“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” Three guesses as to who spoke this famous quote! Yes, it was Sherlock Holmes. The sleuth created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has endured from the late 1800’s right up to our modern day and is recognized as one of the fictional world’s greatest detectives! Even Batman is said to be like Sherlock Holmes when it comes to his deductive abilities. Now that’s something!
I’ve held the celebrated Mr. Holmes and his hapless sidekick Dr. Watson with great regard and admiration for years. It’s led to a large collection that I will attempt to share here in something less than it’s entirety. Ready? “The games afoot!”
It’s amazing just how diverse the merchandise for Sherlock Holmes is. Let’s look at each piece from the above picture in turn:
Of course there would be a pub in England named after the titular character. The Mini Pub Sign Company produced this great little representation of the real pub. You can still visit the place:
When you’ve finished your pint of bitter, please check out my next piece of Holmes memorabilia:
It doesn’t appear that Mickey Mouse ever played a detective in his original series of animated Shorts. But it’s pretty obvious that this figurine was patterned after the subject of our post! Moving on:
This is a wonderful plush wearing the trademark tweed of Mr. Holmes. The company that made it may or may not still be in business. An Internet search was inconclusive but it’s products do show up often on selling sites such as eBay.
And to quote from another famous British character: “And now for something completely different.”
Have you ever seen a Sherlock Holmes-shaped thimble with a hat that opens to show his brains? I didn’t think so. What else can I add?!?
And now for my incomplete movie collection. If there is a version of Sherlock Holmes in any form of media, I’ve probably seen it! From the best to the absolute worst, I love them all!
Basil Rathbone might be the most famous actor known for a Sherlock Holmes portrayal (top left). But Ronald Howard did a fair job with the character on British television back in the black-and-white days from 1954 to 1955 (top right). Ian McKellen played the man in his last days as his mind was slowly deteriorating (bottom left). The other two versions (bottom center and right) are forgettable one-shots that were fun for what they were.
Perhaps the most fun collection is the Rarities Special Edition (above top center). It features 1935 and 1937 versions with Ian Fleming (yes, the writer of James Bond) as Dr. Watson. I’ve also owned even rarer cinematic versions of the character going all the way back to the silent era of films with interpretations so weird I wouldn’t know how to explain them here! I also have the full series of the modern Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch. But then, who doesn’t?
Perhaps one of my favorite versions of Sherlock Holmes features these two guys:
Basil of Baker Street and Ratigan. These arch enemies star in the Disney animated classic The Great Mouse Detective:
If you haven’t seen this movie, you should treat yourself. It’s a great homage to the original source material!
FUN FACTS: Ratigan was the first Disney villain to sing his own song since Kaa in 1967. And what a song it is!
The above piece is from the Sketchbook Ornament Collection released by the Disney Store a few years ago. But no collection is complete without Funko Pop!:
Now it can’t be all about sitting on the couch and watching the television to get your Sherlock fix! Why not curl up with a good book:
This contains every story Doyle wrote about the celebrated detective. You may find that as you read through to the end, it’s noticeable that the writer was running out of clever ideas! Still worth the read.
And there you have it. My comprehensive yet still incomplete collection of Sherlock Holmes stuff. The purpose of owning such a collection is of course, my dear reader, quite elementary!
Disleelandia 