AFB is an elusive company to research. It doesn’t appear to be in business anymore and no information about its operation or products seems to be available.
There are quite a few of these thimbles on various e-sites but few reliable facts. Behold the fingerful that is the AFB bone china Mickey Mouse thimble:
Mickey is looking quite dapper with his red bowtie and blue blazer. His starched collar is sitting rather high but still makes our mouse look fashionable!
This would have been an inexpensive item to buy. It is simple in design with a basic white shape accented with a gold stripe. Any number of Disney characters have been printed on such pieces.
Bone china is a type of ceramic that is composed of bone ash, feldspathic material, and kaolin. It’s the strongest of the porcelain or china ceramics, having very high mechanical and physical strength and chip resistance. A distinguishing feature is its high levels of whiteness and translucency.
For another thimble of a very unusual type, check out my post on Sherlock Holmes. You’ll be able to see the Master Sleuths brain on the top of a thimble! I bet you thought his brain would’ve been bigger. Trust me, it’ll be worth the scrolling.
Precious Moments Company, Inc. (PMI) is an American company that started selling religious greeting cards but expanded into giftware such as this Minnie Mouse as Cinderella figurine. The company was initially formed in 1978 by the illustrator Samuel J. Butcher.
Cinderella got her start a wee bit earlier. She could have had her first appearance as far back as 7 BCE, but perhaps the most common iteration was published in 1634. Of course, Disney provided what is arguably the definitive version in 1950.
Precious Moments took their crack at the character, sort of, in 2013:
Minnie Mouse got her start in 1928 alongside her Prince Charming, Mickey Mouse. Although the girly mouse is not considered a Disney Princess, she is definitely Disney Royalty!
The curtsey was widely practiced in the 17th Century. It’s a traditional gesture of greeting in which a girl or woman lowers her body by bending her knees, as Minnie is doing above. It is the female equivalent of male bowing in European cultures. The word ‘curtsy’ comes from ‘courtesy’ which means politeness.
Each figurine has an annual symbol stamped on the bottom. The symbol used for this particular figurine is a cartoon hand, like that of Mickey Mouse. You can barely see it in the picture above, in the upper right corner. This symbol is not listed as the official 2013 mark, so must be a special mark for just Disney products.
Minnirella is 3.5″ tall.
For another piece of Cinderella merchandise, check out my wife’s Disney T-shirt that features a cool pattern of the iconic coach that takes her to the Ball. ‘Tis regal indeed!
Minnie Mouse has had a few ‘signature looks’ over the years. One of her first featured a little hat with a flower sticking out of it. But almost as iconic is this little polka dot dress with a bow number.
And she is definitely standing pretty and looking fabulous with this piece of vintage merchandise! Check out the pie eye Minnie Mouse micro ceramic planter:
The addition of her name on the side of the planter itself is a nice touch. Otherwise, the pot is plain and functional.
Mickey might bring Minnie an entire bouquet of flowers, but he really shouldn’t, as this planter would be hard pressed to hold more than one solitary piece of foliage.
Disney merchandise usually holds value very well. I find a piece to be more desirable if it still has the original price tag affixed. It adds to the history and gives one an idea of how costs have increased for such things over the years. I’m not sure of the year of manufacture. The fact that it was made in Japan likely indicates the 1970s. Today there are examples for sale on e-sites for around $75.00 CAN.
If you want more practice with your green thumb, check out my Minnie Mouse Mini Planter. She’s just as cute but a tad bit bigger than this micro planter!
It all started in 1977 with the theatrical release of the first Star Wars movie. It has continued with many sequels, good and bad, continuing with a little television production called The Mandalorian (2019). Ever heard of it?
Whether you love the original movies, hate the sequels, argue about them all, you are likely on Team Mando! Almost universally loved, this show has yielded a breakout character – Grogu. And Grogu has yielded a plethora of cute merchandise, such as:
Yup. One of my childhood favorites is back! Pure sugar dipping sticks with packets of sugar. Did I mention sugar? There’s a lot of sugar here.
Each box comes with 22 pouches of sugar with artificial flavors like Vanilla and Green Apple. But they both taste like sugar. Sugar. This is just sugar. Don’t believe that a company would sell something so bad for children in this day and age? Check out the nutritional facts:
No Fat. No Sodium (that’s good). 6% Carbohydrates. And 30%… wait for it… sugar. It’s just sugar. On a stick. For dipping. Yum!
But don’t worry. If your child faints and falls over due to Diabetic Shock, you can treat any cuts or scrapes with a Mandalorian Band-Aid:
And they come in assorted sizes so that no matter how big or small the wound, you will have the proportionate Band-aid you need to cover it. Thank you Johnson & Johnson!
Grogu is cute. Keep telling yourself that on the way to the hospital.
They say you should never skip Leg Day. But for the collector, you should never skip Dusting Day! But I did. And have. For months. Well time, and my wife, finally caught up with me and the job just had to get done!
Of course, it was the perfect time to rearrange and recycle some of my collection. So some pieces came out of storage and some went back into storage. I also tried to group things in a more harmonious fashion. Have a look at the main display cabinet in my office:
In case you’re wondering, yes, that’s Beaker hiding just off to the left. Do you have any of these pieces in your collection?
One thing I thought it was high time to correct was the exile of my Female Action Figure collection (with Jesse, the Yodeling Cowgirl). You may know them better as… Barbie:
Disney used to release Special Edition Barbie dolls for each of the milestone anniversaries of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Sadly, it seems they have stopped doing this. Likely their contract with Mattel just came to a natural end.
The bulk of my collection is Disney related, but I do also collect other Pop Culture properties. Below you can see my Robin Hood hat, my Italian Job Mini Cooper, and my mini Radio Flyer Wagon:
I hope you have enjoyed a brief peak a my collection. If a particular piece interests you, it is likely that it has been given its own post somewhen on the site. Simply type the character or item in the Search box at the top right corner of this page and it will likely appear.
To see more of how I present my collection, please check out my CARS 3 Racetrack Display Stand with diecast vehicles and just two of my Book Shelves that hold my part of my extensive hardcover book collection. I also have a vintage 90s Disney Movie Display Stand that used to be in a retail store. So many display stands, so many things to display!
Sesame Street premiered on November 10, 1969, and entertained children for literally decades! Jim Henson and his Muppet creatures have endeared themselves to generation after generation. From the cast of zany characters came one who is arguably loved most of all:
“Are you talking about me, Bert?”
Jim Henson performed the character of Ernie when the show debuted and was likely still doing so when this record was recorded in 1972, just three years later.
Below you can listen to Jim/Ernie sing all about Imagination. Get ready to close your eyes:
This record was released by Janico Music Inc. which was a music publishing company owned by Joe Raposo. It became affiliated to ASCAP. Top 40 Sesame Street Hits was produced in cooperation with Children’s Records of America (CRA).
Side B features another song by Ernie entitled Tiger Hunt:
It’s fun to hear the songs but also to be treated to the ongoing gags between Bert and Ernie. Also having the voices of the original cast is also very special!
For more Sesame Street fun, check out my earlier post, a DVD Review, of Being Elmo. Again, arguably also the most loved character on the Street!
Symphony Hour is a 1942 animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions. The story depicts Mickey Mouse conducting a symphony orchestra sponsored by his oft-enemy, Pete. Obviously, it doesn’t go well! Or does it?
On the night of the performance, everyone is getting ready while Goofy is off to gather the instruments. However, he accidentally drops all the instruments under an elevator, severely damaging them and thus rendering them unable to make proper musical sounds. Unexpectedly, there is thunderous applause from the audience after the racket ceases and all turns out well in the end!
The general consensus is that the Big Figs created to represent this Short were made exclusively for the Disney Store as store-only displays, and were never sold to the public. But I got my hands on one:
Most Disney Big Figs are made of a resin material that is smooth to the touch. This would be good for durability. But these store displays are made of a porous ceramic compound, much like a piece of pottery. They are lighter than commercially sold Big Figs and thus subject to damage. This, and the very few that would have been produced, make them rare indeed!
An original, complete, piece should still have the three strands of plastic hair and the vintage brown patina paintwork. I have seen a restored Goofy for sale on eBay in recent times that had been repainted, and it was done with solid colours, ruining the vintage look.
It’s not uncommon for these pieces to have at least some damage, and this one is no exception. If you look very closely at the mouthpiece of the instrument at Goofy’s lips, there is a slight chip.
Even though this was never meant for the public, it still does have the Disney copyright stamped on the back of the base, or the seat.
Years after I found Goofy in a small town antique market, I came across this Classics Collection name plaque for Symphony Hour in a Pawn Shop:
The Disney Symphony Hour store display featured Conductor Mickey, Clarabelle on the Violin, Goofy on the Bassoon, and Donald on the Drums. Horace Horsecollar and Clara Cluck didn’t get a Big Fig representation:
This particular Disney Store display is thought to be the rarest of all of the releases created exclusively for in-store display only. I have just sold the piece I am featuring in this post for $1,000.00 CAN if you are interested in the possible retail value.
Goofy has had a place of honor in my home for over 15 years now. But it is time to let him go to another Disney collector. Space is becoming a premium and his value will be better used elsewhere.
Sometimes the shot you want just doesn’t turn out. In this case, the lighting just after dusk was tricky and I failed to compensate with settings on my camera. That, and the motion, created a sub-par picture.
But all was not lost as I was able to manipulate the image on my computer with a sepia filter:
Now the weaknesses became strengths! I like that the image is akin to the old photography of the early 1900s and the blurring just adds to the energy.
Never throw away a shot until you get home and have time to play with it!
The National Geographic magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine months after the establishment of the society, but is now a popular magazine. In 1905, it began including pictures, a style for which it has become well-known. The magazine is quite logically outspoken on environmental issues like Save the Whales. Since 2019, controlling interest has been held by The Walt Disney Company.
And speaking of whales, the very subject of this post, we have the humpback whale which is a species of baleen whale. Adults range in length from 14–17 m (46–56 ft.) and weigh up to 40 metric tons (44 short tons). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head. It is known for breaching, or breaking the surface of the ocean while jumping, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song typically lasting 4 to 33 minutes.
It’s really these songs that this flimsy vinyl ‘record’ was produced to share. It was included in the magazine as a free companion to an article written on the gentle giants of the sea. Specifically, the January 1979 issue, Page 24. The missing piece on the side of this example was likely created when it was removed from the binding of the magazine.
This ‘record’ was produced in 1977 by Capitol Records but copyrighted by the National Geographic Society in 1978. It contains a commentary by Roger Payne, Ph.D., a Research Zoologist with the New York Zoological Society. Please enjoy:
Although this ‘record’ is the size of a 45 rpm disc, it actually plays at 33 1/3 rpm. And it has one other notable feature:
Some records claim to be unbreakable, but I think this one actually is! Although, even a small child might be able to rip it. It was manufactured by the Eva-tone company as a throwaway novelty.
It was interesting that whale song has been shot out into space on a craft meant to last a billion years. If aliens do find it and come to Earth for a conference, I hope they don’t expect me to sing!
Not too many men are wearing neckties anymore. Unless they are in business or going to a religious function, most men opt for the casual look.
But today’s Fashion Parade will help them to see what they’re missing: The Disney Nephew’s Necktie should be swinging around your neck right now!
I have an enormous Disney necktie collection! Do I wear them? No. I also have an enormous Disney wristwatch collection that I also don’t wear, so… I don’t know what my point is.
The theme of this tie is music. To start, we have Donald Duck’s nephews: Huey, Dewey, and Louie. They are providing the instrumentation for this piece. Storyboard artist Carl Barks created the trio in the year 1937 to be comedic foils for their Uncle Donald.
The boys are sometimes distinguished by the color of their shirts and baseball caps (with Huey wearing red, Dewey wearing blue, and Louie wearing green). But here they are wearing matching sweaters, so we don’t really know who is who!
Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse are Mickey Mouse’s twin nephews and are supplying the vocals. They first appeared in Floyd Gottfredson’s 1932 Mickey Mouse Sunday comic strip titled Mickey’s Nephews.
The twin mice could get into just as much trouble as their duck counterparts, often driving Mickey to distraction when he had to mousesit them. Oh, the things we do for family!
This piece of merchandise is likely from the 1980s and carries only the brand of Disney on the label. No manufacturer is given.
If you’d like to see my enormous Disney Necktie Collection, along with some unique Mickey tie pins, just click the link!
Disleelandia 