Keepsakes and Collectables

Disney has set the standard for mementos. No matter what you collect it seems that Disney can sell it to you from spoons to original art. For each trip we go on, the MountainEars have an agenda when the time comes to hit the shops and scope out souvenirs. Both Danny and I each like to find a Vinylmation and pin to remember our trip. There is normally no rhyme or reason to the ones we pick. Additionally, we each have a third thing we collect that are more suited to our individual tastes.

For our August 2012 Disneyland Resort trip we decided to take advantage of being annual passholders and each picked up a passholder exclusive DLR Vinylmation. Danny got one that was themed after Goofy’s Sky School and I got the other which was themed after the Silly Symphony Swings. Since these were in clear boxes we decided to also get some mystery Vinylmations, too. This trip, in honor of Cars Land opening and getting to see the Cars-wrapped monorails, I decided to get a monorail Vinylmation. I opened my box to find Flo and could not be happier. I love her character and the awesome aqua she is colored. Danny picked a box from the Animation 2 series which revealed our very first mystery chaser figure. For this series, the figure was of the Headless Horseman and does not follow the traditional shape of the Mickey Vinylmation figurine. While I am sure there are many out there who do not like this figure we were pleased to get it seeing as how we have never picked a mystery figure before.

For our pins we decided to get limited editions. Danny selected a beautiful pin that had glass doors that swing open to reveal the Story Tellers statue in the revamped Disney California Adventure. I selected a cute pin with Chip and Dale in outerspace that contained a small globe with a piece of the original Tomorrowland pavers inside. Overall, we were both pleased with our picks and adding them to our collection.

The one other thing I love to collect and appeals to the frugal and practical side of me is postcards. My love for postcards is not exclusive to Disney. No matter where I travel I try to purchase a few postcards to send out and a few to keep for myself. I love postcards because they are typically on the inexpensive end, are easy to store away when needed and have great imagery that captures the spirit of wherever I have visited.

 

While I am not one to “collect” autographs for myself, I do like to make it a point to get a few postcards for characters to sign and send away to family and friends. I find this to be a great way to share some Disney magic! Sometimes I will just get one or two signatures on a card and sometimes I will collect signatures on theme like getting as many princesses as will fit on a card. Warning: princesses like to take up a lot of room; if you decide to get more than a few and want to send it out you may need to put the postcard in an envelope before sending

 Aside from pins and Vinylmation, Danny does like to collect autographs, especially when he is at WDW. He likes to get a new autograph book for each trip and get as many characters to sign his book. This is a tradition he has kept since childhood and while I do not necessarily like to wait in line to meet everyone the look on his face when gets his book signed is priceless and worth it! I think this is a great way to get a “free” souvenir and bragging rights.

 Having a few go-to collectables is a great way for us to remember our trips and have a little bit of home away from home when we cannot get to the parks. We are slowly but surely incorporating Disney into our home décor and are looking forward to making a pin mural and fun display of the Vinylmations. No need to buy other knick-knacks and trinkets when we already have ones we love. In future posts I hope to not only document all of our Vinylmations and pins but also how we have incorporated them into our home décor.

 jmi