Originally Posted By hightp When I received the latest copy of the Collector's Society magazine, the letter that accompanied it said the Walt Disney Collectors Society was being suspended effective December 31. The coupons for the members only pieces will still be honored until March 31, but if they sell out, they're done. I'll miss the Collectors Society, I've been member for more than 10 years and enjoyed their sculptures, even though most were way beyond my price range. Another Disney staple has ended. On the positive side, they'll still make the figurines.
Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs I heard about this...the magazine is being discontinued, but not the WDCC figures...
Originally Posted By irishfan I was at Disnyeland just before Christmas and noticed a lack of WDCC pieces in any of collectable stores. I really do think this line will be history sometime in 2010.
Originally Posted By basil fan At least I got my Basil of Baker Street first. Do you think Club 23 is intended to replace the Collector's Society? Disney Glitches <a href="http://www.whatsitsgalore.com/disney/dglitch.html" target="_blank">http://www.whatsitsgalore.com/...tch.html</a>
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Judging by the fact that WoD during its holiday AP sale morning and Property Control the next few weeks were selling WDCC figures from the PoC series for $20 (saw $200 pricetags on some ... by the time I was there they only had two of the original six pieces) a piece, I'd say the idea is dump the whole thing quickly. Since then, I noticed the Art of Disney store at DAK has completely removed the two display cases it had WDCC pieces in and no longer sells them. Then ... this week AVP on Mouseplanet reported that large numbers of surplus pieces were going to wind up being liquidated at TJ Maxx locations throughout the USA. It would appear, Disney is killing the line. I'm not a collector, per se. But I'd be mighty pissed if I were.
Originally Posted By basil fan It's already happening. Our local TJ Maxx got them in, I'm told, for $59.99 (Tarzan, Clopin, Esmy) and $129.99 (Tiger Lilly in the boat). I'll be there on Wednesday to see for myself. Honestly, I hoped for a deeper discount than this; something that made it possible to buy 'em all. Still, if they only had one of my must-have pieces, now would be the time. Mightn't the end of the WDCC mean prices on the secondary market will go up? Planet of the Apes <a href="http://www.whatsitsgalore.com/glitch/apesglitch.html" target="_blank">http://www.whatsitsgalore.com/...tch.html</a>
Originally Posted By sjhym33 I dont think you will see a big increase in the secondary market. Maybe in a few hard to find pieces but anything that has been shipped to TJ Maxx are pieces that probably been sitting in stores and stockrooms. Over the years I have collected several Disney Collector Society type series and none of them have ever really took off in value. I would also say that it Disney is pulling the Society it is because they dont see an ongoing market for them. Like many areas that Disney has entered in special merchandise, it starts out strong when it is new and little by little fades out. How many Disney statues can one person own? I was collecting Disney limited edition watches at one time but soon they were releasing so many that I couldn't afford to keep up and get them all...and how many watches can you own? I guess the Society has ran its course.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Looks like my goal to collect all the Small World pieces is going to be harder! And they never got to The Black Cauldron either, darn it!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I am not a collector. Wound up stuck with three pieces I bought when the Disney Gallery at Ceasar's in Vegas closed up shop in 2004 or 05. Thought I'd be able to sell them at close to double what they were worth and turns out, can't sell them at all. So, they collect dust. They were bought at about 50% off if I recall. The PoC pieces I bought at WDW were simply too good to pass up (I love Pirates anyway) and at $20 were a steal. Would have loaded up and bought another 4-6 of them as gifts, but had no room. I do think it sucks Disney is sending them to TJ Maxx, though as Adrienne pointed out on Mouseplanet as it devalues the whole set. If Disney can't sell them itself and won't let licensed dealers sell them at discounts, they should be destroyed. That way, the value will be higher at some point ... by flooding the market with these pieces at ridiculously low prices what Disney is saying to anyone who has bought WDCC is 'Sorry, suckers. You paid thousands of dollars over the years for items worth a fraction of it ... and we're going to stick it to you.'' It's why I'm glad I never have collected much Disney stuff beyond historical items and good old paper brochures, park maps, info guides. ... If that stuff is worth something at some point, maybe I'll sell it ... maybe I'll donate it to some Disney research/history project ... or just recycle it. ... But it sure didn't cost me what many WDCC collectors paid.
Originally Posted By u k fan I can't believe the amount of this stuff some people buy. I have 5 pieces of which I've only paid full price for 1, but I regularly go to the WDCC events as they are held only 25 minutes from my home and other LPers attend so it's a chance to meet up. I have seen photos of people's houses that are so full of these pieces that you can't even see them properly. I don't know how people afford it. I'll be very sad if this is the end as I have made quite a few friends off the back of WDCC, some of which will be greatly affected by this. It also means I'll have to subscribe to the LP magazine as I usually buy them at the events!!!
Originally Posted By u k fan Also, I think I'll have to check out TK Maxx here in the UK just in case. I do occasionally find Jim Shore pieces there!!!
Originally Posted By leemac <<I do think it sucks Disney is sending them to TJ Maxx, though as Adrienne pointed out on Mouseplanet as it devalues the whole set.>> Let's be clear on this - it isn't Disney sending them to TJ Maxx - it is Enesco who are the exclusive licensee for Walt Disney Classics Collection (as well as license-holders for Pooh & Friends, Jim Shore and the Gallery of Lights concept from Bob O). Previously WDCC product was prohibited from being sold to non-authorized retailers. That was when Disney owned the concept entirely and even when Royal Doulton tried its hand at the licensing. The attempt was to limit the discounting that would occur. If TJ Maxx has the product then it can only be one of two scenarios - bought directly from Enesco or from a liquidator (although I suspect they would struggle to get enough inventory to make it pay via this route as most of the WDCC dealers are Mom 'n' Pop shops). Either way that won't do the brand any good at all. It is different if WDW Co. is liquidating the POTC pieces which were supposed to be Park Exclusives until they didn't sell (ugly, way too large and too expensive IMHO). WDW and DLR have sold off WDCC inventory to AMS Liquidation before (the folks behind the Character Warehouse concept) in particularly the two Mister Toad pieces if I recall which were DLR Exclusives. Selling them at Prop Control isn't going to go any damage to the brand.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I can't believe the amount of this stuff some people buy. I have 5 pieces of which I've only paid full price for 1, but I regularly go to the WDCC events as they are held only 25 minutes from my home and other LPers attend so it's a chance to meet up.>> We have way more than 150 pieces. My first piece was Brer Rabbit way back in the '90s. It was a great size and the attention to detail was mesmerizing. We started collecting the sets that we liked (which usually precluded the big sets like Snow White, Cinderella, Bambi and Fantasia) and attending the Disneyana Conventions (Chernabog and Maleficent as Dragon are probably the two greatest pieces ever made in the series). But then they just ramped up production, flooded the market with too much product and started releasing ten zillion Jiminy Crickets and Tinker Bells - none of which maintained the same size ratio so that they could be displayed together (unless you wanted King Kong Tinker Bell next to Petit Tinker Bell). They continue to release some rarer characters (like Dr Franenollie from Runaway Brain who is cool) but just keep releasing the same small pool of characters - another new Alice piece is due soon. It is a tremendous shame if WDCC is coming to the end of its life. I've never seen another 3D art form that captures the character and emotion of a scene. I'm currently sat right in front of the recent The Rescuers scene of Madame Medusa pushing Penny away with her boot as she gleely grabs teddy. You can see the sheer delight in Medusa's face as she has the teddy (and the Devil's Eye is clearly visible in the teddy). It just perfectly captures that one frame from the movie. That was WDCC at its best.
Originally Posted By u k fan I agree the pieces are fantastic, but some characters are certainly overdone. I waiting years for a HoND set, yet I see there is a new Lilo and Stitch set to replace the old one which was only just retired. Meanwhile we get 1 PATF piece!!!
Originally Posted By hopemax Wonder what Spirit would think if he knew those PotC pieces that they had been selling at Cast Connection, they marked them down again...to $10, right before Christmas. We got the Toad pieces at DL's Company D for $20 each. I have those, and about a half dozen other pieces as gifts through the years from my Mom. She got them when the last of the Galleries closed and they were selling them at 75% off + her employee discount. I think she has finally given all she had to me. While I like them, I always thought regular price was too expensive.
Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs LOL, I always said to myself if I came into a lot of money, I would buy the Villain figures so my collection would haev something "expensive"...wow, what a complete 180...although I do have the 2006 Jafar statue that my mom reluctantly got me for my birthday, lol. Leemac, I still have the WDCC Winter/Spring 1997 brochure that I picked up during a family vacation in Hawaii, so I will definately be holding onto *that* a little longer. Some of you might want to check your local Hallmark stores; there's a few in my area that still sell the WDCC figures, as well as the Disney Lenox figures, the mini boxes and those figures that look like they're carved from wood.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Let's be clear on this - it isn't Disney sending them to TJ Maxx - it is Enesco who are the exclusive licensee for Walt Disney Classics Collection (as well as license-holders for Pooh & Friends, Jim Shore and the Gallery of Lights concept from Bob O).>> Thanks for stepping in with the info, Lee! <<Previously WDCC product was prohibited from being sold to non-authorized retailers. That was when Disney owned the concept entirely and even when Royal Doulton tried its hand at the licensing. The attempt was to limit the discounting that would occur. If TJ Maxx has the product then it can only be one of two scenarios - bought directly from Enesco or from a liquidator (although I suspect they would struggle to get enough inventory to make it pay via this route as most of the WDCC dealers are Mom 'n' Pop shops).>> Yeah. But no matter where the merchandise comes from, it's not a good thing. These are pieces that, for the most part except for the small title pieces that were about $30, retailed for well over $100. Seeing beat up boxes at a discounter even at only 30-40% off sends a very bad message to consumers/collectors. Disney should have put some clause in the contract prohibiting this. It just destroys the market for resale and cheapens any current product produced. And I gotta believe the line isn't long for existence ... like I said before The Art of Disney at DAK has totally removed the display cases and is offering that god-awful vinalmaytion crap. I very rarely set foot in a TJ Maxx, but am going to see if my local one has any pieces when I head to the mall. <<Either way that won't do the brand any good at all. It is different if WDW Co. is liquidating the POTC pieces which were supposed to be Park Exclusives until they didn't sell (ugly, way too large and too expensive IMHO). WDW and DLR have sold off WDCC inventory to AMS Liquidation before (the folks behind the Character Warehouse concept) in particularly the two Mister Toad pieces if I recall which were DLR Exclusives. Selling them at Prop Control isn't going to go any damage to the brand.>> No, I agree ... although when you see $200 pieces going for $20 (and they were also offered at WoD too), it doesn't speak well. And I've never seen very many pieces at the AMS outlets (or even the Disney owned ones in FLA) ... and none of them were remotely in the 90% off price range.
