Oct 21, 2023 at 9:02 AM Update: 21 minutes ago
A life-size statue of Goofy, a pocket watch from Uncle Scrooge or a rare Disney comic: Disney enthusiasts can make special finds online. It turns out that this is not just a hobby: it has the potential to be a good investment.
Items are increasingly made in small quantities. These limited editions are doing very well, Wouter Korst tells NU.nl. In addition to being a great Disney collector, he is also a Catawiki expert.
In this role, he searches for special objects for the auction site that are “unique and collectible”. He and his colleagues also try to assess the authenticity of objects. Together they determine the guidelines for the prices.
The average value of Disney items sold on Catawiki has increased in recent years. For example, a lithograph by the famous American cartoonist Carl Barks increased fivefold in value: the item was sold for 511 euros in 2019 and for 2,600 euros in 2022.
That doesn’t stop Disney fans: compared to other European countries, we spend the most on Disney stuff in the Netherlands.
The very first (American) Donald Duck from 1935. Disney experts have estimated the value between 800 euros and 1,300 euros. Photo: Catawiki
Enthusiasts are willing to pay a lot for original drawings
Govert Valkering, owner of webshop Fi Donc, also sees that certain Disney items can rise significantly in price. As an example, he mentions a series of porcelain figurines that are currently no longer made by Disney.
“The statues are in high demand because that’s what they are now collector items become. Of some statues, only five hundred have been released worldwide,” says Valkering. “Whereas previously you paid an average of a few hundred euros for a statue of Lumiére from Beauty and the Beast or the queen of hearts Alice in Wonderlandthese now cost about 2,000 euros.”
A drawing by the well-known artist Carl Banks, depicting Scrooge McDuck, is for sale in Valkering’s webshop for just under 10,000 euros. According to Korst, in addition to the merchandise, the original drawings of comics are very popular. “All European countries have their own Disney magazine, so everyone is familiar with the comics,” says Korst. “The original drawings often still contain the pencil lines. Enthusiasts are willing to pay a lot of money for this.”
“Disney has issued a license to a number of publishers. And they all have Dutch cartoonists who draw Donald Duck comics. They do this of course with the Disney signature, but secretly they put something of themselves in it. This applies to every artist. the work is immediately recognizable. For collectors it is a game to look for the comics and drawings of their favorite artist.”
How do you choose a Disney item (which may increase in value)? Tips from Govert Valkering:
Buy a limited edition item; Choose an item released for a special occasion (for example, 100 years of Disney); Go for the main character from a well-known film; Choose porcelain and (precious) metal, not synthetic resin or other plastics; Above all, buy what you like.
Disney rarely releases theme park properties
The objects on Catawiki come from all over Europe and the United States. For example, a wooden carousel horse from 1992 that served as a prototype in Disneyland Paris is currently for sale.
“That is unique, because Disney rarely makes those types of items available. Selling park objects is somewhat at the expense of the magic,” says Korst. “The horse was once auctioned at an amusement park charity auction and now the current seller is willing to sell it.”
The carousel horse has not spent a day in the park. Still, the experts estimate the value at 25,000 euros. “It is a piece of craftsmanship that designers, designers and decorators have worked on,” says Korst. “They ultimately opted for a different style. But an object like this does provide an insight into the process that precedes a new attraction.”
The wooden carousel horse from 1992 that served as a prototype. Photo: Catawiki
Donald Duck is the most popular Disney character in the Netherlands
“Those unique objects also attract a group that is us passionate enthusiasts to call. These are people who do not have a house full of Disney items, but are looking for unique items. Objects that, for example, represent something from their youth, have a certain aesthetic value or look nice in the home.”
Between January 2022 and August 2023, five thousand Disney-related works of art were sold on Catawiki. The most common main character in these works is Disney icon Mickey Mouse. The famous mouse, born in 1928, appears in more than 25 percent of the five thousand works of art, followed by Bambi (6 percent), Minnie Mouse (4 percent) and Donald Duck (3 percent). Previously, the famous artist Damien Hirst created a collection inspired by Mickey Mouse.
Although the well-known mouse is especially popular in the United States. In the Netherlands he loses out to Donald Duck, who has his own weekly magazine. “Everyone knows it and has read it,” says Valkering, who named his son after the world’s most famous duck.
2023-10-21 07:02:44
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