Jiminy Cricket

I've got several Jiminy Cricket figures around the house, and so does my Diseny Exchange co-host Lisa Green,. Let's take a look!

By Lisa Green 

As a Disney side-kick, you can’t find one much better than Jiminy Cricket.  Sure, he’s a bug, but thanks to the Blue Fairy, he magically becomes an important part of Pinocchio’s life – acting as his conscience, attempting to keep his charge safe from trouble.  If you didn’t love Jiminy in Pinocchio, you have got to at least admit that he’s an incredible narrator for the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular (Magic Kingdom), right?  You think so, don’t you?  GOOD!  Me too!

There are a couple of precious Jiminy Cricket Disneyana items at our house (in the Joseph Green collection).  One is a modern figurine, picked up not that long ago on a Disney vacation. 

The other is much older and, I think, pretty unique and interesting.  A 1957 Dell Comic (Four Color #795) featuring the man (insect?) himself, Jiminy Cricket.  He stars in several separate comics alongside some very famous co-stars like Goofy, Captain Hook, Donald Duck and his playful nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie.  All the fun and excitement covered by the Dell Comic pledge.

Dell Comics – “A pledge to parents:  The Dell Trademark is, and always has been, a positive guarantee that the comic magazine bearing it contains only clean and wholesome entertainment.  The Dell code eliminates entirely, rather than regulates, objectionable material.  That’s why when your child buys a Dell Comic you can be sure it contains only good fun.  ‘Dell Comics are Good Comics’ is our only credo and constant goal.” 
You’ve got to hand it to the 1950’s – there was no better decade for wholesomeness!

When Jiminy Cricket first appeared in 1940, he was drawn by Ward Kimball (one of Disney’s “Nine Old Men”) and voiced by Cliff Edwards.  When he sang “When You Wish Upon a Star”, Jiminy entered the collective hearts of America and has remained there ever since.

Movies, television, comics, video games, books, and in Disney parks – the character of Jiminy Cricket as a symbol of doing what’s right has endured for more than half a century and I, for one, believe his image will continue to live on for quite a long time to come.

How about you?  Are you a Jiminy Cricket fan?   

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Grumpy Collectible Figure

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By Nick
While I've titled this post “Grumpy Collectible Figure” let’s face facts, this is a doll.

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Not sure of the year of release on this, but as it’s got “The Walt Disney Company” on it, it’s post 1986.

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This, action figure, (okay, it’s a doll!), is 6.5 inches high, fully jointed, and made in China.

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Just for you, I took it out of the box. But I won’t take it off it’s card! Sorry.

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Let’s look at that booklet.





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Now, the front of the box says “Cumberland Toys”. Yet this books says “Bikin”. Not sure why.














I’m not sure where I got this. It’s a riddle wrapped in an enigma, all in a nice box.

Pirates of the Caribbean Action Figures

By Nick

I discovered these Pirates of the Caribbean Action Figures a few years ago on eBay. I can’t recall seeing them in the parks. They are from the beloved attraction, and not from the beloved hit movie series.
I’ve bought a few through the years, and would like to share some today.

 

This first one, I left in the package, because, well, it’s some cool packaging!

The Treasure Keeper comes with a plethora of accessories, as do all the figures from this line.

 

Relive all the high seas fun!

 

The original price for these figures was $10.

 

Next up, we have the Scalawag, and his little piggy buddies.

 

His accessories are couple of bottles, a cup, a sword and a pistol.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the Readhead. As in, “We wants the Redhead!”

I have the Walt Disney Classics Collection figure of the Redhead, as well as the Auctioneer, and I’ve done a post on them, which can be found here.

 

Not only does the Redhead have a purse and a rose, she is also packing heat! She has a rifle and a pistol. I’m a little surprised the pirates didn’t disarm her when they took her captive!

I have one more action figure from the collection, and will share that in my next post, with some other members of his skeletal crew, so please stop back.

Flowers From Mickey Mouse!

By Gaylin

A friend found this at a garage sale and of course, got it for me. I did find one the same on Ebay, at $24.99, a lot more than the $3 at a garage sale.

I don’t know what era this is from but it’s in decent condition. A few small chips here and there, nothing that bothers me.

I couldn’t find any photos online to date this or to see what the original bouquet might have been. It stands just over 7 inches tall and is about 7 inches across as well.

To me this looks like a perfect place to store some chocolate!

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The Mickey is hollow so it doesn’t weigh a lot.

Teleflora still does Disney gifts, maybe one day I will get one delivered to me!

Grumpy and Over a Barrell

By Nick

Today I share another part of my Grumpy collection.

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I’m not sure where I got him, or how much he was.

I do know I’ve had this talking Grumpy on a barrel forever, at least 15-20 years, and after all this time, he still works!

Just push the button on the back, and Grumpy says 2 phrases:
“There’s trouble a brewin’!” and “We’re mad as hornets!”

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The speaker and battery compartment on the bottom. Made by Just Toys. No year indicated.

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Flea Market Find: Enesco Snow White 65th Anniversary Set

By Nick

I bought this Snow White set complete at our local flea market this Sunday.

I'd never seen it before, and when I asked what the person selling it wanted, and he said $10, I was somewhat shocked.
I didn't even look at who made the figures, and didn't examine each one for any possible flaws.
The gentleman selling them wrapped each figure individually, and handed me the bag.

When I got home, I set out the display it came with.

I placed each figure out on it's designated spot.

It was then I noticed a couple figures were indeed not perfect, such as Happy, who I assume is supposed to be holding a conductor's baton, which is clearly broken...

...and Dopey's drumstick has seen better days.

It seems everyone else is in pretty good condition.

The Dwarfs average 3.25" in height, while Snow White is 5.5."

When it came to investigating where these figures came from, I looked on the bottom, and then went to what I consider the best place on the internet to find out information on Snow White, Filmic Light.

This set was sold at CVS in 2002 to celebrate Snow White's 65th anniversary. The display came with Snow White.

I think $10 was a very fair price, despite the small flaws, and I consider this another excellent Flea Market Find!'

Pixar's A Bugs Life Heimlich

By Nick


Stuffed Heimlich. Is that a redundant statement?
(See, Heimlich eats a lot, until he’s, you know, stuffed!) Tap-tap, is this thing on?

Today, I share a couple of Heimlich’s from the Pixar film, “A Bug’s Life’, from my wife’s collection. The 1st one is a fairly large stuffed figure.



Obviously it’s from the Disney Store, but I have no other info, as my wife cut the tags off.



This next stuffed Heimlich is much smaller, and has a plastic face.

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Like the bigger figure, the tags have been removed, and there is no indication as to where it came from.

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What, you may ask, is a squishy Heimlich?

This is a squishy Heimlich:

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Heimlich is from Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life” released in 1998. While it isn’t my favorite Pixar movie by far, it has a special place in my heart as it was the first movie my wife and I saw in a theater together.
Having this special place made me collect Bug’s Life everything. Heimlich, however, is from my wife’s collection.



What drew my wife to Heimlich the caterpillar? His accent, for one. And his love of food for the other. In fact here he is going in for the kill now!

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He is rubber, and filled with some sort of, well, squishy, material. Sadly, 14 years on, the squishy material has hardened into a ball inside of Heimlich’s belly, and he is not nearly as much fun to squeeze anymore.

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Made by 4 Kidz Inc. for Disney/Pixar.



Here is another squishy Heimlich. This is a keychain. I think. A REALLY big keychain. I have no idea who would need such a large key chain, but, as I don’t know what else the hook would be used for, I’m calling it a keychain.

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Alas, he suffers from the same fate as the larger figure, as he has lost his squishiness.



Also made by 4 Kidz.