During World War II, even the Oscars had to make sacrifices for the war effort. Between 1943 and 1945, the Academy stopped producing the traditional gold-plated bronze statuettes due to metal shortages. Instead, winners were presented with Oscars made of painted plaster. The recipients were given the opportunity to trade in their plaster statues for the standard metal ones once the war ended and the metal restrictions were lifted. This period reflects how deeply the war impacted every facet of American life, including the glamour of Hollywood. Today, those original plaster Oscars are extremely rare and highly prized by collectors, though most winners did eventually take the Academy up on the offer to exchange them for the real 'gold' versions. The statuette is currently made of solid bronze and plated in 24-karat gold, standing 13.5 inches tall and weighing 8.5 pounds.