Category Archives: Disney Collectibles

Walt Disney’s Encyclopedia of Animated Characters

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The weekend has finally arrived!  That means it’s time to kick back with a cup of coffee and stroll through the fun and fantastic articles over at Disney Musings.  For this week’s Saturdays With Nick, I’m sharing another book from the amazing and seemingly endless collection (no, it’s not your imagination, you do detect a hint of jealousy) Nick and Barbie have amassed through the years.  This book is wonderful and would be an excellent addition to anyone’s Disney library.  I’m heading over to ebay now to see if I can pick up one for myself.  Enjoy!

Walt Disney’s Encyclopedia of Animated Characters

By Nick

Back when I was a kid, I had to walk to school, uphill, both ways. Television? We had 3 networks and PBS. That’s it. And we had to get information out of things called books. For instance, if I wanted to know something about a favorite animated Disney character, such as Humphrey, instead of Googling, I’d open up this wonderful tome.

The Encyclopedia of Walt Disney’s Animated Characters by John Grant was purchased at the Disney Store I was a Cast Member at back in 1993. There is a forward by Disney Archivist Dave Smith, as well as a special forward from Roy E. Disney for this Second Edition.

With the dust jacket off.

This book is a wealth of knowledge, starting way back with the Laugh-O-Grams, The Alice Comedies, and Oswald, and going through to Aladdin, with a description of every character from every short, animated feature, and television series in between.

Oh, and another thing about television, to change the channel, we had to get up, walk way over to the 13 inch TV screen and do it ourselves!

For more Disney awesomeness, be sure to follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and friends:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.

Learning German with Disney Characters

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Happy Saturday, Disney Friends!  Time to check in with Nick and see what surprises we can find.  Today’s discovery is a uniquely interesting little treasure from *gasp* Nick and Barbie’s Disney book collection.  I was perusing the Disney Musings blog and whoa!  This amazing little item caught my eye (certainly not EYES as I’m only half German and therefore only have one German eye…according to my math.).  It’s a Disney book for learning to speak German!  Who knew?  Certainly not me,  and I’d love to learn German from Mickey and the gang!

Good news!  You can still buy this book on Amazon!!!  Here’s the description: “Divided into 10 thematic sections which children can relate to, this book contains 1000 German words carefully selected to meet the requirements of the first years of learning German. The sections featured include: leisure, sport and celebrations, at school, in the country and at home.”  Prices in the used book category start at $.75 (Plus $3.99 shipping and handling).  Here’s the link.

Learning German with Disney Characters

By Nick

My wife spotted this at “The World’s Largest Garage Sale” at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, Pennsylvania recently for $3. It was published in 1992 by Harrap.

It takes classic Disney comic illustrations, and identifies specific images in German and English.

As a bonus, it includes the actual strip the highlighted image is taken from, and presents it in German and English as well.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and friends for more Disney adventures (and to see all their Disney collectibles!):  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.

Nick and I, along with our buddy, Dave, host The Disney Exchange Podcast where we discuss our love of all things Disney and offer travel tips, restaurant and resort reviews, planning advice, and other Disney-related nonsense…while we argue and laugh a LOT.  Follow the Disney Exchange on Facebook and weigh in on our many opinion-solicitations.

 

Brave Little Tailor – Walt Disney Classics Collection

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It’s time for another exiting installment of Saturdays With Nick!  That means it’s the weekend (finally)!  Until I met Nick, I only thought I had a pretty decent collection of Disneyana.  Compared to Nick, though, I’m a total rookie.  I’m sorry to say I have not one single piece of the Walt Disney Classics Collection and will reluctantly admit, this is probably not a bad thing.  For my own sanity and the safety of my wallet, I need to draw the line somewhere.  That doesn’t keep me from absolutely adoring this pair of cuties.  Be sure to check out the expression on Minnie’s face!  Totes adorbs! (Nick loves it when I say that!)

Brave Little Tailor – Walt Disney Classics Collection

By Nick

These Mickey and Minnie, Brave Little Tailor Walt Disney Classics Collection pieces are among my favorite collectibles.

Mickey stands 7 1/4 inches tall. Plussing includes a matte platinum finish on his scissors.

 

Titled “I let him have it”, it is the 1993 Animators Choice Figurine, and the first year redemption sculpture for the Walt Disney Classic Collection. It bears the Treble Clef production mark, symbolizing the music in the Academy Award-winning ‘Silly Symphonies’.

Minnie stands 6 1/2 inches tall. Her veil is painted with opalescent paint, and her shoe buckles are painted gold.

 

Titled “Princess Minnie”, this piece was the 1996 Animator’s Choice sculpt.

She has the Sailor’s Hat production mark, which represents Donald Duck’s on-screen debut in 1934 animated short, ‘The Wise Little Hen’.

They perfectly capture 2 beloved characters in a beloved scene from a (Is he going to say it again? Yes!) beloved animated short.

Follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and friends for more Disney adventures (and to see all their Disney collectibles!):  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.

Nick and I, along with our buddy, Dave, host The Disney Exchange Podcast where we discuss our love of all things Disney and offer travel tips, restaurant and resort reviews, planning advice, and other Disney-related nonsense…while we argue and laugh a LOT.  Follow the Disney Exchange on Facebook and weigh in on our many opinion-solicitations.

Walt Disney United States Character Map

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It’s always fun to discovery yet another Disney treasure in Nick and Barbie’s Disneyana collection and this particular piece is one of my absolute favorites.  Maybe because it’s about my age or maybe because it’s crazy adorable and full of beloved Disney characters…maybe I love it so much because it’s wonderful in spite of being a bit worn.  I did I little research on the interwebs and found one of these for sale on ebay.  As I type this, I’m looking it over with serious consideration towards buying it for myself.  While a wide variety of Disney characters are featured, most states feature either Mickey, Minnie, or Donald doing something associated with that particular state.  Minnie reaching down to pet a pig in Nebraska is hilarious!

Walt Disney United States Character Map

By: Nick

My wife and I collect globes and maps. I bought this puzzle map of the United States off of eBay a few years ago.
It was already assembled, and glued on a piece of cardboard, and my wife framed it for me.

Made by Jaymar for Walt Disney Productions.

I’m not sure what year it is from, but as Hawaii is included as a state, it was made during or after 1959.

Also, Disneyland is very prominently displayed in California, and there is no indication of Walt Disney World in Florida, so it was very likely before 1971.

So we’ll just say that it’s from the 1960s.

While not in the best of shape, with pieces peeling, some seemingly missing bits, and pencil marks, I still love it for the graphics of our favorite characters.

 

Follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and friends for more Disney adventures (and to see all their Disney collectibles!):  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.

Please listen to Nick, our friend Dave, and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we discuss our love of all things Disney and offer travel tips, restaurant and resort reviews, planning advice, and other Disney-related nonsense…while we argue and laugh a LOT.  Follow the Disney Exchange on Facebook and weigh in on our many opinion-solicitations.