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Category Archives: Merchandise
Look for the Disney Trademarks
We’ve all done this: We’re browsing in an antique shop or at a flea market and come across a Disney treasure. We know we’ve found something special, but how old is it? We pick it up and turn it over, hoping to find a date. But all we find is a Disney trademark.
But wait! It’s different from the one we know. We pick up another piece of Disneyana, and it has yet another trademark stamped on it! And now we’re all confused. Well, I’m here to clear up that confusion by sharing with you the Disney trademarks that I’ve found over the years, and what I know about their dates:
Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio
October 16, 1923 until 1929
There was some rare merchandise produced before this time, but it wasn’t technically ‘Disney’. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit did a tidy little bit of business in a few lines of toys and books before Walt lost him. But for original Disney merchandise, if you can find a Disney Brothers item, you’ve got a gem! But I don’t think a lot of those earliest items had trademark stamps.
Walt Disney Productions
1929 until 1986
This trademark crosses the most amounts of years. So one piece trademarked ‘WDP’ could be old and valuable while another could be newer and relatively worthless. This trademark can be spelled out in full or shortened to the ‘WDP’ letters, or even to ‘Walt Disney Prod’ with all versions being fairly common. It usually depended on how much room was available on the piece in question as to which one was used.
This is the trademark you’re most likely to come across in the average shop or online.
Walt Disney Company
February 6, 1986 to the present.
This trademark is usually spelled out in full and is the second most common trademark found today due to the sheer amount of merchandise produced since 1986. Only items produced with this trademark that had limited production runs or that featured sought-after characters will be of any real monetary value.
Disney Enterprises Inc.
(No information)
This trademark is rare but it does crop up from time to time.
Disney
(Various time periods)
I started to notice this shortened trademark sometime in the early 1990’s and it is in wide use today. But the short ‘Disney’ trademark may also be found on earlier merchandise.
And it’s interesting to note that Disney is now shortening the movie division trademark from ‘Walt Disney Pictures’ and ‘Walt Disney’ to just ‘Disney’.
Keep in mind that any or all of these trademarks can be accompanied by dates, as in the example pictured above.
Although by no means comprehensive, I hope this brief look at Disney trademarks will help you when you’re trying to determine dates during your next visit to a yard sale!
Related articles
- Order Disney Food Blog’s Guide to Walt Disney World Dining (chipandco.com)
- WDW Tin Tray (disneyatdisleelandiablog.blogspot.com)
Get Ready to Join the Marvel ReEvolution
Marvel comics is about to change the comic industry forever. Yesterday at SXSW, Marvel announced their newest step into the future by announcing the Marvel ReEvolution! What exactly is it? Hit the jump for the press release below. What I can tell you, it’ll change the way you read comics for ever, and I’m very excited about it!
WonderCon 2011 – What I’m Look Forward To
In anticipation of next weekends WonderCon, which will be held in Anaheim, CA, I thought it would be good to take a look at some of the things I’m really looking forward to checking it out. I’ll be covering the Con every day next weekend, so I hope to see some of you there! Hit a jump to take a look at some of the panels I’m most looking forward to.
Marvel Graphic Novels Now Available Through iBookStore
Fans of Marvel comics who have an iPhone or iPad should be very excited at this announcement. Marvel has announced today that over eighty of it’s most popular titles will now be available to purchase through Apple’s iBookStore. Some of my favorite comic runs, including ‘Civil War’, ‘The Dark Tower’, and ‘Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm’ can now be found in the palm of your hand, thanks to this new partnership between Apple and Marvel. I can say I’m definitely excited about this. How about you? Hit the jump for the full press release.
Marvel Digital Graphic Novels Now Available on Apple’s iBookstore
Marvel announced today that more than 80 of its most popular graphic novels, featuring the Avengers, Spider-Man, Wolverine and more of the world’s most popular super heroes, are now available on the iBookstore.
Marvel graphic novels such as Civil War, Avengers, Stephen King’s Dark Tower, Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm, and Astonishing X-Men can now be read on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, and customers can download a chapter from New Avengers Vol.1. for free.
“Marvel is taking the world of comics by storm and releasing a massive selection of our best and brightest graphic novels on the iBookstore,” said Peter Phillips, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Marvel Digital Media Group. “For the first time ever, fans will be able to easily find and enjoy all of their favorite heroes including The Avengers, Spider-Man and The X-Men on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch — one of the best digital platforms for reading comics and graphic novels.”
For the full selection of Marvel Graphic Novels now available on the iBookstore, launch the iBooks app on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch or go to www.itunes.com/
Marvel-Inspired Pet Toys, Apparel and Accessories to Debut Exclusively at PetSmart
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a global character-based entertainment company, announced today that is it expanding into the pet category for the first time with a Super Hero inspired pet program. Through a new licensing agreement with Fetch…for cool pets!, a unique line of Marvel Super Hero inspired pet toys, apparel and accessories will be unleashed at PetSmart, the largest pet specialty retailer, beginning this week.
The line will feature a wide array of Marvel-themed pet products for dogs including toys and apparel. Additionally, a wide assortment of aquatic products will follow shortly after and all will be available in PetSmart stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico as well as online at www.PetSmart.com.
PetSmart, Marvel and Fetch…for cool pets! will support the Marvel Super Hero pet program with an impactful marketing campaign. Highlighting the campaign will be in-store signage, online promotions and a sweepstakes exclusively for PetSmart Facebook fans on www.facebook.com/petsmart.com.
“Marvel Super Heroes are a family affair and therefore, should include the family pet,” said Jamie Kampel, Director of Licensing, Marvel Entertainment. “As we continue to look to expand the presence of the Marvel brand to new product and retail venues, the pet category is a natural extension. Fetch has developed a truly unique line, and having PetSmart on board as our premiere retail partner will enable us to make a huge statement for the Marvel brand in the pet category.”
Steven Shweky, President of Fetch…for cool pets! added, “Fetch is approaching licensing from a different direction. Instead of using brands that would typically only appeal to children, Fetch has licensed brands that resonate with the ‘pet parent.’ Marvel is the perfect brand to reflect our approach.”
