Costume Co. for nearly 20 years, specializing in rhinestones and other costume crystals. Some customers know about her collection and let her know when they find Betty Boop items. One customer found a stack of Betty Boop shirts in a storage unit he bought in California and sold them to her for a dollar a shirt.

The shirts are carefully folded in plastic bags for display along with Betty Boop light switch covers, collector’s stamps from Guinea, a flip phone case and part of a slot machine.

“I’d love to meet other Betty Boop collectors and maybe trade some things, but so far I haven’t run into any,” Glenda said. “I wouldn’t mind opening a Betty Boop museum. I’d love to have some place where I can share the collection with everyone.”

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.