Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas Opening Night 1946 Flamingo Ceramic Statue Bugsy Siegel Memorabilia
Ultra-Rare 1946 Flamingo Hotel Porcelain VIP Statue – Original Opening-Night Gift Commissioned by Bugsy Siegel
Own a truly significant artifact from the birth of the Las Vegas Strip: an authentic 1946 Flamingo Hotel porcelain flamingo statue, created exclusively as VIP gifts for the hotel’s historic opening on December 26, 1946. Only 200 of these hand-painted porcelain sculptures were produced by the renowned Will-George Ceramics of California at the direction of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, whose ambition reshaped the future of Las Vegas.
These statues were intended for high-profile guests and Hollywood elites on opening night—symbols of the luxury, glamour, and sophistication Siegel envisioned for the Flamingo. However, the resort’s early reception proved disastrous. The hotel portion was unfinished, operations stumbled immediately, and within weeks, the Flamingo was forced to close, only reopening months later under new control. The chaos surrounding its first months greatly impacted the survival of early Flamingo artifacts.
Why These Statues Are Exceptionally Rare
Although approximately 200 statues were originally made, history shows that very few would have realistically survived. The resort’s abrupt financial failure, immediate closure, ownership turnover, and continuous renovations meant that early VIP gifts, documents, décor, and memorabilia were often lost, discarded, or forgotten. Over the following decades, the Flamingo underwent major rebuilds and ultimately demolished its original 1946–47 hotel structure entirely in 1993—erasing almost all physical remnants of Siegel’s Flamingo. Considering the fragility of porcelain and nearly 80 years of time, the number of existing surviving statues is undoubtedly far smaller than the original 200. Very few surface in private collections or the open market, making this piece one of the rarest authentic artifacts of early Las Vegas history.
Condition
This example is particularly remarkable for its preservation. It displays no cracks, no breaks, no chips, and no repairs—an extraordinary condition level for a fragile porcelain item produced in 1946. Its original hand-painted details remain vivid and intact, offering a museum-quality presentation.
Historical Significance
This statue is more than a collectible—it is a surviving relic from the moment Las Vegas began its transformation into the world’s entertainment capital. As an authentic opening-night artifact directly tied to Bugsy Siegel’s vision, it represents a foundational chapter in casino history, mob-era development, Hollywood glamour, and the origins of the modern Strip. The extreme rarity of surviving examples elevates this piece into true investment-grade territory.
Ideal For
Collectors of high-end Las Vegas history, mob-era artifacts, casino memorabilia, museum curators, gallery exhibitions, or luxury interiors requiring an authentic historical focal point.
A Museum-Level Opportunity
Opening-night Flamingo artifacts almost never surface, and statues in this condition are exceptionally scarce. For collectors who understand the cultural and historical weight of Bugsy Siegel’s Flamingo, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure one of the most meaningful early Las Vegas artifacts still in private hands.
Shipping & Delivery
Do you offer free shipping everywhere?
Great question. We’re happy to offer free shipping on orders over $99 within the Continental 48 U.S. states.
Shipping to Hawaii, Alaska, U.S. territories, and international destinations is available at an additional cost. Because rates can vary by location and item size, we recommend reaching out to our customer service team for a quick, accurate shipping quote before purchasing.
A temporary $75 placeholder rate may appear at checkout for non-continental destinations, but your actual shipping cost may be lower—or higher—depending on your location. We work hard to secure competitive shipping rates, especially internationally, and are always happy to help find the best option for what works best for you.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes! We ship items all over the world! Before placing your order, give us a call at (844) 474-4633 or email us at sales@inscriptagraphs.com for an accurate quote on shipping items outside the Continental USA. We ask you to please contact us in advance for international orders or orders outside the Continental USA 48 states so we can get you a 100% accurate quote so we don't overcharge you. Due to the complexity of the inventory sizes we maintain, we use to set our rates as 1 flat rate based on the price of your order but found this to not work for everyone so we decided we will take all orders by a case by case basis. We will work with you to try to take care of some of the shipping charges so you pay less in the long run for that special item(s)! Contact us in advance and provide us the country we would be shipping the item to as well as your zip code. We will have a response to you in a short amount of time. Please Note: all customs & duties are the responsibility of the customer.
How fast do orders typically take to ship out?
Orders typically ship within 1-5 days. If your purchase has a frame around it or has special requirements, the order may take as long as 4 weeks to be shipped. Please review item descriptions for pre-orders as they may take longer and have specific timelines before shipping out.
How do I receive my tracking number?
When your item officially ships out, we will send you the tracking number via the email you provided at the point of checkout.
Buy now, pay later!
QUESTION:Â I want to purchase an item on your website but I don't currently have the funds to do so. Do you have any methods to assist me in being able to purchase the item(s)?
YES! Currently, Inscriptagraphs is the only major memorabilia retailer to offer customers a financing option! We offer our financing option through our finance partner Sezzle! If you qualify through them, you could potentially be able to purchase your item today and have it shipped out even faster! This is a great option for people than need extra time to pay off that one item they must have for their man cave or a gift for someone! Check out our financing section for more information!
Authenticity
How do I know your items are authentic?
We work with the most reputable suppliers in the industry who have direct contracts with athletes & celebrities. Most items are acquired via private paid autograph signings with the athletes/celebrities to ensure the signatures are the real thing. We work with some of the most advanced authentication companies in the industry today including PSA/DNA, James Spence Authentication (JSA), Beckett, Upper Deck, Steiner, Tristar and much more (Click here to see our authenticity guarantee). All worn and game used equipment has paperwork directly from the teams, players, movie studios, estates, and celebertieis themselves! Indeed, acquiring your favorite piece of autographed memorabilia can be one of the most exciting investments you can make – as long as it is real. At Inscriptagraphs.com, the integrity of each piece of hand-signed collectibles is paramount. Inscriptagraphs.com guarantees the authenticity of your hand-signed sports collectible or your money back!
Quality
At Inscriptagraphs Sports & Entertainment Memorabilia, quality is one of the founding principles of our company. All of our products come from the absolute best of the best sources from cases to the actual collectibles to framing and authentication. Quality is what we stand for. The signed and unsigned collectibles that we offer are manufactured with the best materials and the framing we provide with our products are state of the art museum quality framing. The equipment we use, the average mom & pop shop and large retail competitors can't afford as the machinery we use is the utmost high end in the framing industry. This equipment is very very expensive to purchase & maintain but we are committed to giving our customers the quality they seek and rarely find. The cases we provide are all made of plexiglass which is more expensive than glass and if your case fell off your desk, for example, the plexiglass won't shatter like normal glass.
There's an old expression: "You Get What You Pay For", we make sure you are provided with the industry-leading quality and are proud to set the bar for quality among memorabilia companies. The authenticity you are provided with for your collectibles is the most advanced expert authentication in the industry. We outsource all of our authentication (except for witnessed signings we directly conduct with athletes & celebrities) to ensure that a third party expert authentication service providing you with their opinion and not us, giving you a bias opinion. You have come to the right place if you are in the market for memorabilia collectibles as you will be provided the utmost quality for your collection!
Questions?
Do you have a question that has not been answered? Give us a call so we can assist you today! You can reach by phone at(844) 474-4633 or by email at sales@inscriptagraphs.com.
Sell My Memorabilia to Inscriptagraphs
Does Inscriptagraphs buy the general public's memorabilia?
Yes! We purchase all sorts of sports & entertainment memorabilia. From athlete & movie star autographs, game used items and movie posters to movie props, celebrity owned items and even historical rare documents from a famous inventor or US President!! You can check out our SELL MY MEMORABILIA page for information on what we look for! If you are not sure if we would be interested in your item or not, then just simply ask!! Give us a call at (844) 474-4633 us at sales@inscriptagraphs.com.