Tag Archives: collectible

The craze that I crave!

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“…but they all look the same…” “…aren’t they just plastic?…” “…they look cheap…” “…Mickey Mouse shouldn’t be that colour…”

I’ve heard or read all of the above statements used in reference to the subject I decided to cover in my blog post this week….know what they refer to? The Disney collectible craze that is Vinylmation. In preparation for my upcoming WDW trip I’ve been making room for new additions to my Vinylmation collection so I thought it would be nice to share a bit of daydreaming on the matter!!

For some reason people seem to either love or hate Vinylmations, I’m not entirely sure why but I guess if we all liked the same things Walt Disney World would be a very boring place!

Now I have known for many years that I love, love, LOVE to collect things and have been buying Japanese vinyl toys collectibles for the last ten years. When Disney first announced that they were bringing out their own vinyl collection in July 2008 it seemed to me to be a natural and obvious step for a company that is always looking to appeal to the current trends.

The official Disney description of Vinylmation is as follows… “Vinylmation™ is a fun and affordable collectible designer toy created by Disney Theme Park Merchandise. At its core,Vinylmation™ is about creative expression and the mysterious thrill of the chase.” For me personally that description is pretty much spot on and the Disney Vinylmation website provides a lot more official information and guidance.

I also love this WDW Radio show #218 where Lou interviews Disney artist Randy Noble and discusses the Vinylmation craze.

Why do I like Vinylmation? Because I see each one as an individual piece of artwork; and like art each one is actually signed by the designer. I don’t rush out and buy every piece from a series as I am very careful to only pick ones that appeal to me in an artistic or creative way. I also don’t trade outside of the parks or keep my collection in the boxes, I like to have them out on display so that I can see the 360 degree design. And yes, sometimes I get SUPER excited when I see details of a new design about to be released…just like with the recent Stars Wars series…I just love my Luke and Leia!!!

The photos featured on this blog post are of my own collection. I actually prefer the 9″ versions as I find the designs more creative; quite often the 9″ ones are also released in limited numbers. I’m also not as much of a fan of the new 3″ shape but appreciate that this was changed to allow the artists to create even more elaborate designs.

Do I have a favourite? To be honest it changes frequently! Like many of the Disney items I own each Vinylmation piece has a memory attached to it. One of my long-term favourites is the 9″ Cutester Like You ‘Gothy’….I was so surprised that Disney decided to choose a goth version to release….and then this year they released a completely unconnected series featuring a punk Stitch…well done Disney for appealing to us ‘alternatives’ ;)

Another favourite is the 3″ Statue of Liberty Minnie…purchased during my first trip to New York last year. We visited the Disney Store on the first day of our trip, to be told that they had sold out of these and would not be back in store until the week after we had returned home….however we popped back to the store a couple of days later and they had filled the shelves with lots of Liberty Minnies…good job we made that return visit!!

Another favourite is actually a pair….the 9″ Disney Fantasy and the 3″ Disney Dream pieces, bought on the actual Disney Cruise Line ships for me by friends….the 3″ was even sent to me as a surprise :)

And then there’s my Passholder exclusive Orange Bird, and my Florida Project 9″, and my Mary Poppins penguin (with the stripes from Dick Van Dyke’s coat), and my Chicago exclusive which was another surprise from a friend………

I won’t bore you with going through my whole collection!! I know that others have more, I know that some have many more rare pieces…but to me it’s just like any other art collection….I buy what I love and love what I buy.

So are you a vinyl lover or hater? If you are a collector do you buy each one from a series or just the ones which catch your eye? Were you a pin collector that diversified into vinyls or will you never be able to love Vinylmations as much as you do your collection of pins?

 

 

Making room….

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Picture the scene….you’ve just returned home, it’s been a wonderful vacation, now you must start the unpacking. You open your suitcase and take in the sight of the wonderful new goodies you picked up during your latest Walt Disney World trip. You take each one out, overjoyed that it survived the plane journey home. Now it begins…where will this Vinylmation go? Which drawer will accommodate the new t-shirts? Do I have room in my jewellery box for those new bracelets I just had to buy?

Does this sound familiar? Are you a WDW shopping addict like me? I just love, love, love shopping in the States and always return home with far more items than I planned on buying! Following my last trip I returned home with Vinylmations, jewellery, handbags, hoodies, t-shirts, books, mugs and numerous other collectibles. And yes, I wandered around the house looking for room to display and store the various new items!

So this time I’ve decided to take action. Let’s make room before I go on my vacation!

You know what it’s like when you have to tidy a room, cupboard or wardrobe? It feels like the most tedious job in the world, something you put off for as long as possible because you are being ‘forced’ to tidy. I can tell you it feels a lot better when you are clearing out a wardrobe knowing that in a few months you’ll be filling it full of wonderful new Disney items!

Pre-holiday tidying allows you to evaluate what you don’t need anymore and more importantly what you MUST replace during your next WDW trip! Organising your Vinylmations and buying a bigger display case just confirms that you NEED that new series mentioned on the Disney Parks blog recently. You can also be reassured that you will NEED that new Dooney and Bourke bag to finish off that perfect outfit you’ve just discovered in your wardrobe…..

And if you’re really organised you might find time to sell off some of your ‘surplus’ items on Ebay or at a car boot sale. It’s amazing how getting some extra spending money together for your trip is incentive enough to get out of bed early on a Sunday morning and stand in a field selling your unwanted things to strangers!!

So why not give it a go? Have a Disney spring clean and make some money. Make some room for your new Walt Disney World treasures :)