LPWire: WDCS Celebrates 10 Years, Announces Upcoming Releases

Jiminy Cricket Membership Gift Sculpture Launches "Decade of Dreams" Celebration For the Walt Disney Collectors Society

10th Anniversary of Society Highlighted By An Array of New and Exclusive Members-Only Sculpture Releases

In January 1993, Disney collectors and enthusiasts around the world realized a dream come true with the creation of the Walt Disney Collectors Society, established specifically to celebrate Disney's rich entertainment legacy through the fine porcelain sculptures of the Walt Disney Classics Collection. Now, 10 years later, the Walt Disney Collectors Society celebrates a "Decade of Dreams" with an impressive array of new and exclusive sculptures created especially for the valued members of the Society.

"I Made Myself at Home"
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Membership Gift Sculpture: "I Made Myself at Home" (Release Date: 12/02)
To launch the anniversary, the Walt Disney Collectors Society is pleased to announce its 2003 Membership Gift Sculpture entitled "I Made Myself at Home," featuring Jiminy Cricket from Walt Disney's animated masterpiece "Pinocchio" (1940). The sculpture portrays Jiminy as he settles into the warm and cozy home of the kindly old woodcarver Geppetto. Available now, "I Made Myself at Home" has a suggested value of $85 but is free with any $50 paid membership in the Walt Disney Collectors Society.

Rendered by famed sculptor Kent Melton, "I Made Myself at Home" (4 - ¼" high) is a unique sculpture since Jiminy Cricket is rarely depicted in Disney art or collectibles wearing his tattered clothing. Additionally, Jiminy Cricket (the official mascot of the Society) was the subject of the first Membership Gift Sculpture in 1993 and has he been brought back by popular demand to star in the 2003 Membership Gift Sculpture.

This sculpture is included in the 2003 Society Membership Kit along with an exclusive membership pin featuring Jiminy Cricket, a keepsake 10th anniversary commemorative coin, and a personalized membership card. Society membership benefits also include invitations to exclusive special events, a fully illustrated 40-page 2003 Walt Disney Classics Collection catalog and complimentary subscriptions to Sketches magazine and NewsFlash newsletter. Additional Walt Disney Collectors Society Members-Only Sculptures for 2003 include:

Jiminy Cricket Progression: From Imagination to Reality
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Jiminy Cricket Progression: From Imagination to Reality (Release Date: 1/03)
Jiminy Cricket is appropriately showcased again in "Jiminy Cricket Progression: From Imagination to Reality" (5 - ¼" high) - - the only Society sculpture display designed to illustrate the various key steps in creating one of its fine sculptures. The three main phases of production - - resin sculpt, painted resin and whiteware - - highlight the production process of creating the 2003 Membership Gift Sculpture. The fourth space on the display is for collectors to add their Membership Gift Sculpture to represent the final painted porcelain phase of production. Sculpted by Kent Melton, "Jiminy Cricket Progression: From Imagination to Reality" has a suggested retail price of $199 (US) / $314 (CAN).