Merchandise Watch '11: Turning the Corner on Unique Souvenirs?

[billybastion]

I agree, and while on the subject of pins, it's impossible to do a search/browse on ebay for unique souvenirs because 90% of the WDW items for sale are the $#$@ pins! Unless someone knows a way to filter out only pins and still see everything else WDW - I'd love to know. :brick:

I don't collect pins or vinyl, but it seems to resonate with many other visitors and both have avid fanbases...so to equate it with crap merchandise is a mistake I think. Even though I think the pins are a money sink and not worth my time, I do think they (and the vinyl) are a unique collecting opportunity that "pluses" many visitor's time in the resorts. What's wrong with that?

I agree that the quality of the clothing generally seems to be on the up and up. I don't like all of the loud teeshirts and jerseys, as many others have already stated, but I see more people wearing those types of shirts out of the parks than the land specific or ride specific merchandise you and I love so much. So I think both serve their purpose; I'm just glad their quality is better than in years past.

I would like to see more unique antenna balls. This is really the only thing I collect from the parks and I would love to see a wider variety of them.

 

[Mickey_777]

Anybody see if they released a collectors plate for the 4oth? Disneyland made some beautiful ones for their 4oth...

 

[NYwdwfan]

We bought magnets that look ike A-E tickets today at the MK. They were great until we got to the D Ticket that had the "Tiki Room" listed as"Under New Management." It is stupid mistakes like this that show that Disney has lttle care for their hard core fans.

I think this is what you're refering to - saw it on another site and thought "I MUST HAVE THIS" - can't believe they messed up an attraction name. Boo. Although I think I still must have it!!

 

[BerryLove92]

I think this is what you're refering to - saw it on another site and thought "I MUST HAVE THIS" - can't believe they messed up an attraction name. Boo. Although I think I still must have it!!

Thanks for the pic! I hope they still have some left this summer when I go! eeek getting me exciting about buying merch! :sohappy:

 

[MKBurn15]

I have this really cool T-Shirt that I like! It's white and has a wide black and white shot of Main Street with Walt Disney standing with Mickey! I'll try and find a picture of it.

 

[kapeman]

I was pleasantly surprised to see some merch with a new OKW logo.

I bought one of the hats.

This was last week.

The mercantile at the Wilderness Lodge didn't have much DVC stuff, but the one at OKW did. But that is normal.

 

[NewfieFan]

I have been a postcard collector for a long time and love to flip through my cards from Disney to see how things have changed since I started visiting back in the 80's. For the past several years, the postcards have been depressingly the same...probably a result of the age of text messaging and email. Last year, I was able to find a few new postcards, and I'm hoping that there are even more new cards this spring when I go...maybe some attraction/land specific ones?? (crosses fingers)

I'm a postcard collector too and I'm always disappointed with the lack of postcards at WDW! I always think about some of amazing photographs we see on this site (we have some amazing photographers on here) and how they would make lovely postcards! Maybe Disney should hold a picture contest and winning entries would get printed on a postcard! (There's an idea, Disney!!!)

 

[WorldKey]

Put "-pin, -pins" in your search - that will eliminate anything with those words from your search. I'm a pin collector, but I also collect everything Figment. When I search on eBay, I don't like wading through hundreds of listings for the same pins over and over again.

Thanks everyone for the info about ebay search for WDW (a bit new to really using ebay).

BTW - I actually think that the pins are a great collectable so I'm not putting them down, just needed a way to weed them out!

 

[BuzzGoofy]

I said it is worth $175, the thing is most automatics start at more - quite a bit more

It is a nice looking watch, and it is a skeleton back and front, which I liked a lot. It does have *some* weight to it, but not as much as other automatics (or for that matter, manual wind) I have seen.

I do like the way that watch looks, it just feels very flimsy to me. If it is your daily wearer though, and you have had it for over a year now, it may be decent. How is it holding up. How accurate is it? Have you had it serviced ? Thanks

-dave

As you noted, this is my daily use watch, and as a forklift operator it does get knocked arround occaisionally. Since I got it in Sept 09 I have not had any problems with it. As for accuracy, it tends to gain about a minute per week. I have never felt the need to have it serviced. When I switch to my dress watch, which is a Citizen Quartz Eco-Drive Mickey, and put my automatic asside, it eventually stops of course, but recovers very quickly when moved for only a few seconds.

I consider this my favorite watch, and I have owned quite a few over the years.

 

[Mikester71]

I've noticed a definite improvement since our September trip. We spotted these in DTD yesterday, and really loved the retro look.

REALLY like this jacket! :sohappy:Will definitely have to check it out on our March trip. You didn't happen to catch a price, did ya? :wave:

 

[Nemo14]

REALLY like this jacket! :sohappy:Will definitely have to check it out on our March trip. You didn't happen to catch a price, did ya? :wave:

That was my favorite too. I think it was around $80, but I could be wrong - we were on a really tight budget this trip, so I knew I couldn't get it - maybe next month.....

 

[Mikester71]

That was my favorite too. I think it was around $80, but I could be wrong - we were on a really tight budget this trip, so I knew I couldn't get it - maybe next month.....

Oh wow...was hoping it was maybe in the $50-60 range. Still might have to pick one up for myself in March when we are down there (late birthday gift from my wife - her idea). :ROFLOL:

Thanks for getting back to me with the price.

 

[DiPSU224]

I won't have time to take/post photos of the hat tonight, but I found a site with a nice photo:

http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/articles/disney-world-40th-anniversary-merchandise-now-parks

Oh my goodness. Those collector ears are amazing. Want, want, want!

I've noticed a definite improvement since our September trip. We spotted these in DTD yesterday, and really loved the retro look.

I love the blue jacket. I'm sure it's for men, but I want it for myself. I'm putting this on my "must" list for my trip next month. Those magnets are pretty neat too.

Thanks to whoever mentioned the iphone 4 cases. I had no idea they made them but I just ordered one from amazon!

 

[BerryLove92]

Oh my goodness. Those collector ears are amazing. Want, want, want!



I love the blue jacket. I'm sure it's for men, but I want it for myself. I'm putting this on my "must" list for my trip next month. Those magnets are pretty neat too.

Thanks to whoever mentioned the iphone 4 cases. I had no idea they made them but I just ordered one from amazon!

what's this about iphone cases???

 

[DiPSU224]

Just google "Disney iphone 4 case" and you'll find them. They seem to run around $10-$25.

 

[blm07]

I like the retro Epcot stuff, they have finally begun to tap into that market. The shirts are nice, though they have upped the price by $10 for most new shirts for some reason. Some of the 40th stuff reminds me of a Coach bag: a jumbled mess of random things stitched together :shrug:

 

[jakeman]

That jacket fills me with dread. It's awesome and I would buy it in a heartbeat, but I am terrified that there is a giant decal of some sort on the back.

 

[jakeman]

Just a bump on this thread.

We just got back from 4 days and the above jacket and the corresponding gray and yellow do not have tourist vomit on the back.

The gray and red one however, has a GIANT 40 on the back. Two for three isn't bad.

Regarding merchandise as a whole, the high end stuff is better and the low end stuff is about the same.

However, there is an interesting dichotomy forming. As the nice stuff (polos, ties, jackets, watches, Art of Disney) gets nicer, the cheap stuff (sweatshirts, some t-shirts, trinkets in general) looks worse and worse.

We also noticed that they have started to divided the stores up into section of "cheap and tacky" and "modern and (relatively) nice".

The starkest examples of this was Hollywood Blvd. in DHS. Celebrity 5 & 10 (first store on the left past Crossroads of the World) now has a completely different feel than Keystone Clothier (next building down "across" Sunset Blvd.). It is like moving from a Target to a Gap in quality.

Just some general thoughts that were relevant to this thread.

 

[WDWFigment]

Just a bump on this thread.

We just got back from 4 days and the above jacket and the corresponding gray and yellow do not have tourist vomit on the back.

The gray and red one however, has a GIANT 40 on the back. Two for three isn't bad.

Regarding merchandise as a whole, the high end stuff is better and the low end stuff is about the same.

However, there is an interesting dichotomy forming. As the nice stuff (polos, ties, jackets, watches, Art of Disney) gets nicer, the cheap stuff (sweatshirts, some t-shirts, trinkets in general) looks worse and worse.

We also noticed that they have started to divided the stores up into section of "cheap and tacky" and "modern and (relatively) nice".

The starkest examples of this was Hollywood Blvd. in DHS. Celebrity 5 & 10 (first store on the left past Crossroads of the World) now has a completely different feel than Keystone Clothier (next building down "across" Sunset Blvd.). It is like moving from a Target to a Gap in quality.

Just some general thoughts that were relevant to this thread.

It's difficult to word this properly so I don't sound like an arrogant snob, but I think the dichotomy makes sense. It seems to me that Disney has two starkly different audiences it needs to appease here: collectors or more affluent guests who have more discerning tastes (the minority) and more 'value conscious' (to put it politely) guests who just want something that say they visited WDW (the majority).

I think nine times out of ten, you'll find that the former group has more discerning taste, prefers more understated designs, and will pay more for quality than the latter group. The latter is generally less discerning, prefers ostentatious designs, and wants things as cheap in price as possible. Disney is trying to appease both demographics, and I see this as fine.

Yes, I'm painting with a really broad brush here, but this is the reality as I see it.

ETA: you mention ties--I don't suppose you have any photos? I'd love another 'hidden mickey' one that I can wear to the office on casual Fridays!

 

[COProgressFan]

It's difficult to word this properly so I don't sound like an arrogant snob, but I think the dichotomy makes sense. It seems to me that Disney has two starkly different audiences it needs to appease here: collectors or more affluent guests who have more discerning tastes (the minority) and more 'value conscious' (to put it politely) guests who just want something that say they visited WDW (the majority).

I think nine times out of ten, you'll find that the former group has more discerning taste, prefers more understated designs, and will pay more for quality than the latter group. The latter is generally less discerning, prefers ostentatious designs, and wants things as cheap in price as possible. Disney is trying to appease both demographics, and I see this as fine.

Yes, I'm painting with a really broad brush here, but this is the reality as I see it.

ETA: you mention ties--I don't suppose you have any photos? I'd love another 'hidden mickey' one that I can wear to the office on casual Fridays!

I agree with this. What is a problem, though, is that I think there are many value or budget conscious folks who would like to see some value in the items in the buy (reasonable prices for reasonable products) that aren't garish or tacky.

There are a lot of cheap and junky items for sale across WDW. You can make some decent things and sell them at decent prices and I am pretty sure they would sell.