Gurley Novelty Company was started in 1939 in Buffalo, New York as part of candle maker Franklin Gurley’s W&F Manufacturing Co. Inc.  Initially the Gurley candle line was commissioned by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, now Exxon Mobil, as a way to reuse excess paraffin.  Gurley’s first products consisted of wax lips and teeth, as well as a limited number of small candle figures in holiday shapes such as ghosts, pilgrims, and Santas.  Gurley candles were sold at dime stores like Ben Franklin’s and Woolworth’s and were quite inexpensive — for decades, 3.5 inch figures sold for 10 cents a piece and the larger sizes rarely exceeded 99 cents!   Today, Gurley Novelty Candles are  highly collectible and the Halloween and Christmas candles are by far the most popular.