Spot Light Sunday Steffen Gerdes

Born in 1956 Steffen Gerdes has always considered himself a collector . Before Disney items he collected comics. After he married his wife Helle in 1987 the couple had a coin toss whether the current Beetle Bailey collection would grow or her Donald Duck collection. Donald won the toss which later landed Steffen a Guinness World Record for largest Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse Collection. While the Mickey Record was short lived he still holds the Record for Donald Duck.

 A Guinness world record is a amazing achievement for any collector, so I was really excited to hear about the steps and what it was like. Steffen was encouraged by his daughter to go for the record. After counting every piece in his collection he received and filled out the required paper work. He then had to have two upstanding members of the community come see his collection and sign the papers also saying his claim was true. Along with the paperwork he also had to take pictures of the collection and the Witnesses that also signed the papers. Though he was informed it would be a month and a half to go through all the paper work he didn't receive a response for nine long months. The response was his well deserved certificates.

The amazing collection is now 19,324 pieces total. 3,983 items in which are / include Donald Duck and 7,579 include Mickey. Among which are two antique wooden Pluto toys one by Danish Lego and one by Swedish Brio and Danish No. 1 Magazine are just a few favorites on his list. When asked if he has a grail piece he replied "If I should have a grail, it could be Scrooge' no. 1, the seated Liberty dime from 1875 from the 3 different american mints. That would be nice (and fun) to have."

In 1997 he participated in a exhibition where he displayed some of his collection . During this time he met and made friends with two other collectors. When all three participated the next year they met up again and later in the year decided to start a collectors club calling themselves "Bornholm Collectors". The club started with 20 members and now has between 65 and 70 members that meets four times a year . They continue to gain members by word of mouth and at the exhibitions the club holds themselves.

Steffen's collection revolves around the characters of Duckburg, and Mickey Mouse and friends.  Currently residing in a former farm house, outside Østermarie, a small town on the Danish Island of Bornholm. 200 m2 (200 square meters) is currently covered with collectibles with every space used. Mr. Gerdes hopes to always have something he will miss in his collection so it will never be complete and always hold the fun of collecting. With accomplishments like world records possibilities are endless.


Feel free to check out these links to learn more about Steffen and his club.

Steffen's Home page
Bornholms Collectors Home Page


QOTD: Have you ever Displayed your collection for the public?

Happy Birthday Mr. Disney

Facebook is lighting up today sending out praises to the man who started it all. Born in 1901 in Chicago Illinois. Starting his first studio in 1923 and releasing Steamboat Willie in 1928. Walt and his company has given our imagination wings ever since and continues to inspire those who extend his legacy every day! Thank you for all you did and do Mr. Disney you are are True Legend , Happy Birthday!

As for me , I hope to start writing frequently again . Though I won't be getting anything new for a while I do have some wonderful ideas that are aching to be wrote. Our moving plans have sailed but we haven't let go of the Dream . Because as our wonderful man of the hour once said, "If you can dream it, You can do it!". Keep on Dreaming Everyone and we'll see ya real soon!

QOTD: What is your favorite Disney Movie?

Spot light Sunday Diane-Lee Moore

One of the cutest collections I have ever seen is Diane's Disney Beanie Collection. When Diane first started as a CM at the Disney store in 1998 she purchased her very first and favorite Beanie Plush, Steamboat Willie (Mickey Mouse). It is her favorite since to her it represents her time as a CM and the beginning of what is now her collection. Combining her love for Disney and her ability to display the cute little beanies it was easy for her collection to grow. Today she has over 100 Plush Beanies and continues to collect .

Due to not many new releases Diane takes to Ebay to add to her collection. For now she really hopes to get some of the princess or prince beanies since she doesn't have any of them yet. Though she has never been to Disney World herself friends of hers bring her back Beanies when they visit and she gets her Disneyland fix at Disneyland Paris where she has been 3 times. Though collecting has become difficult since domestic shipping can be a stressful process she still strives to make her collection larger!

QOTD: Which is your favorite version of mickey, and why?

999 happy haunts

The Haunted Mansion has been a fan favorite for ages. With today being the first of October, the new Haunted Mansion shoppe "Momento Mori" that is currently replacing The Yankee Trader next to the Haunted Mansion in Disney World, and the fact that me and my husband have accepted the challenge to put together our very own Haunted Mansion Halloween Costumes. Which is definitely sounding like a difficult task.

While I have never done a review before I think this would be a awesome time to start. While I don't have many haunted mansion items. Since Haunted mansion items are rare and highly desired, I am extremely happy with the few items I do have. I think the best way to set up the Haunted mansion item reviews would be a 2 part blog so be watching out for the Haunted Mansion playset review some time this month along with other awesome spooks, tricks, treats, and fun. 

Before I pull out the game it's self I wanted to do a little research. When I research a item I like to check Ebay, Etsy ( if it is vintage), Amazon, google , wikipedia, etc. I like to know as much as I can about a item before I purchase it unless it's really cheap. In this case my husband bought the game for me for our anniversary. He bought it from a friend from his work who got it from a auction for a great price. What I found out made me very glad he did. 

Haunted Mansion Game , The Chilling Challenge to Escape the spinning spooks is a board game copyrighted in 1975. Even with a slit in the plastic and some dents to the corner this board game has sold on Ebay $1,142.77 plus shipping. Doombuggies.com mentions the game in their article titled "Collectibles from the Haunted Mansion", saying " The intricate, 3-D game board with colorful artwork and moving pieces is hard to find in good condition today, which makes this game a valuable Haunted Mansion collectible." 

I would put mine in the category of good. When looking at the box there are some major flaws. The box is bowed out which would make me think that some time between the time of purchase and the time it was purchased for me the game came in contact with water. There are bends and rips on the sides of the box and the Base of the box is part of the game so it doesn't come apart . ( At least not that I have tried since it is in there very tightly.) The cover art is bright, eye catchy, and not damaged. 

Upon opening the box there is a fold out back drop. The inside of the mansion on one side depicting multiple ghosts and Abigale Patecleaver sitting on her husbands tombstone. A little back history about Abigale, later named Constance Hatchaway is one in the same to the hatchet baring black widower found in the Attic of the Haunted Mansion. On the far right side of the front you can find the Raven. Inspired by Edgar Allen Poes book "The Raven" while seen many times through out the mansion plays no huge role but on the 1969 record, "The Story and Song From the Haunted Mansion" the Ghost Host refers to the raven as being possessed by the restless spirit of a old nag. The Raven is attached by a plastic bar to the game board allowing it to move. On the back of the backdrop you can see the outside of the Mansion. Again the raven appears just over the logo on the gate post. 

 

The game pieces for the game for the game are a red, blue, yellow, and green Doom Buggie. The game also comes with 2 small dice and 4 cardboard standees. One set of Spectral Waltzers, the Opera singers, Ezra and Gus of the hitch hiking ghosts and of coarse the terrified care taker (or as the game refers to him the watchman)  with his poor scared to death whimpering dog. These are set on the spinning discs attached to the bottom of the board game. 

 

To Play: Players take turn rolling the dice and moving their pawns to race through the haunted Mansion. BUT ... if your token lands on a spin the turntables are to be spun a quarter turn. This could either send you to the exit door and the win or back the way you came from. First person to get to the exit wins. Simple and fun and a awesome collectible to have!

QOTD : Who or what is your favorite Haunted Mansion haunt?

References:
DoomBuggies.com - http://www.doombuggies.com/collectibles1.php
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Haunted_Mansion_characters