Minnesota Iceman Found and Sold
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on February 21st, 2013
At my Cryptopalooza event in October of last year, Loren Coleman made the announcement that the supposed stand-in for the original real Minnesota Iceman had been “found” and that it was being donated to his International Cryptozoology Museum.
Recently, the Minnesota Iceman “body”, exhibit signage and display was listed for sale on eBay for a buy it now price of $20,000.
This is the actual sideshow gaff billed as “The Minnesota Iceman” by Frank Hansen in the 1960’s. This is a one of a kind hoax that was fabricated by a mid-20th century showman. The Iceman was featured in an issue of Argosy Magazine (as you can see in the pictures) and spawned decades of debate as to its authenticity. For around 40 years the whereabouts of the Iceman were unknown to the cryptozoology community. The “creature”, while under ice, baffled the famed zoologist (and so-called father of cryptozoology) Bernard Heuvelmans who examined it in it’s heyday. Stories circulated as to the origin of the creature ranging from “a hunter shot it in the great northwoods”, to “it was killed during wartime in Southeast Asia”, and even that it was found floating in the ocean encased in it’s signature block of ice. It is thought that the “creature” was actually crafted by one of Disney’s early Imagineers. Regardless of who actually did create it, the quality is flawless, and it has stood up remarkably well to the rigors of time and repeated freezings. The chest freezer that it is housed in is unfortunately not operational at this time. It has been looked at by a licensed refrigeration contractor who determined that the compressor needs to be replaced. A new custom sheet of glass was added in September of 2012. The housing is extremely heavy, in upwards of 1000lbs, and is approxamately 4′ x 4′ x 8′. This listing includes the rolling freezer container, the creature, and the original signage. Buyer will need to either arrange to pick item up in Minnesota, or arrange for shipping. Follow this link to read the original Argosy Magazine article: http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/argosy2.htm Any questions, please feel free to email. Serious inquiries only. Thank You!hauntarmada (eBay seller)
I was watching this auction with interest.
The auction ended yesterday with a buyer offering less than the $20.000 buy it now price.
How much less?
Who was the buyer?
Is it going to Loren’s International Cryptozoology Museum?
Did Wally Hersom purchase it for a new coffee table in his living room?
Who know? Will it end up in a private collection?
Or will it end up in a museum where it can be viewed by all?
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
Exiting news this! Now I would really like to know who’s bought it and what will be done with it.
If its not just a spoof of a spoof course!
I think it likely the first exhibition was a genuine item mind. Starting from my belief sasquatch is real so there must be some real evidence.
Will this be part of what could be the year of the sasquatch?
I remember when this issue of Argosy broke in 1968…I may still have my copy somewhere. It was exciting to read the reports of Heuvelmans and Ivan Sanderson as they examined (through the cloudy ice) the “Homonid” and it’s apparent grisly wounds. Seeing the actual model -sans ice – is a real treat. An exceptional job on the modelin terms of both detailing and pose. I always though the model’s body looked like a chimpanzee with a modified mask on the head. All in all, a great generational hoax.
The copies do not hold a candle this, the original “Minnesota Iceman”. To all hoaxers out there…this is how it’s done.
Greatness.
It’s a fake!
Never the less, if it were on a midway at some county fair, as it was back in ’65 when I probably first saw it, I’d pay big time just to see it again as part of the nostalgia for these kinds of displays. Its sociological interest has exceeded its phenomenological interest.
I asked my wife if I could bid on it and, well the conversation didn’t go well after that. Her biggest argument was, was where was I going to store it. I replied “the living room, so everybody could see it. She didn’t like my answer and she really didn’t like the price the owner was asking. I told her she didn’t have to buy me anymore Xmas presents ever again. I always wondered what happened to it after Hansen passed away. This would have been an awesome addition to Loren’s Cryptozoology museum.
I am a bit confused. So does this mean there never was an actual iceman simply this elaborate fake? Or was there an actual iceman and the body decomposed and no longer suitable for display and so this replica was commissioned? I thought I read something that there was a smell of rotting flesh someone observed? That would not be the case with a replica. It is hard to know what to believe anymore. It would be akin to Bob Gimlin coming out now and stating the original PG film of a real BF was lost or damaged so the one everyone things is the original was a remake with Bob Heironomous playing “Patty.” Yikes!
So someone can make THIS, but not a convincing Patty fake? And, isn’t that ED ASNER behind the sign?
Real or fake, that thing impacted me for life, when I saw the actual exhibition, as a child. I only wish I had had the presence of mind to preserve one of the pamphlets, distributed at admission, we received.
William: the way the story goes was that Mr Hansen had a real iceman that he was touring with. He told different stories on how he found it. He invited Ivan Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans to look at it. They stated that they smelled rotting flesh and also declared the iceman specimen was real. The FBI got wind of it and came to investigate. Mr Hansen supposedly substituted this fake in place of the real one. Most people feel that the fake was always the one that people were looking at and because he kept it in ice it was difficult to really get a good look at it. I hope who ever bought it will display it for others to see. For a fake it is really well done.
Thanks RobOO8 for the explanation.
$20,000.00 is that a low or high price for a legendary piece of Crypto history?
BronzeSteel: I’d argue it’s a bit of Barnamesque history, and, as such, the sky’s the limit. Was there ever a real one? It’s impossible to say, but that’s an amazing piece of fakery nonetheless! Makes one wonder why no one could make a Patty costume NEARLY that convincing. That no one did, to me, speaks VOLUMES as the authenticity of the P/G footage.