Author: Nick the Disney Devo
I confess. The first time I saw Vinylmation, I didn’t get it.
Then, on a trip to Walt Disney World, in 2011, I discovered Vinylmation trading.
One day, while in the Screen Door General Store at the Boardwalk Resort, I saw this Rizzo the Rat Muppets Vinyl in one of the clear trading boxes. I wanted it. I also liked a few of the newly released Animation 1 set. So, I bought one. It was Aladdin. I’m an Aladdin fan, but I’m not as drawn to this Vinyl as I am to others, so I traded for Rizzo.
The very next day, I found this little beauty in the Serka Zong Bazaar at the exit of Expedition Everest in the Animal Kingdom.
I was officially hooked.
Another thing I like about Vinylmation is the rare and unusual characters. All of these examples come from the Park 6 Series.
From Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom, comes that stellar entertainer, Sonny Eclipse.
This next piece is a Vinyl of the Troll from The Puffin’s Roost in the Norway Pavilion in Epcot.
Maybe not a character in the traditional sense, but I for one have a few photos from past trips of me posing with this lovable fella.
Here is a rather extreme version of a character a few of you may recognize.
In 1995 an animated short called “Runaway Brain” starring Mickey Mouse was released with the feature film “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court”.
Finding a Vinyl I want to trade at the parks can be a highlight of the trip, and here are two I found that are among my favorites:
Then there is the excitement of picking up a “blind” box and getting a figure you want. It’s like gambling for toys.
Now I won’t lie, I have gotten some clunkers from picking up the blind boxes, but that’s okay, because I can use them to trade.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, some stores at the parks, and, as well as Disney Stores, have a little clear lucite box, with three Vinylmations to trade. Some park locations have mystery boxes, where you pick a number from a box numbered 1 to 15 or 1 to 24.
If you are interested in jumping in and trading, there are a couple things you should know.
Some stores have different rules when it comes to trading, usually you can make 2 picks from the blind box, and if you don’t like what you’ve picked you get to keep your figure.
I recently had an experience that was different however. Apparently, some stores will give you 2 picks, and KEEP your original figure even if you don’t like what you chose.
Other stores will allow only one pick.
So, I strongly recommend you ask the policy of that location before trading.
Also, while the “rules” are to pick from a “blind” box, often, if you ask the Cast Member you are trading with “What looks good to YOU in there?” or “Are there any Mickey’s?”, they will often tell you. Don’t hesitate to ask, the worse they can say is “I can’t tell you.”
Something else that is great about trading, you may actually run into fellow collectors, and trade with them. I’ve had some great experiences doing this. That’s me on the right with a new friend.
Like pin trading, trading vinylmation a great way to get a shy child, or if you yourself are introverted, socializing.
Have fun!
Nick is co-writer of the Disney Musings Blog.
