Blog - disneyartprints.com

Disney entertainment has been part of the American lifestyle since 1923. During this time it has captured the hearts of millions of fans across the world. This love affair with Disney has spawned a large group of Disney memorabilia collectors. As the hobby has blossomed into a number of different channels, the term Disneyana has evolved to describe all types of Disney collectibles. This massive world of memorabilia has led to collectors specializing in targeted niches of Disneyana in order to succeed at building their collections. After all, with so many items to choose from, it is hard enough to make a dent in even one of the categories. Even with specialization, the Disney collectible market still seems to center around a few popular categories. The largest three are vintage Disneyana, Disney pins, and Disney figurines.

Vintage Disneyana is comprised of collectible pieces that were produced and distributed prior to the 1966 death of Walt Disney. Vintage Disneyana collectors are often known as “hardcore” purists who shun Disney works created after 1966. While this may or may not be accurate, these collectors are typically very knowledgeable in their trade. This knowledge is important since collectibles in this time period are much rarer and can command significant prices. Because the market for these pieces is so competitive, it is harder to find deals and uncovered treasures. Nonetheless, the vintage Disney collector is always active in his pursuit of the next great piece. This is a task that has become more accessible with the development of internet auction sites.

Collecting Disney pins is one of the fastest growing hobbies anywhere. While pins have been available at Disney theme parks for years, the hobby ultimately took off in 1999 when pin trading stations were introduced at the theme parks. The interactive element of pin trading has propelled Disney pins to one of the most recognized collectibles in the world. Websites and clubs have sprung up all over the internet, and special pin trading events can be found in nearly every major city. Special edition pins and limited edition collections have turned into hot sellers in the aftermarket. The escalation of aftermarket prices, combined with the accessibility of entry-level pins, insures that Disney pin trading will be around for a long time.

Disney figurine collecting is another category of Disney memorabilia that has reached extraordinary levels of membership. Usually made of porcelain, Disney figurines have an average height of only six inches, but their appeal can be measured in the millions. Each figurine is released in a special lot with limited production for each piece. Knowledgeable collectors examine the issue date, production markings, and market availability when determining the value of a piece. Similar to Disney pins, limited edition models and anniversary collections hold the most value on the aftermarket. Though some collectors profit handsomely from reselling pieces, there is a large contingent of the Disney figurine community that collect for their own enjoyment.

In short, collecting Disneyana is a hobby that offers something for all age groups and budgets. While there is always a segment of each niche that is expensive, most Disney product lines do offer affordability with their new releases. This is important as it allows new collectors to join the hobby and solidify its’ growth in the future. As with any hobby, it is the fun of building your collection that fuels the passion. The Disney name and sheer popularity of their characters only add to the allure of Disneyana, and it is safe to say that the market for Disney memorabilia will continue to grow.

You can always tell when a collecting theme or specific collectible achieves super status on eBay, and it isn’t just because such items attract heavy bidding or regularly break auction price records.

One giveaway is new terminology applied to the hobby of collecting the item. ‘Philately’, for example, for what was once merely called ’stamp collecting’, and ‘deltiology’ which means collecting postcards. More recently ‘eBayana’ encompasses all things specifically related to eBay or carrying the eBay logo, and ‘railwayana’ covers train and railway collectibles.

The other most important tell-tale sign is when eBay dedicates its very own exclusive category to a popular collectible, such as Disney Collectibles, called ‘Disneyana’, to describe items relating to Walt Disney, his characters and worldwide operations, and also one of the fastest growing and most profitable areas on eBay to focus your business.

Disney collectibles have been hugely popular for many decades, depicting hundreds of characters and storylines and featuring thousands of different product types, such as novelty snow globes and car mascots, to more practical items like dinner services and kitchen accoutrements.

There are many unique items too, such as badges worn by famous cast members and staff on individual Disney films, props and scripts, and so on, which the Disney company often sells direct from its own Internet sites. Those items are often bought for resale on eBay where really high profits are enjoyed by few people currently aware of Disney’s direct selling ventures from where many top eBay sellers obtain their high profit stock.

Disney sells countless products, with new items appearing literally daily, which are sold at their many Disney holiday and leisure resorts, so even items picked up during a family holiday have resale value on eBay and can contribute significantly to vacation expenses.

There is a lot to know about Disney collectibles, most of it quite irrelevant to making big profits on eBay, but worth learning as your business develops to help you answer bidder questions and to more accurately determine profit potential on items you consider buying to sell on eBay.

To illustrate, last week a tatty wireless with a tiny emblem depicting Mickey Mouse was valued by staff at an auction I often visit as worth between £40 and £60. It went for over £1000. Three Mickey Mouse telephones, offered as one lot, pre-valued at £100 to £150, made more than £200.

Auction staff at that event, among the most experienced in the UK, were wildly mistaken on both items, and many more Disney artefacts sold that day. The wireless transpired to be one of less than a dozen similar items known to exist, and will almost certainly fetch many thousands of pounds more on resale. That’s where a little or a lot of background knowledge of your specialist subject can pay handsome dividends for the lifetime of your business.

As for the telephones, I researched them on eBay the day before the auction and found dozens listed of which most went unsold or fetched around eight quid apiece! There’s another time where prior knowledge not only prevented me from bidding now and losing money later, but also revealed a great chance for me to purchase individual Disney phones on eBay to group and resell locally.

Disney collectibles have their own ageing system, also used on eBay, to determine at what stage an item ceases to be ‘modern’ (in Disney terminology ‘contemporary’ and created since 1968) and becomes ‘old’ (’Vintage’ according to Disney jargon and covering items made between 1928 and 1967, described by Disney and eBay, somewhat confusingly, as ‘pre-1968′).

On UK and USA sites, Disneyana usually* goes under main category ‘Collectibles’ (’Collectables’, wrong spelling, in the UK), with sub-categories:

- Contemporary (1968-Now)

- Vintage (Pre-1968)

* ‘Usually’ because some items have double collecting appeal, such as Disney Pez disenspers and Walt Disney’s autograph, which also, in the UK, belong respectively, under ‘Collectibles > Household > Pez Dispensers’ and ‘Collectibles > Autographs’.

Further sub-categories vary little between eBay country sites for ‘Contemporary’ but are immensely different for ‘Vintage’ categories which exist aplenty in the USA but number zero in the UK. In the UK all Vintage Disney items, currently just 131 listings, are lumped together under ‘Collectables > Disneyana > Vintage (Pre-1968).

Decorating your home with framed art prints is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to make your home look more enticing and elegant. These can complement any room of your home and can go well with the other decors that you already have. These are also less expensive than actual paintings so these let you enjoy more options without breaking your budget.

Appreciating the Works of Artists

Aside from being a novel way to decorate your home, a fine framed art print is also a nice way to show your appreciation to different works of artists. Appreciating art is an important part of the cultural aspect of one’s life. This helps individuals to be well-rounded persons because a piece of artwork is not just a mere picture but it is an expression of different emotions and ideas that can greatly influence anyone.

Where to find framed art prints?

Because of the many advantages that framed art prints bring, it does make sense to have one for your next decorating project. If you think it will be difficult to find these items, no need to have second thoughts because there are lots of sources for these.

Your first stop can be your local art or antique shop. Art and antique shops usually sell fine pieces of artwork that can be used either for decorating homes or for collection. If you have one near your area, you can visit the place and check out various framed art prints that you think will look good for your home. You can even ask the assistance of the shop’s attendant to help you choose the right framed art prints to buy.

However, there is a more convenient option. And that is to go online and check Web sites that offer these items at affordable prices. The Internet has a lot to offer for these and you can even choose the subjects for your prints like still life, scenic, cuisine, and botanical. A lot of people prefer online framed art prints providers because they have great framing and matting wizards that help them pick what they want.

Framed art prints are very easy to purchase, so it is a wise move to purchase one for your decorating project. With the many advantages that they offer, you will sure enjoy having one for your home.