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How to Identify Vintage Disney Collectible Doll Case

You're at a garage sale or digging around your grandmother's attic and you spy a doll case with what look to be Disney characters on it: Snow White, Mickey or Minnie Mouse, Tinkerbell. How can you tell if it's old or authentic or something more modern or a cheap reproduction? According to the website Disney Memorabilia, "vintage" Disney collectibles are those that were produced and distributed prior to the death of founder Walt Disney in 1966. Luckily, there are a lot of resources out there that can make you a more informed and educated shopper or collector.

Instructions

- 1
  Check out an authoritative book on Disney collectibles from your library. An excellent one is "Collecting Disneyana: Identification &Value Guide," (2007) by David Longest. A new edition is published about every five years. Other guidebooks to antique toys or dolls may also be useful.
- 2
  Learn to recognize official Disney copyrights. A copyright symbol is the letter "c" usually enclosed in a circle, followed by the company name. Disney used different copyrights over the years and knowing these will not only allow you to identify your doll case as authentic, but to more accurately date it to a certain time period. According to Dave Mason of the website Saturday Toys, these are the official copyrights:
  
  1930s "c. Walt Disney Enterprises" or "c. Mickey Mouse Ltd."
  
  1939-1984 "c. Walt Disney Productions"
  
  1984-present "c. Disney" or "c. Disney Enterprises"
- 3
  Join other collectors in the online forums at the Disney Memorabilia Community. Here, there is a special link to a community forum where you can post a question and/or picture about your doll case or other Disney item and get help in identifying it. Members are fanatic Disney collectors and really helpful and knowledgeable. There is no charge for this service.
- 4
  Ask a question about your doll case at the forum on eBay maintained and moderated by Dave Mason of Saturday's Toys called "Vintage Walt Disney and Disneyland Collectibles." Mason is a Disney expert and will answer any question for free. Other collectors can also read your posts and offer assistance. You can also learn a lot about vintage Disneyana by reading other posts.You must have an eBay user name and password to participate: these are free and easy to obtain.
- 5
  Contact a professional appraiser, preferably one with specific knowledge of Disney memorabilia. Bob Crooker, a collector of Disneyana since 1974, will offer you an evaluation or appraisal or both if your item is from the 1930s to 1970s. His website is www.mouseman.com.
- 6
  Monitor online blogs run by Disney aficionados and collectors all over the world. These sites offer a wealth of information about vintage Disneyana so that you can constantly improve your knowledge about what real Disney items look like. A good example is Vintage Disney Collectibles, 1928-1945, run by David Lesjak.

Collecting Vintage Toys