Unusual State Fair Souvenirs, Thanks To Team Coco

Usually people who go to a state fair take home a stuffed animal from the carnival, a blue ribbon thanks to real know-how in raising cattle or baking a pie, or just some trinket from a souvenir stand or the local utility company.

Thanks to Team Coco, I got something different at the California State Fair in Sacramento: a photo button with my face superimposed on Conan's head, plus one of the most rare rubber ducks ever made...probably.

This is how the photo buttons were made...



This was located near the Cal Expo fountain, next to the Xfinity (Comcast) booth. People got a choice of three poses, the best gets chosen, and it's made into a button. The picture is also supposed to be e-mailed to you, but it wasn't in my case. Looking below, that may be just as well, but what's next to it is really unusual...



Remember when TBS aired promos for Conan in the fall of 2010, and one of the despondent fans had a rubber duck with Conan's bearded head? Here's a reminder...



Apparently, Celebriducks made 2000 of them for the first show, to give to the audience. I was in town then, but getting inside was out of the question. I still got into the second show, but lookng back they should have given ducks for everyone in the first week. Well, I don't know how many Conan ducks they had that day, but I'd say a dozen. Others gor shirts, like this one...



Getting back to the duck, here's some other angles...







Now, that either means it was made in January 2011, or it was the first of the 2011 model that they gave away to advertisers, family, friends or by accident.

I didn't know about the photo booth until they had ads on TV just before the final day of the fair. Actually, they should have had it for the whole run. Who wouldn't want to have weird photo buttons, then find out about how they can save on their cable bill. I was also told that Team Coco only had the photo booth at Cal Expo. I'm surprised it's not a traveling Team Coco photo booth. They can tour along with the massive Conan bobblehead around the country, then set up show across the street from the Tonight Show...and see the fireworks.

So, if I do snag a ticket for the Monday after the Emmys, I'll be wearing that photo button. Maybe I'll take along the duck...in case Conan lost his.