FROM: Vinylmation 360 Published Mondays

The History of Vinylmation

Kelly Firth recounts the short but momentous history of Disney Vinyls

- by Kelly Firth, March 6, 2011

Last week we took a look at the Must-Knows of Vinylmation collecting. Today's topic: Vinylmation History! Because, as they say, you can't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been!

In the two plus years since Vinylmation debuted, this collectible has lived quite a rich 'life'! With so many different figures now available, it's easy to think of Vinylmation as a collectible line with constant new releases and a wide variety of products.

But it wasn't always that way.

Let's take a look back at the beginnings of Vinylmation and how it became the Disney collectible juggernaut it is today.

A Blank Beginning

What was the first Vinylmation design?

Actually, the very first Vinylmation ever released was a blank, white 3" vinyl. It debuted on November 7th, 2008 during Disney World's annual Festival of the Masters, a free public festival in Downtown Disney.

These blank vinyls, now known as Create Your Own (CYO) Vinylmations, are sold in 3" and 9" sizes, in a variety of colors, and even in a glow-in-the-dark version.

Back in the early days, you couldn't even find a 3" CYO in a box - they were all sold in flimsy, clear, sealed plastic!

(For some great custom designs, be sure to check out the Vinylmation My Way) column.

The Park Series

So when did Disney start making Vinylmations with actual designs?

December 19th, 2008 marked the release of the very first Vinylmation series, Park 1. No longer was Mickey merely a figure waiting to be decorated by eager, budding artists. He now became a canvas for showcasing popular Disney characters and attractions.

The first Vinylmation set included twelve 3" figures and six 9" figures. Among the designs were 3" versions of Figment and Kermit the Frog, a 3" featuring the 'Creepy Wallpaper' from The Haunted Mansion, and the coveted Red Balloon Chaser figure.

The 9" designs included a Haunted Mansion combo set and an interpretation of the It's a Small World Glockenspiel and Clock Tower.

Since the line was so new, few Park 1 blind boxed vinyls were produced compared to the higher production runs of today. While Disney does not release production numbers for anything other than Limited Edition (LE) vinyls, Park 1 3" vinyls were limited release and sold out within weeks. The 9" versions stuck around a bit longer, with some even making it to the now-defunct World of Disney Store in Manhattan in Spring 2009.

Arguably, the Park Series is the most popular of the many Vinylmation series, and Park 1 vinyls are among the most coveted by collectors.

As popularity grew for the Park Series and for other character-related vinyls, so did edition sizes for the 9" LE. Earlier LE output was in the 400-600 range, but the 9" vinyls in the latest Park series (Park 5) had edition sizes of either 800 or 1200.

Disney released Park 5 9" vinyls on February 25, 2011, and Park 6 is expected sometime in late winter or early spring 2011. Blind boxed vinyls from Park 3 and Park 5 are still available.

Other Series

The series released after Park 1 took a completely different take on the Mickey canvas. Urban 1 debuted on March 17th, 2009, and featured twelve 3" designs such as 'Oopsy', an upside down Mickey Mouse; a three-eyed blue Monster; and a vinyl that looked like Swiss Cheese. The first ever glow in the dark vinyl was also in this series. Four 9" vinyls were released, including a Robotic Mickey and a green dragon.

Some of the Urban designs do feature interpretations of Mickey Mouse or other Disney items, but the vast majority of them are not tied to any Disney character or park icon. Urban 5 was released in November 2010, and the blind boxed vinyls for Urban 6 are scheduled for release on March 18th, 2011.

On May 22, 2009, Disney released Park 2 - and that's when the Vinylmation collecting craze truly began. After quick sell-outs of the first two series, Disney ordered so many more of the 3" Park 2 vinyls that they lasted for almost a year on the shelves at Disney World and Disneyland.

More and more people began collecting, and by July, Disney released two more series: Clear 1 and Urban 2. Clear 1, the first non-Park, non-Urban series, featured clear Vinylmations in 12 different colors. The series is still available for purchase.

Urban 2 continued with the tradition of mostly non-Disney designs, such as a 3" Glass Half Full vinyl and the first two of the multi-colored 'Gears Bears' vinyls. But some familiar goodies were also featured such as a Mickey Ice Cream Bar and the logo from the older Mickey cartoon shorts.

Urban 2 also made Vinylmation history: the Mickey Confetti vinyl mixed a Clear vinyl with small painted Mickey heads, while the Chinese Writings vinyl marked the debut of glossy paint. Urban 2 may have sold out, but Disney hasn't confirmed it.

Series Release Summary

A lot of series are still available for sale. What came out when? Here's a chronological timeline of series releases. (It does not include special releases, special stand-alone sets, etc.)

B (Blind Boxed) W (Window Boxed) W/B (Window Boxed 3") Blind Boxed Jr.

2008 Park 1 (B)

2009 Urban 1 (B); Park 2 (B); Clears 1 (B); Urban 2 (B); Holiday 1 (B); Park 3 (B); Urban 3 (B); and Cutesters (B)

2010 Muppets 1 (B); Park 4 (B); Vinylmation Jr. 1 (B); Sports (W/B); Oh Mickey! (W/B); Big Eyes (B); Vinylmation Jr. 2 (B); Have A Laugh (B); Toy Story (B); Urban 4 (B); 'Disneyland 55' 9" series (W); The Animal Kingdom (W); The Nightmare Before Christmas (W); Park 5 (B); Urban 5 (B); Holiday 2 (B)

2011 Animation 1 (B); Star Wars (B); Flags (W); Villains 1 (B); Cutesters Too (B); Nerds Rock! (W); Occupations (W/B)

Look at the rapidly increasing release schedule. It's now barely two full months into 2011, and already we've seen nearly as many series releases as we saw throughout 2009!

Since the release of the Holiday 1 series in September 2009, the intervals between new releases have gotten shorter and shorter. It's now rare for a month to pass without some type of 3" series release, and when that does happen, Disney usually makes up for it with a special stand-alone or a 9" release.

The Vinylmation Big Bang

What started with a blank, white Mickey Mouse figure has grown into hundreds of figures of all types, for all types of collectors. Whether you prefer the stalwart series of Park and Urban, the comical Muppets, the beloved friends from Toy Story, or those dastardly Villains, there's a little something for every Disney fan out there. As releases progressed, Disney began to sell vinyls with gemstones, hats, accessories, glossy paint, and more.

The Park Series alone has evolved beyond even Disney's expectations!

Disney also dreamed up supporting merchandise which ranges from sketchpads and pencils to purses, clothes, and bags. There are keychain covers, magnets, ice cube trays, and pins. Yes, there are pins of vinyls! (Did anyone actually think Disney wouldn't release pins of vinyls, too?) Synergy, synergy!

Fun Fact Some of the Park 1 and Urban 1 vinyls were actually featured on a mystery pin set months before Vinylmation was first released.

Usually, a blind box mystery 2-pack of pins is released weeks or months before the actual vinyls to give collectors a sneak peek at some of the new designs!

One of the more exciting things to happen in Vinylmation history is the invention of Vinylmation trading. It is a nearly year old resort phenomenon and has only fed the excitement of collectors. The availability of in-park and in-resort trading lets buyers not worry about getting stuck with a duplicate or a disliked vinyl. You can always save it and trade it on your next visit to Disney!

Next week: how to collect Vinylmation even if you don't live near any of the Disney theme parks. And then in two weeks: how, exactly, to trade and where to do it.

Mark Your Calendars

Friday, March 11: Vinylmation Jr. 3 Good Luck/Bad Luck Series scheduled for release at D-Street WDW and D-Street DLR. 1-1/2" window-boxed series featuring a mystery Jr. Vinyl representing good luck, e.g., a white Japanese lucky cat, or bad luck, e.g., a black cat). Limited Release. Retail price: likely $8.95.

Friday, March 11: Occupations Series scheduled for release on DisneyStore.com. 3-inch window-boxed series featuring 10 different career fields and packaged with 1 of 30 possible mystery Jr. Vinyls. There are 3 mystery Jr. vinyls related to each 3-inch design. Open Edition. Retail price: Unknown.

On the last Sunday of every month, I'll devote this column to your questions and my answers. You can leave questions here as comments or else send them directly to me.

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