Have you ever dreamed of owning a piece of real Disneyland history? Well, now may just be your chance. Van Eaton Galleries located at 13613 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, California will be auctioning off a large collection of Disneyland memorabilia on February 28th and March 1st both live and online.
As you walk into the gallery you will see immediately recognizable pieces like Tiki Birds and cast member costumes, as well as some not so recognizable items. If you’re a regular park goer, chances are you have purchased a box of popcorn or soda in the park at some point. Did you ever think that that popcorn box you just threw away is a piece of Disneyland’s epic history? When Walt created Disneyland all of this original packaging was painstakingly designed by his Imagineers and have since become rare works of art. It was a lot of fun to look around and see some of these original designs that I had never seen before.
Some of the more popular items were pieces from attractions of yesteryear. When rides are updated animatronics and figures are often replaced by brand new ones. So what happens to the old figures? Some of them became part of this extensive collection. An original skeleton from “Pirates of the Caribbean”, a couple of child dolls from “it’s a small world” and a small devil from the ever popular “Mr. Toads Wild Ride” can all be seen and bid on.
The walls of the gallery are adorned with original Disneyland artwork. Who wouldn’t want to get their hands on the original Disneyland map renderings? If you were a fan of the television show “Disneyland” you’re sure to recognize the Tomorrowland concept art used in the opening show sequence.
One of the most popular experiences at Disneyland is meeting your favorite characters. Now available at auction you can get your very own Pinocchio and Mickey Mouse character heads formerly used for meet and greets.
A very unique item I came across was a tiny bottle of pixie dust that used to be sold on Main Street. If you’re a fan of anything directly related to Walt Disney history, you will be especially impressed by the opening day Disneyland program autographed by Walt Disney as well as the pot belly stove miniature personally made by Walt.
This is quite an extensive collection for the serious Disney collector, but don’t fret if you don’t have the big bucks to spend at auction. Public exhibition dates are February 7th through February 27th from 10:00am to 5:00pm daily. So go and take a peek at some Disneyland history before it leaves the Van Eaton Galleries.
If you are interested in bidding on some items, register at www.vegalleries.com/storyofdisneyland.html or shop online at www.icollector.com or through www.vegalleries.com/storyofdisneyland.html