“Boy you sure have a lot of Disney Stuff!”
It was with that short sentence 8 years ago that I quoted a multitude of visitors to my home and began this long strange trip known as my Disney Stuff column. April 25, 2008 was the exact date that my very first article appeared here on MousePlanet. It was basically an introductory piece to me, as a writer, and the ongoing discussion I wanted to have with you, the readers. I ran this picture, which was just a small sample of my ever-growing Disney collection.
A scratch on the surface to my Disney collection, or should I say, accumulation. Photo by Chris Barry.
There was a solid rationale for wanting to discuss all of the bits and pieces of Disney Stuff that we all have accumulated over the years. Here's one of the first paragraphs from that first article.
Trekkies have a lot of Trek “stuff.” Star Wars fans have lots of “stuff.” Comic fans have tons of “stuff.” I've seen fairly large 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 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.
Here's a small part of the Disney 100 Years of Magic McDonald's Happy Meal collection that my daughter and I feverishly hunted for. Photo by Chris Barry.
And thus, this beast called Disney Stuff was born and for the past 8 years we've discussed everything from the ubiquitous Mickey Mouse watch, to vintage Walt Disney World ephemera, to Fast Food toys and so much more.
Mickey loses Goofy in this Big Little Book from 1968. Copyright Walt Disney Productions.
After eight years and 95 articles the MousePlanet staff and I have decided to give Disney Stuff a rest. In our ongoing efforts to be the first place you turn to when it comes to Walt Disney World and Disneyland information and trip planning, we thought it best to keep our focus on those aspects of the Disney experience. My Top 5 articles will continue to explore the many aspects of The Walt Disney Company, especially the Disney parks and resorts, but Disney Stuff will now go the way of Horizons, the Studio Backlot Tour, and SpectroMagic. Hopefully, it will be as fondly remembered as those long lost attractions. Judging from the responses I have gotten over the years from all of you out there, I suspect it will be.
The cover of a set of vintage Walt Disney World postcards. © Walt Disney Productions.
Something wonderful happened shortly into Disney Stuff's tenure here on MousePlanet. You, the readers, the reason this very site thrives and is as magical as it is, began to respond. The emails came pouring in from so many of you and from all corners of the globe. You all shared my passion for collecting Disneyana, or as one of you so aptly labeled it, “not so much collecting, as accumulating.” Yes indeed, over the years I have accumulated and accumulated quite an outstanding collection of fantastic Disney Stuff. The amazing thing is, I was obviously not alone. All of you out there knew just how I felt about my accumulation because you all had your own piles and boxes and shelves full of stuff as well. Whether it was a vintage matchbook from Main Street U.S.A. in Disneyland, the obsessively collect-able Disney Collector Packs, or my “Hey, did you really climb Everest?” Animal Kingdom jacket, you all seemed to identify with each and every piece of this stuff in very personal ways.
The Disneyland Tobacco Shop matchbook back cover. Photo by Chris Barry.
My boy's collection of Collector Pack figures. Photo by Chris Barry.
A close-up of the back of the Everest jacket. Photo by Chris Barry.
That's what made writing this series so much fun.
These iced tea glasses from the Disney Catalog have a “summer backyard” theme. Photo by Chris Barry.
The other thing that truly surprised me over the years is exactly where Disney Stuff took me as a writer, and I don't mean just physically. Sure, it took me into every store and shop in Walt Disney World looking for that next great trinket or collectible to write about. It took me into antique stores and flea markets on the hunt for some cool vintage treasures. Always on the prowl to expand my accumulation of stuff, I ventured into toy fairs and collectible shows and comic/pop culture conventions. As a MousePlanet reporter, I scoured through the massive sea of tables and booths at New York Comic Con and was one of the first members of the press to be allowed into the grand opening of the Times Square Disney Store. Yes, Disney Stuff physically took me places, but it was the surprising emotional side of the journey that will stick with me the most.
After my friend Robert passed away, I featured his Jiminy Cricket shelf in an article. Photo by Chris Barry.
Over the years writing Disney Stuff articles allowed me to deal with the heart wrenching near implosion and glorious rebirth of my marriage, the devastating death of my best friend and fellow Disney cohort Robert, the emotional impact that a tragedy like the Newtown shootings had on me, and the wide range of feelings I've gone through as my wife and I have raised our beautiful kids. My daughter was nine when I started writing this series and my twin boys were five. That pretty much means that I've documented them growing up through my writing as they transformed from kids playing with Mickey Mouse toys and Princess dolls to teens that still love Disney, but in a different and more “grown-up” way. At times, Disney Stuff was clearly an outlet for whatever I was going through at that given moment in time and that's a clear reflection of just how important these items are to me and my life.
My all time favorite Mickey Mouse watch was a surprise gift from my wife once we returned from one of our trips. Photo by Chris Barry.
The Disney things that surround me, whether it's the watches on my wrist, the T-shirts on my back, the glasses in my kitchen cupboard, or the art on my walls are important facets of who I am and that's what this series was all about. The things we collect and accumulate define who we are. Each item is a small window into our souls. They help to tell our story.
This Reyn Spooner Disney/Pixar “Up” shirt kind of defines my look when I'm walking around with my family at Walt Disney World. Photo by Chris Barry.
My Grateful Dead and rock and roll memorabilia provide the soundtrack to the greater part of my life. My New York World's Fair collection shows my appreciation of these great fairs that inspired people to learn about other cultures and fostered dreamers and forward looking thinkers like Walt Disney himself. And my Disney Stuff symbolizes my love of creativity and wonder; my belief in magic; and my heartfelt esprit de corps with Walt epitomized by one of his greatest quotes, “That's the real problem with the world, too many people grow up.” I believed it eight years ago when I started writing here on MousePlanet, I believe that now, and I'll believe it for a long, long time to come.
My collection of Disney porcelain figurines. Photo by Chris Barry.
So with that, I bid Disney Stuff a heartfelt goodbye for now. Thanks to the MousePlanet staff for allowing me to spill my feelings out on the page and for always making me look better in the editing process. A very special thanks goes out to my good pal out west, Barry Allender from Tomart's Disneyana Update for always knowing the answers, value, and backstory to every Disney collectible item I threw at him. Thanks to my wife for everything, especially for putting up with me and my seemingly endless supply of Disney Stuff in the house. Thanks to my kids for constantly reflecting that Disney magic back onto their old man and making me constantly feel young. Thanks to my family and friends on my MousePlanet Friday email blast, you know who you are. I'm so grateful for your loyalty.
Most of all thanks to all the MousePlanet readers everywhere that read and responded to my work over the years. It was a pleasure sharing my stuff with you and having you share your stuff back. You're a fascinating bunch and I love writing for you. Please keep the comments and the emails coming.
I'm far from done here, so thanks again for reading and responding, and while I may not be seeing you with more of that great Disney Stuff, I will be back next time with another Disney Top 5.
