“Boy, you sure have a lot of Disney stuff.”
I’m sure several of us out there in Disneyphile land have heard that statement at one time or another. I do have a lot of Disney stuff and you all do, too. I know you do. We’re fortunate enough to be fans of a company, or really an entity, that has produced tons of “stuff” over the last 80 years or so.
I mean, let’s think about some of the other “fandoms” that exist out there. Trekkies have a lot of Trek “stuff.” Star Wars fans have lots of “stuff.” Comic fans have tons of “stuff.” I’ve seen pretty huge Smurf collections on the Internet. My wife has a pretty big Pez collection. Lots of people collect lots of different “stuff.” But, Disney fans are a bit different, aren’t we? Put Mickey on just about anything and we want one, if not two or three, and the Walt Disney Company has obliged us over the years with quite an enormous amount of “stuff” from the Disney universe to whet our appetites over the years, haven’t they? No one has marketed his or her product like Disney. If it exists, it can and probably does exist with a mouse or a duck or a princess emblazoned upon it.
So, I thought an ongoing series here on MousePlanet about the Disney “stuff” that we all collect was a no-brainer. There’s an endless amount of material to talk about and we all can relate to it because, let’s face it, we all own some of it. I think you’d be hard pressed to find an American household without at least something produced by The Walt Disney Company existing within its’ walls. A postcard from Walt Disney World, a DVD, Mickey and Minnie salt and pepper shakers, a Mickey watch, a stuffed animal, and so on and so on. It’s all out there and it’s all everywhere.
That being said, I have to say, I’m not a hard-core collector of any one thing in particular. In recent years, I have taken quite a shine to the Mattel Pixar Cars collection that continues to fly off of the shelves of Targets and KB Toy Stores all over the country. But, aside from that, I’m not a real completist, per se. My tastes vary and rise and flow with each passing year. I keep my collections in good shape, but I display them openly. I read my Disney comic books, use my Disney glasses in the kitchen, and, dare I say it, open things from the packaging to truly enjoy them. My Cars are in the original packages and put away in a box, but every time I find a new one, I try to buy two and give one to my 9 year-old-daughter to open and display. So I am a collector of Disney “stuff” for sure. But, I’m also an enjoyer.
A sample of some Disney “stuff.” Photo by Chris Barry.
We’re going to talk about my various Disney collections, as well as other collections that I’m aware of, but can’t yet afford, or fit into my life. As my friend Robert said whenever he was in Mouse Surplus in Orlando, “When do we really take the plunge, risk divorce, and bring home that life-sized wax Walt Disney? Or a Snow White ride car for the backyard?” Not yet, I guess, as both of our marriages are still happily intact. I’ll tell you as much as I can about the back-story of the various different collections, as well as, where to find them and, of course, their value, both dollar-wise and sentimental. I’m hoping to make this a two-way discussion and hear about all the “stuff” you have, and where I can find it and add to my never-ending collection.
People are oft to criticize the Walt Disney Company for over marketing their characters and product, but let’s face it, we’re all buying it, and they’ll keep making it. I happen to think that there’s a lot of quality merchandise out there. Yes, there’s plastic junk, but for the most part, I think they put their name on predominantly decent material. Besides, there’s a market for old plastic junk now isn’t there? Some of my wife’s Pez dispensers cost a pretty penny. So why dismiss anything? Financially, my brother and I both wish we had a box full of our toys from the 60’s and 70’s in prime condition, which we probably perceived to be junk at the time. Today’s plastic junk is tomorrow’s eBay big seller.
So, each month, I’ll tackle another piece of the collection, both vintage and new, and try to tap into that odd sensation that causes this almost 40 year old to not only not be ashamed to have many Mickey Mouse watches, but be proud to wear a different one each day of the week. I hope you enjoy my journey through the seemingly never-ending supply of “Disney Stuff.”
This isn’t even half of our Disney toy figure collection. Photo by Chris Barry.
Next time, I’ll start off innocently enough, with Disney toy figures. The Disney figurine collectible world is pretty vast, but I’m going to focus on the fairly affordable, but still really cool, Disney figures that my daughter and I have been able to find over the years. See you then!
