Ok, explain to me the appeal of vinylmation...

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

I started collecting them b/c I'm into custom vinyl toys that they were inspired from. I love Disney, so it was a fun design to collect. I'm picky about which ones I keep though, so I'm glad they started doing the trading in the parks. It's fun to find one you like and get rid of that weird one you don't really want in your collection.

It's just something cute to collect, if you don't like them then no one is going to make you buy them XD

you can trade them in the parks?? where?

I have....1. sigh. I bought one at the Disney store last fall, the idea of a blind box was fun so I thought eh. Why not. Was hoping for Cruella...got Gov'r Ratcliffe. ugh.

So the one and only one that I have, I want to trade. ROFL but I do want to get another...because you know..it's fun. LOL

 

[TheDisneyBunch]

Those are so neat, where did you get those display cabinets? That would be such an easier way to display my vinyls than cluttering my shelf.

Thanks so much! I love these cases for them. Check out Michael's stores. These are actually shot glass cabinets but they are the perfect size for vinyls. I had somebody else tell me about them and I had to get them. After next trip I will need a third one. OYE!!!

 

[KSDisneyDad]

I think their appeal is that they are fairly inexpensive (about the cost of a pin) and there is enough variety to appeal to a wide range of collectors whether you are into park series, Star Wars, Muppets, Cutesy, nerds, villians, sports, etc.

I agree that some are plain ugly, but there are others that are very cool IMO. I like the cruise line specific ones as well as the 40th Anniversary park series (i.e. The 4 major parks). I have about 7 or 8 myself that we display in our office at home. My kids enjoyed collecting and trading them on our most recent trip. They think some were horribly ugly, but that's also part of their appeal as you can trade them until you find something you like. They liked some of the Star Wars ones, but some of the Star Wars ones they thought were hideous.

It's a lot less expensive than many other collectibles such as Precious Moments, Lladro, Swarovski or even Jim Shore. The pricing and tradeability open it up to a wider audience, including kids.

As others have said, if you don't like it, don't buy it. I think some of the resales are ridiculous and create a frenzy like the beanie baby craze in the 90's as a PP mentioned. But if you buy them casually and not as an obsessive collector, I think they are better souvenirs than some of the "carp" that kids and others buy at WDW that goes in the trash a few months after you get home.

 

[nkereina]

The vinyl toy industry is actually pretty big. Disney is just jumping on the bandwagon. In the "artsy" part of town, we have small storefronts that sell large selections of various vinyl toys. Ever heard of Comic Con? It's a large comic book/toy/character convention and they always sell tons of vinyl toys there. My boyfriend bought a small Mickey one last year and it came with a bunch of stickers so you could make the face. Just sits on a shelf. I wouldn't buy one but they have a bit of a cult following in the collector industry.

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

Thanks so much! I love these cases for them. Check out Michael's stores. These are actually shot glass cabinets but they are the perfect size for vinyls. I had somebody else tell me about them and I had to get them. After next trip I will need a third one. OYE!!!

ohhh can u fix these pics too so I can see LOL

 

[michelleiada]

This is so funny! I have wondered what the appeal is for these things too! I don't get it and the weird part is they are in every single shop at WDW. I love to shop and buy Disney related items when I am there but these little things do nothing for me. I kept saying to myself when I'd see them, "what are these things and why are they popular" "What am I missing here?" They are weird looking if you ask me...and I typically love anything Mickey related. Personally, if I were to start a "Disney" related collection it would probably be Jim Shore Disney figurines. Now those....are nice!!

 

[TheDisneyBunch]

ohhh can u fix these pics too so I can see LOL

I paid to upgrade to the pro photobucket so they should be showing now. They are coming up on my end. Are they still now showing here? Hmm...

 

[iheartdisney]

The appeal of Vinylmation:
1. They are $10. Pretty cheap as far as souvineers go.
2. Its like peeling open your Wonka Bar to see if you got the golden ticket as you peel open the Silver foil wrap to see which figure you have.
3. Some of them are just plain cool. I like most of the Urban ones. They are starting to run out of Park ones, I think that series is getting pretty lame, and mostly WDW themed. Bummer.
4. The kids like to pop the heads off and swap them. Buzz Lightyears head on Miss Piggy's body... HILARIOUS to a 7 year old!!!
5. It is cute watching the kids try to pick one off of the shelf. They decide which series they want, but then their hand waves over the entire box, trying to pick one as if they are waiting for the box to call to them. My youngest will pick one up, shake it, and put it back until she finds JUST the right one!

I have mine lined up on top of my entertainment center. It is a 2 inch ledge, and they fit nicely. My DS has his lining his window sill. But after seeing the shot glass cabinets, I might have to run to Micheals!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I don't get it either. Now, that being said, it is true that after a couple of beers at the F&W festival my DH decided he would get one -just one!- that we would continually trade off whenever we were in a shop just for the heck of it. We take pictures of each one we get, it's better than having random Mickey-shaped pieces of plastic lying around our house.

 

[iheartdisney]

Just like any other thing to collect, they become addicting. They are some very ugly ones, I agree, but also some quite cute ones!

I do these mostly for my boys! For them, trading in the parks is quite fun and I love the interaction with cast members they get from talking about them and looking for certain ones.

They have 2 cases in their playroom that they display them in and I think they are quite cool.

I showed my Ds your picture, and after saying we HAVE to get some of those shelves (lol!) He wanted to see how many similar ones we have!

 

[dltnboz3mom]

I really love them. My DS and I collect them. They are cute and easy to display. I like them much more than the pins!

 

[wendydarling826]

They don't appeal to me, and I'm glad because the last thing I need is one more thing to collect!

 

[Micca]

I love many Disney collectables but these things leave me cold
I will say that whomever it was in the marketing dept that thought of selling these at $10 a pop for what must be pennies to manufacture, probably got a big promotion.

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

I paid to upgrade to the pro photobucket so they should be showing now. They are coming up on my end. Are they still now showing here? Hmm...

i can see i can see!!!! lol! awesome shelves! now where can i trade in the parks?

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

ok so....I just bought my 2nd one on eBay. LMAO I really liked it and had seen it and thought "oh I want that one!" so there you go. :O) uh oh....i better stop at 2. Or i will end up with another useless collection!!!!

 

[Micca]

ok so....I just bought my 2nd one on eBay. LMAO I really liked it and had seen it and thought "oh I want that one!" so there you go. :O) uh oh....i better stop at 2. Or i will end up with another useless collection!!!!

I think the rule of thumb is : More than 2 (of anything!) and you're a collector!

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

I'm in the same boat. They're only vaguely "Mickey-shaped" as they're sort of squat and of lumpy looking to me, and I find the fact that they have no eyes kind of creepy. I guess it's a matter of aesthetics.

 

[danceintherain]

I used to hate them. My son and daughter in law have hundreds of them and go to the special trading events, etc.

I now have a half dozen or so and they are cute. I like them better than pins.

I like them better than pins too. I don't know if that's enough to get me started. I've seen them around the parks and though "what the heck?" I guess we'll see what happens in the future.

 

[skater]

I hate them and resent that so much retail space is devoted to them - they're even on tote bags for goodness sake! But to each his own and I'm learning to "get over it" for the sake of those who love them .

 

[lucas]

I don't get them at all.

But somehow I have been sucked into collecting the vinylmation pins!