Disney Collectors -need Some Help - Very Rare

[theantiquetiger]

My boss has been telling me about a Mickey Mouse animal cracker box he owns. Back in the 70's, he worked for the State Archives and he was told to clean out a store room and throw everything away. He said he was 1/2 through before he looked at what he was discarding. It was a bunch of packages that companies send to the state to have their trademark registered with the state. He kept a bunch of old flour and coffee sacks, and this Mickey Mouse animal cracker box. I went to his house to get it from him because he said he just had it stuck in the top of his closet. I took one look at this box and about fell over. I now have it in a top load comic book holder on a card back, in an acid free bag. He asked me what I think it is worth, and I have no clue. I told him I would not be surprised if it is over $1000 because there was no Mickey Mouse animal crackers.

When I Google it, I get zero hits.

I know there are a few Disney collectors here and I was hoping some one may know something. The lihograph on this thing is perfect except the one pic with the crease through it. The only thing else wrong with the box is one of the inside flaps is torn off but present. Luckily there is no picture on it.

Sorry for the blurry pics, took w/o a flash because it is inside the bag now.

[toys2cool]

wow dude you find some really cool items,I've never heard or seen this before,My mom use to collect a lot of Disney items but never seen it

[Bizarro Amy]

That is freakin awesome. I would contact Antiques Roadshow or the History Detectives on the Discovery Channel and see if they can dig up anything. The art on that looks like it's from the 40s or so.

[theantiquetiger]

wow dude you find some really cool items, I've never heard or seen this before, My mom use to collect a lot of Disney items but never seen it

Unfortunately its not mine. I just have great appreciation for stuff like these. I was wondering since he told me the company sent this to the state to register the trademark with the state and I cannot find any info on this box, that there maybe only 48 of these known in existence.

If or when I find the value of it, I may make him an offer. He doesn't want to sell it but his wife does, so you know what that means, its for sale!!

[batmanmc]

That is freakin awesome. I would contact Antiques Roadshow or the History Detectives on the Discovery Channel and see if they can dig up anything. The art on that looks like it's from the 40s or so.

this is the best idea or do completed ebay searches for unproduced disney products

[Hulk]

The reason you probably couldn't find it is because it is probably a knockoff. Notice the misspelling of Mickie, opposed to Mickey.

http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/tm/foodpack/food3508.html

[theantiquetiger]

The reason you probably couldn't find it is because it is probably a knockoff. Notice the misspelling of Mickie, opposed to Mickey.

http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/tm/foodpack/food3508.html

http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/tm/foo...mages/3508.jpg

I never noticed it I have dyslexia and read it as Mickey, Thanks for the heads up.

[batmanmc]

see these guys cn find anything out for you. pretty cool piece even if its a knockoff. mike

[toys2cool]

I never noticed it I have dyslexia and read it as Mickey, Thanks for the heads up.

it's still a great piece,and you never know might even fetch higher cause it's a knock-off,just look at the Mr.Rock and Mr.Spock

[Megospidey]

I collected 1930's (ca. 1928-1938) Disney memorabillia in the late 80's/early-mid 90's. Here is a pic of part of my collection (still have some of it - most of it's gone):



It's not a knockoff - the artwork gives it away. This art falls between the years 1928-1933. Mickey's face (especially his eyes) usually determines the time frame. After 1933, Disney stopped drawing the single line over his eyes. The bulk of vintage Mickey Mouse stuff falls between 1933-1938, and American items are usually either marked "c. Walter E. Disney" or "c. Walt Disney" or "c. Walt Disney Enterprises" I know the website Hulk listed says 1934, but that date could be off by a year or two. Also, the Three Little Pigs debuted in May 1933, so it is sometime around that date.

More than likely it is a foreign, unlicensed piece. Probably either Germany or France (that is the reason for the misspelling). Just because the item was distributed in America, doesn't mean it was made in America. Since there are no markings that I can see, this is probably the case. Sometimes, however, an American item would be produced and distributed in those days without any markings. It's rare, but it did happen. So it could be American, but more than likely it is not.

I don't have a clue as to value because I've never seen one before. Hake's would be a good place to start to get an estimated value.

Wish I could be of more help.
__________________________________________

I will also add this:

National Biscuit Company (later Nabisco) had Disney's liscense in the US for food products like this during this time frame.

I noticed that the website Hulk listed has it being produced by United Biscuit Company of America. This is more than likely the reason why it has no markings - it is an unlicensed producted utilizing Disney artwork. Very common to do that in those days.

[toys2cool]

I collected 1930's (ca. 1928-1938) Disney memorabillia in the late 80's/early-mid 90's. Here is a pic of part of my collection (still have some of it - most of it's gone):

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/6...lectionlp8.jpg

It's not a knockoff - the artwork gives it away. This art falls between the years 1928-1933. Mickey's face (especially his eyes) usually determines the time frame. After 1933, Disney stopped drawing the single line over his eyes. The bulk of vintage Mickey Mouse stuff falls between 1933-1938, and American items are usually either marked "c. Walter E. Disney" or "c. Walt Disney" or "c. Walt Disney Enterprises" I know the website Hulk listed says 1934, but that date could be off by a year or two. Also, the Three Little Pigs debuted in May 1933, so it is sometime around that date.

More than likely it is a foreign, unlicensed piece. Probably either Germany or France (that is the reason for the misspelling). Just because the item was distributed in America, doesn't mean it was made in America. Since there are no markings that I can see, this is probably the case. Sometimes, however, an American item would be produced and distributed in those days without any markings. It's rare, but it did happen. So it could be American, but more than likely it is not.

I don't have a clue as to value because I've never seen one before. Hake's would be a good place to start to get an estimated value.

Wish I could be of more help.
__________________________________________

I will also add this:

National Biscuit Company (later Nabisco) had Disney's liscense in the US for food products like this during this time frame.

I noticed that the website Hulk listed has it being produced by United Biscuit Company of America. This is more than likely the reason why it has no markings - it is an unlicensed producted utilizing Disney artwork. Very common to do that in those days.

wow that's some great info Derek,you really do know your Disney stuff

[theantiquetiger]

MegoSpidey:

You say it is not a knockoff? Did this company actually use Disney art on its box and got a registered trademark on it?

It is marked, Chicago on the flap that is torn off. What gets me is it is a trademarked item but not Disney. I guess back then just by changing two letter, they got away with it. The picture may not show it, but one I have is nicer than the one Hulk posted a link to because that has three missing tabs (one of the tabs has artwork on it) and the one I have is only missing on tab (no missing art work), but I have it.

MegoSpidey, I know you said you don't know the value of it, but as a vintage Disney collector, if you were to make a fair market offer on this thing, what would it be?

[Megospidey]

MegoSpidey:

You say it is not a knockoff? Did this company actually use Disney art on its box and got a registered trademark on it?

It is marked, Chicago on the flap that is torn off. What gets me is it is a trademarked item but not Disney. I guess back then just by changing two letter, they got away with it. The picture may not show it, but one I have is nicer than the one Hulk posted a link to because that has three missing tabs (one of the tabs has artwork on it) and the one I have is only missing on tab (no missing art work), but I have it.

MegoSpidey, I know you said you don't know the value of it, but as a vintage Disney collector, if you were to make a fair market offer on this thing, what would it be?

That is Disney art - no doubt about it. Looks like an early artist by the name of Ub Iwerks. Walt himself couldn't really draw - he was the idea man. Ub did all of the early artwork. Most of the unlicensed, foreign art has Mickey looking more like a rat instead of a mouse. Ocassionally, foreign artists would copy American art - but the more I look at this it looks like it was made in the states and not overseas.

As I said, Nabisco (National Biscuit Company) had the licensing for many food products like this. If United Biscuit Company wanted to produce Mickey stuff, it would have been easy for them to copy the artwork and change the spelling of his name to get around the liscensing issue. So yes and no - it is a knockoff in that it's not a licensed Disney item from that time era. But it's not a knockoff in the area of artwork - that is Disney artwork for sure. Not sure how they obtained it, but it's Disney nonethless.

As far as value - because it is a paper product and a food product, it is a high dollar item. Paper products like this box were meant to be thrown away. I would probably value it somewhere between $500-1500...maybe even more since it's not a licensed Disney item.

I've seen Post Toasties boxes with Mickey artwork go for this amount, so that's what I'm using for my gauge. Hope this helps.

[theantiquetiger]

Thanks for the info, it is alot of help. I am wondering if these ever hit the market, because other than the link to the Oregon State Archives (mine came from Louisiana State Archives) there are no hits on this thing.

[saildog]

Does this help at all? Evidently, there was a lawsuit around 1934.

July 31

* Disney files a lawsuit against the United Biscuit Company of America, Sawyer Biscuit Company, and the Chicago Carton Company. The case involves the unauthorized use of Disney characters for animal crackers. The suit is settled in favor of Disney after four months. [113.273]

http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/disnehis/disn1934.htm

http://www.thisdayindisneyhistory.homestead.com/July31.html

United Biscuit Company was created by the merger of Sawyer and Chicago Carlton (among other companies) and later became Keebler (yeah, those elves are sneaky).

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2886.html

United Biscuit Company

Mickie Mouse Animal Crackers - #3508, United Biscuit Company of America, Illinois, 1934

http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/tm/foodpack/food3508.html

(Hulk's Link)