A Few New Things

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Todd

TD0048Hello everyone…I hope this post finds you well!

I have not posted here in a while, but that does not mean I have not been busy!  I have recently been working to upload the balance of the Disneyland Tokyo post cards that I have in my collection.  (Shown here is card TD0048…the World Bazaar).  I have about 80-100 Tokyo cards, and a few postcard albums. Most of the cards I have were published shortly after the park opened and make a great set of early images of the park.  Other than this group, I do have some Tokyo Disney Gallery cards featuring Disneyland Anaheim concept art.  These are not in the database yet, but I have put a few of them up on my Facebook page.

So…keep your eye out over the next few days/weeks as I will try to complete the addition of all the Tokyo cards in my possession to the checklist database!  As to how many total Tokyo postcards exist…that is anyones guess.  I was given a paper checklist (thanks Chris!) that was originally put together by Nick Farago, but it is dated and quite a few cards have been published since then to be sure.  Either way though…it’s a great start.  If you or someone you know is interested in making the list here more complete…please let me know.

EGG_JungleOtherwise…I was in Anaheim today for a super quick business trip, but had time to drop by Downtown Disney to pick-up a couple new El Gato Gomez WonderGround cards. The cards feature the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean.  Gomez does a great job of capturing the essence of these attractions!  I only have room here to show the Jungle Cruise card…but I will put images of both on Facebook tonight as well.

Going forward, I will post here as often as I am able with information that will be relevant today, tomorrow and into the future.  For more current everyday news on auctions and prices realized, I will likely be using the Facebook page for that.  So check it out!

Until next time…

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More Disneyland Paris Postcards

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Todd

DP-0166I just added a set of very cool early Disneyland Paris postcards to the database tonight.  These were sold at the park either at the opening or shortly after.  The cards all feature posters for early Mickey Mouse short films.  In and of themselves, these posters are fantastic…even without looking at the short itself!

If you want to check out the cards, they are number DP-0163 through DP-0168 in the checklist.

I guess that’s what these posters were intended to do in the first place – get people into the theatre.  These early movie posters are not unlike a lot of their contemporaries…masterful pieces of art work!  As an KingKongPosterexample, I thought I would share this King Kong poster from the 1930’s…just awesome!

That’s it for today…a pretty short post!  I’ll be back with more in the near future.  In the meantime…there is a copy of the D-131 art corner card card for sale on eBay if you haven’t already seen it.  Not much else exciting recently though (I could have missed some stuff…but it seems to have been pretty quiet out there lately!)

Until next time…

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La Guerre des Étoiles at Euro Disney

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Todd

DP-0212I have to confess to being a little distracted lately.  While working on my own Facebook page that relates to this site, I have also gotten absorbed in a few other Facebook Disney fan pages.  There are a lot of fan pages out there, but I have been actively participating in the Vintage Disneyland, Disney History Institute and Walt Disney Family Museum pages.  These are great pages and there is an active following on each.  So…check them out.  If you like what this blog is offering, you will like these Facebook communities as well.

My other distraction lately has been playing the Lego Star Wars video game with my eight year old!  He loves it…and when we are not playing baseball, or playing with DP-0215a recently revived slot car set…we will spend (waste?) some time playing Lego Star Wars.  In 1977, the year Star Wars came out, I was 10.  I can’t imagine being a more perfect age in order to be completely swept away by that fantastical world!  As you might expect…I was swept away, to some degree.  I was a card carrying member of the Star Wars fan club in 1978…and I still have the card to prove it!  But that is another story.

Needless to say, the Star Wars phenomenon swept over a lot of other folks too…and not least of all the folks at Disney.  Star Tours, the first non-Disney themed ride to appear at Disneyland, opened in January, 1987 (only 10 years after the release of the original movie).  It was a DP-0216huge success, and the same ride was installed at Tokyo Disneyland, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Paris.  These cards I show here are from Disneyland Paris (aka Euro Disney when the cards were published).  They are part of a set of six cards that can all be seen in the checklist database.  They number from 00108-00200 thru 00108-00205.  I have cataloged them as DP-0212 thru DP-0217.

The only original Star Tours ride still operating is in Disneyland Paris.  The other parks have all converted to the equally successful Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.  And as you are no doubt aware, after a long association with Lucasfilm, Disney bought the Star Wars franchise in October of 2012.  So…here’s to more interesting and fun adventures in the Star Wars universe to come.  Who knows…maybe we’ll get a few new post cards to boot!

Until next time…

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Variations

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Todd

Hello everyone.  I hope you are enjoying your Sunday evening.  Many of you are probably watching the Oscars tonight.  For some reason, I am not that interested this year.  I only saw a few movies in the last twelve months, and to be frank, sometimes the self-congratulatory nature of the show drives me a little crazy.  My personal all time favorite Oscar memory though has to be when Roberto Benigni won for best actor in “Life is Beautiful”.  If you haven’t seen that…check it out on YouTube here.  (And see the movie if you haven’t already…it’s rather a moving show.)

NT0318abAnyway…I have been loading up some photos into the database recently and thought I would share a couple variations that have not been documented previously. I know some of you are hard core variant collectors…so this post is for you!

First up is this variant of NT0318.  There are four variations of this card on NT0318ab_0001DisneylandPostcards.net, but this one is not shown there.  There are no clothing color variations on this card so it is like the base card NT0318, but the text on the  back is justified…like on NT0318a.  So…it’s sort of a mix of the two cards.  This card must have been rather popular as all these variations seem to point to several re-printings.

NT0329aThe second card I have tonight is a variant on NT0329.  The card (which I label as NT0329a in the database) has some of the common textual variations on the back that vary from NT0329.  The vertical Disneyland text is spaced out differently, and “THE MAGIC KINGDOM” text is in a different font than the NT0329 NT0329a_0001card shown on DisneylandPoscards.net (here).

I have no idea if either of these cards is more rare than their “siblings”.  I suspect that most collectors don’t really care that much one way or the other.  But, if you are trying to collect all the variations, then this question is important.  Perhaps one of you out there can comment on this below!

Until next time…

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Walt Disney Cut-Out Numeral Postcards

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Todd

cut-out_no5Usually on this blog we focus on Disney postcards that were sold at the different Disney parks around the world. But if you read here frequently, you know that I do like to collect and blog on other Disney paper items.  So, when I saw this on eBay the other day, I could not resist!

I am still piecing together the back story on these cards. The small text on the front of this card seems to indicate that it was published shortly after the release of Snow White in 1937.  The publisher of the card, Valentine & Sons, Ltd., was founded in Dundee, Scotland in 1825.  After a long and successful run, what remained of the company was ultimately sold to Hallmark in 1980.

cut-out_no5_0001I just received this numeral 5 in the mail today…and was surprised to find that it had a glossy finish on the front.  I would have thought the card would have more of a matte or linen finish…but it is glossy.  I didn’t think that they made glossy cards as early as the 1930’s, so I will be asking my fellow collectors at the San Francisco Bay Area Post Card Club (SFBAPCC) to see if this card really was published in the 1930’s or was of later vintage.

Either way…I found the art work on this card irresistable! Since finding this one, I have found several other numerals available online (1, 3, 8, 10).  If you are interested in starting your own collection…try going to eBay’s UK site.  Most of these cards are, as you would expect, over there.  That is, in fact, where I picked up the numeral 5 I showed here today.

Until next time…

Posted in Disney, Disney Postcards | Tagged | 1 Comment

Vacationland Magazine – A Treasure Trove of Early Disney Magic

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Todd

Vacationland_S1961When I first started looking for and discovering Disney postcards at garage and estate sales, occasionally I would also come across copies of a magazine that was loaded with Disney images and advertising.  This was Vacationland…a promotional magazine published by the Disney company to promote the park.

According to Jim Korkis over on MousePlanet, ”  Vacationland was primarily a free magazine available in the hotels near Disneyland and later Walt Disney World. For the first six issues, it was called Disneyland Holiday, possibly to associate it with the Holidayland part of Disneyland. Vacationland was the brainchild of Disney legend Marty Sklar. The first issue appeared Spring 1957. The magazine was published quarterly by Disney to theme in with the different seasons. (Later it was published just three times a year.)”

Vacationland_Rec_AdIt really is a wonderful magazine as it highlights the happenings at the park and also has many images and artwork that bring back the past of the park in all of its wonderful detail.  Many of the images are identical to the postcards of the era, but many are different. As Mr. Korkis says, it was primarily an advertising vehicle, so there are a lot of ads in the magazine….but even they are fun to look at given the distance of 60 years.  Shown here is an ad for Disneyland Records…how about we break out the turn table and have a listen to “Meet Me Down on Main Street”?!?!

Of course, issues of Vacationland magazine can still be found on eBay and other collectible sites online at a fairly reasonable price.  Expect to pay between $10 and $30 for any given issue.  A bargain for a trip into the past!

Until next time…

P.S.  I have revamped my Facebook page in the last week or so…you can find it from the link on the home page of the blog, or just click here.  I am posting there most days with very short comments and a photo or two.  I am reserving the blog here for more detailed posts.

P.P.S  I have uploaded quite a few more Tokyo Disneyland cards into the checklist database.  You can see them by filtering on “TD” in the “Search Keyword” field.  Any of the cards starting with “TD” in the NT# field are Tokyo cards.  And on this subject…if any of you know where I can find copies of the pre-opening Tokyo cards…I would love to get a set.  Thanks!

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The Omnibus – A Bob Gurr Masterpiece

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Todd

183_front_imageLet’s face it…the Disneyland Omnibus is a rather humble affair.  It and other Main Street vehicles are often ignored by guests as they march up and down Main Street USA to get to where ever they are headed as soon as possible!  I have to admit that it was after many visits to Disneyland, that I finally said, “Hey…my feet are tired, and there isn’t anyone waiting to get on that bus!”

The attraction was designed by Disney Legend Bob Gurr.  Prior to the opening of the park, Bob was tasked with designing a few vehicles to ferry people up and down Main Street USA.  The Omnibus was one of these vehicles and was running at the park on opening day!  These cars are all still there today…including a couple others that were added shortly after the park opened.

If you have never taken the time…do yourself a favor and slow down a bit.  It’s a great attraction.  I have read online that the it is only seven and a half minutes from the Opera House to the Plaza.  Sitting on the ride and cruising at all of 4 mph, you get a sense of the old town feel that Walt was trying to capture.

The Omnibus has been used in several (if not all) of the parks around the world.  A quick Google search will result in a number of images showing the various forms it has taken over the years.

2246_front_imageThe image here is of the Tokyo Disneyland Omnibus (with some interesting fellows onboard!)  It is a postcard from Tokyo Disneyland; card TD0025 in the checklist.  There isn’t really an equivalent to Main Street USA at Tokyo Disneyland, so the bus will give you a tour around the whole plaza at the park.  Check out this map for the details!

Until next time…

P.S.  I am not sure if it will end at this price…but as I write, this NT0380 Alice in Wonderland card is a steal at $5.99.

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Harper Goff Jungle Cruise Original Artwork

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Todd

Harper_Goff_Jungle_0001A little while back I posted on some original artwork by Sam McKim for Main Street USA.  Those cards came from the Disney Gallery at Tokyo Disneyland.  These cards today come from the same set and are really fantastic Harper Goff sketches of the the Jungle Cruise.

Goff was tasked to work on this attraction (not ride…mind you!) in 1954 by Walt Harper_Goff_JungleDisney. As the story is told in the Nickel Tour, Walt wanted a boat ride of some kind,  something that might even use the giant squid from 20,000 leagues under the sea! Goff was a fan of the African Queen, the hit 1951 movie that starred Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn.  He pitched the notion of a jungle river cruise to Walt, and Walt let him run with it.  Looking at the aerial view sketch, its clear that his original vision was executed without much modification.

I have uploaded larger images of these cards, so do click on the scans to get a good look at the cards.  They are just fantastic!  I love the look on the lady who is sitting at the bow of the Congo Queen…is this journey safe?!?

There are several more cards in this Tokyo Disney Gallery set…I will be sure to bring you more of them in the near future.

Until next time…

Posted in Disney Postcards, Disneyland Tokyo | Tagged | 1 Comment

A few more things…

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Todd

Hi everybody!

This will serve, to some extent, as a continuation of my last post as there were a couple of interesting things that I wanted to share with you, but ran out of room and time to do so.  There is not much to do with postcards in this post…but still some pretty cool Disneyana that you will hopefully enjoy.

2014_10_Disney_DolEvery time I go to Disneyland, I always reserve $20 to exchange for Disney Dollars. I have posted on these before as they really are a fun collectible.  The great part about this collection is that it can readily be 2014_10_Disney_Dol_0001disposed of by going to the park and spending the bills!  Now, in most cases, that probably isn’t a good plan.  But it is an option!

On my recent visit to the park I picked up some of the new “Mountain” series of bills. Shown here are the front and back of the $10 Space Mountain bill.  Note that the bills from Disneyland all start with an “A”.  The bills from WDW all start with a “D”.  I have some bills with a T…which I think is also Disneyland.  But, no worries, if you (or I, in this case)  want to learn more about Disney Dollars, just check out DisneyDollars.net.  This site has more info than you will ever need to get started in the hobby!

Goofys_Sky_SchoolAnother paper item from this visit is shown here.  It’s a single rider ticket from Goofy’s Sky School in DCA. I was handed the ticket at the entrance to the single rider line, but had to give it back to the cast member tending the line before boarding the ride.  I am sure there are people out there who collect this sort of thing…after all, there is a fledgling market for unused Fastpass tickets, believe it or not!

Finally, on the postcard front, I wanted to share some of the auctions I am following for various reasons.  I primarily follow these listings because I am curious what the final price will be,  but I am also curious if anyone will actually buy the item!

1.  This Panorama Folder has been getting a lot of attention in other auctions recently. Some of the prices have been nuts. It will be interesting to see where this one lands.  Keep in mind, there are two versions of this folder out there…one with a 25 cent price and one without.

2.  This Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary tin will be a fun one to watch for the same reason. Some of these, as I mentioned in a previous post, have been selling for a fair bit. This one started low.  It’s anyone’s guess where it will end!

3.  This one is being sold as a “Disneyland 55th Anniversary” card, but I think the seller mistook the 55 on Mickey’s drum as the anniversary year. This is a perfect example of something that makes me ask, “I wonder if someone will buy this?” I guess we will see!

That’s it for tonight.

Until next time…

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Trip Report

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Todd

Hi everyone!

Disneyland_Rack_2_2014I just returned from a bit of a whirlwind trip to Disneyland!  My family, as well as my brother’s family and my parents, all went down to celebrate a pair of birthdays.  We had a great time…but did enough walking such that the “dogs were barkin’ ” at the end of each day!

Postcard wise…things remain pretty quiet.  There just isn’t much new.  Shown here is the rack at the Emporium…which isn’t really any different from the one in Downtown Disney.  I actually failed to pick up the latest 2014 card that you can see in the photo because I just bought the WDW version last weekend and mistakenly thought, while staring at the Disneyland version, “Oh…I already have that one”.  At the end of the day, as I said in a comment here on the site, social WG_0001media has basically made postcards an anachronism.  When you can make your own personalized postcard and post it online at anytime…it’s no wonder that paper postcards aren’t used that much.  But, there is still a rich heritage to draw from that will keep this site going for as long as I am able to write it.

On the “outside”, in Downtown Disney, there were a few new cards at Wonderground.  You may have seen some of them on eBay recently.  El Gato Gomez has done a great job capturing the essensce of the Haunted Mansion in the two cards I show here.  One other thing on WonderGround cards; they just raised their prices from $2.95 to $3.45 per card.

As for other interesting paper items, if you were not fire_enginealready aware, you can get a map of the Jungle Cruise if you ask the cast members at the desk upon exiting the ride.  In our case, they asked us to make the sounds of two of the animals we saw on the cruise in order to get a map.  The map says that it is not to be reproduced without permission, so I will heed that and not show it here.  But next time you are in the park, be sure to ask for one!

Finally, I thought I would throw in a couple of random images from our visit to end this post, both related to the fire engine that goes up and down MainStreet USA.  You can ride this car, along with the other cars, trolleys and omnibus fairly easily as there is never jr_firefightermuch of a line to get on board.  In this case, when the ride ends, the kids might even get the Disneyland Jr. Firefighter sticker I show below!

There is a lot more I could talk about from this trip, but I think I will save it for another time.  In the meantime…I am already thinking about my next trip down to the Park! (Non-business related.  I am going to Anaheim for work…again…on Friday).

Until next time…

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