1,500 Disneyland Collectibles Go Up For Auction, Such As A Dumbo Trash Bin

(BURBANK, Calif.) — Fans who think that Disneyland is the happiest place on the planet will soon be able to take home more than just a souvenir.

A dedicated collector has brought Disney magic to a sprawling 30,000-square-foot (2,800-square-meter) building in Burbank, California, where fans can hear birds chirping in the Enchanted Tiki Room section and giggle at animated ghosts from the Haunted Mansion ride while previewing more than 1,500 items up for auction later this month.

Joel Magee has spent the last 30 years amassing a collection of over 6,000 objects, including costumes, rare posters, and life-size vehicles from rides like Dumbo and Peter Pan, and he’s finally ready to share part of it with the public.

“I’m one of those guys who believes in going big or home.” And if you don’t have the biggest, it ain’t the finest,” Magee told The Associated Press in a recent interview as crowds milled around the exhibit. Magee’s is the world’s largest privately held Disneyland/Disney Park collection.

“It’s quite thrilling. “This is the first time I’ve had all of my belongings in the same room at the same time,” he explained.

In the collectibles field, Magee is known as “the toy scout,” he has acquired a massive collection of toys and Disney things. He says he grew up watching “The Wonderful World of Disney” on TV every week, but he had never been to the park and had never considered collecting until he encountered a man selling Disneyland artifacts at a toy exhibition and became hooked.

“I couldn’t afford much at the time.” “I bought a few pieces, but that’s where it all started,” Magee explained. “In my travels as ‘the toy scout,’ I meet people all over the country, and they’ve just been bringing me all their stuff for the last 25 years, and here it is today.”

Fans who think Disneyland is the happiest place on the planet will soon be able to take home more than just a souvenir.

The artifacts for sale range in size from a trading card to a 1917 Model T moving van from Disneyland’s original Main Street, which Magee claims Walt Disney designed himself.

Van Eaton Galleries, which is hosting the auction, is co-owned by Mike Van Eaton. He says the most sought-after pieces are those from the Haunted Mansion attraction, such as original stretch paintings from the elevator in the famed ride and a “doom buggy” — the vehicle passengers ride in.

“Joel also has one of the most incredible collections of Disney attraction posters in the world.” He owns every single attraction poster in the park. And those will do extremely well as well,” Van Eaton said.

There are goods for every budget, with some starting at $50 and most going much higher.

“Some of these items, such as the Dumbo ride vehicle, could fetch between $200,000 and $300,000.” We have trash cans from the park that may get $5,000 or $6,000 and posters that could fetch $50,000 to $60,000.

Magee says picking favorites from such a big collection is difficult, but he’s particularly fond of the static objects he’s brought to life.

“The Tiki birds, oh my goodness, were junk when we got them!” “They were worn out, with pieces missing,” Magee explained. “Some of my good friends who do a lot of work… in that field brought them all back to life better than you could ever imagine.” And… when people look at that, you can feel the enchantment in their eyes.”

The show is on display at the Burbank Town Centre Mall until July 16. The auction will take place from July 17 through July 19.

SOURCE – (AP)