Roy Rogers may have been Republic's "King of the Cowboys," but he was lesser nobility when it came to licensed merchandise. The "King of the Cowboy Merchandisers" was Hopalong Cassidy. In the three and one-half year period beginning in late 1949 and ending after the 1952 Christmas season Hoppy rode so far ahead of the pack that his competition had to eat his dust. By early 1950s over a hundred manufacturers were producing Hopalong Cassidy licensed products. No matter where one turned, there was Hoppy. It was a Hopalong Cassidy era. Now Hoppy has found renewed interest among collectors. The...