The latest auction from the Van Eaton Galleries features over 800 items focusing on theme park and movie memorabilia. While auctions in the past have focused on Disney, the “Popular Culture and Disneyland” auction features items from a wide range of movie studios and items from both Disney and Universal theme parks.
You can check all of the items online, but I’ll share some of my favorites, including the Mickey Mouse Main Street Station flag [above] from the 1960s. The estimated price was $600-800, but the bidding is already up to $6,500. I suspect there may be an error.
Another item from the early days of Disneyland is The Story of Disneyland guide book. It was issued in 1955 when the park first opened and features illustrations and concept art, rather than pictures, because construction wasn’t done yet when the book was printed. The estimated $300-500 price tag seems a bit high, as I’ve seen them on eBay for about $100. I’m actually lucky enough to own one of these. It was gifted to us from a friend that thought we would appreciate it.
Another fun find is the manual for the opening year of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. The 22-page book was printed in 1965 to help Cast Members learn more about the new attraction. The estimated price is $200-400, but the current bid is only $100.
The auction also includes several items from Disneyland’s Club 33, including these menus that are estimated at $200-400. I would like the $6.50 steak please!
The final piece of Disneyland Resort memorabilia I want to highlight is some more recent history. This piece from the entrance sign of A Bug’s Land at Disney California Adventure is already at a $650 bid, above the estimated $400-600 price.
There are not as many items from Walt Disney World this time around, but I pulled a couple that I thought were fun, including a prop from The Great Movie Ride. This screen from the Alien scene has no bids yet, but is estimated at $300-500.
There are also a few Magic Kingdom costumes available, like this shirt from Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.
On the movie side of things, there are items from several different Disney or Disney-related titles, including this Sally stop-motion face from The Nightmare Before Christmas. The estimated price is $800-1,000, but there are no bids as of yet.
Some of the oldest Disney movie pieces are from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, including this poster and set of storyboards.
Finally, the auction contains quite a bit of promotional materials, toys and other items from the Star Wars franchise. The one that caught my eye is this original cel from the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. Bidding is already up to $425 on this rare item.
Unlike other auctions there is no public display of the items and the auction will be held online only. Advance bid are already being taken, with the auction beginning May 9th at 10am (Pacific).
Source/Images: Van Eaton Galleries
Tom is the former host/producer of the Disneyland Edition podcast and is currently the co-host of the Connecting With Walt podcast, plus is also providing Disneyland content from the parks. He enjoys traveling with friends and spending time with family, including his son and grandson. In his spare time he volunteers with Scouts BSA and Cub Scouts, and helped found his son's former Cub Scout Pack. His favorite Disneyland attraction is Space Mountain.
