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Welcome Foolish Mortals

My name is Carrie Vines and I'm a little obsessed with Disney's Haunted Mansion. I'm blessed with a husband who supports my obsession and even encourages it. My kids, well...they barely tolerate it. But they're young and resilient. They'll recover. 

My husband, Sam, and I have always celebrated Halloween with a little more enthusiasm than anyone else on the block. When we decided to start an annual haunt, we both looked to the Haunted Mansion for inspiration. It was then we discovered the collector's circuit and our calling. While searching the web for Haunted Mansion decorating ideas, I stumbled across Doombuggies.com and found my refuge on the internet.  I've met some of my closest friends on doombuggies, and spend my time there hearing other collector's stories, seeing their collections and the creative ways in which they displayed their pieces, sharing our defeats and celebrating our victories on ebay when we finally procured that one 'must-have' piece. If you haven't checked out doombuggies, go check it out. NOW. And then come back here and share your favorite Haunted Mansion collectible or tattoo or shrine to Master Gracey. You're among friends here. 

Thanks for stopping by and just as in the ride, I will conclude here with Little Leota's haunting words:

"Hurry back… Hurry back! Be sure to bring your death certificate, if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now. We've been  'dying’ to have you…”

Haunted Mansion Tabletop Block Puzzle

Friday, March 5, 2010 at 10:31am

When it comes to my collection, I enjoy having anything that will help my house look or feel more like the Haunted Mansion.  I think that’s why I’m so drawn to The Haunted Mansion Tabletop Block Puzzle.  I think this piece fills my craving for everyday ‘haunted-houseware’ items.  I’m not normally a fan of puzzles.  Don’t have the patience for them, but I like the feeling of this toy.  The pieces are chunky, and I don’t mind people picking up the blocks and examining them a little closer.  I can set this piece on the coffee table in our haunted library, and not cringe when someone wants to touch it. It’s a great conversation starter. Collectors prize their one of kind, low edition pieces, and I’m no different, however I find it refreshing to incorporate pieces in the collection that invite one to sit down, stay and, yes, even play!

I would have preferred to shoot this puzzle on the coffee table in our library, but that room is getting an overhaul and is unavailable.

How I adore the attention to details, such as these faces in the molding located in the 4 corners of the frame.


While this is a sturdier collectible, I don’t recommend dropping the blocks in the puzzle as my 11 year old assistant did. No harm done here, folks.

Here are the six different scenes you can make with this puzzle. I love the wallpaper and adding the 40th logo was a nice touch, I thought!

Here are the specs for this piece:
Title: Haunted Mansion Tabletop Block Puzzle
Artist: John Mauvezin
Medium: Mixed Media
Edition Size: 300

As Giddy Girlie mentioned in the comments of my last post, there were some pieces from the Haunted Mansion 40th event still available at Disneyland as recently as the last weekend of February. And thanks to my dear, dear friend, Guy the Ghoul for sending me this perfect housewarming gift.

Posted in Event Merchandise, Theme Park Merchandise | Tags: , ,

by Carrie

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Conservatory Coffin

Friday, February 12, 2010 at 6:34pm

Oh, Internet! I’m so glad to be back!  And with something as exquisite as this next piece.  Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily really outdid themselves with the Conservatory Coffin.

I’m in love with this piece, which is so appropriate with Valentine’s Day around the corner.  Seriously. I love to hold this coffin in my hand, and run my fingers across the tiny details of the molding, the claw feet, the tassels.  The tiny magnetic candle holders push me over the edge, though. You can remove them and set them next to the coffin, or put them on the coffin and feel that pull of the magnet lock them into place.  Its the most delightful quality to this limited edition collectible.  The coffin offers an eery green glow with the touch of a switch, and with the turn of the key, the hands push the coffin lid up and down ever so slowly.  If you didn’t get your bony fingers on this piece at the Haunted Mansion 40th event in 2009, then have fun bidding for it on eekbay.

Oh, and Internet, don’t be hating the dusty outline of candlesticks on the coffin lid. I’m just keepin’ it real.

Carrie Vines Photographycandlestick on blurry coffin

Posted in Event Merchandise | Tags: , , , ,

by Carrie

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Fanmade Friday | Mouse of Zen

Friday, February 5, 2010 at 1:00pm

The outpouring of support and understanding has been so overwhelming.  Thank you again, friends.

It has come to my attention that in my spam purge, some of my existing comments were also deleted and I was unable to send private emails last week to the following: MG13, Serenity Jess, Halfbeard and Darker Image.  Please accept my apologies.  If you try to leave a comment in the future and have trouble doing so, please email me at carrie@hauntedmansioncollectibles.com so we can get it straightened out!

And Congratulations to Charlotte!  She is the lucky winner of the handmade Oogie by Karl.  And Karl, thanks again for paying it forward.

Now…I’m so excited to introduce our first Fanmade Friday guest for 2010.  In the crazy, fast paced and often nonsensical prosing on Twitter, Mouse of Zen tweets stand out with refreshingly simple, yet captivating lines about one of my favorite subjects, Disney.  The author of Mouse of Zen, J.B. Conway, writes haikus, hundreds of them, all about Disney.  So of course, I had to inquire about my favorite ride, the Haunted Mansion.  Last year, in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion, MOZ released a series of Haunted Mansion Haiku and teamed up with yours truly to combine his haunting refrains with some of my favorite photographs.  The results were pretty exciting!

man wearing sun glassesMy pen name is J.B. Conway & go by “Brad” to family & friends. J.B. was my grandfather’s name & I decided to use it for the name tag on my police uniform along with my “author” name of choice. Been in police work since 1998. Before that, I was a “sandwich artist”, LOL!

How did you first come to writing Haikus?  Why that format?

After 9/11, I began writing poetry in reference to how mad the incident made me feel. After about 100 poems into the book, I came across some haiku & began to write my own for the book. I wrote 205 haiku & enjoyed the process of trying to write something rather powerful in such few words, I had several published in various haiku “e-zines” that were well known for rather good haiku. I am after a similar feeling that gave me by attempting to get some of my Mouse Of Zen haiku into Celebrations magazine for the 1000s of Disney fanatics to enjoy!

There seems to be a big leap from your first book of poetry, Crime Scene Lyrics, to your new Mouse of Zen project.  Why the shift?

Simple. “Crime Scene” was prechildren & “Mouse Of Zen” was postchildren! Wanted to create a “database” of how Disney me me feel after bringing our children there for the first time in 2006. Something my kids could share with their own children off in the future!

I love the haiku you wrote about your daughter eating a Dole Whip. Not only do I see her sitting there with her sticky face, but I can also picture you, watching her, soaking in the moment. Does your poetry come to you in the moments, or is it more a reflective process?

I write the “Mouse Of Zen” haiku based on memories of our family trips. Recently, I have found myself enjoying brilliant WDW photography & writing something “on the fly” based on the photo. This past trip in September 2009 was the first trip we have been on since I created the “Mouse Of Zen” so I wrote around ten haiku that was more of ” in the moment”.

Haunted Mansion Haiku

How many Disney haikus have you written?  Do you have a favorite theme within Disney?

The first MOZ book has been completed and that will consist of 300 haiku. I have already started the process of writing the next 300 for volume 2. Think I am about 12 into book #2!

Haunted Mansion 13 Hour Clock haiku

How many Disney parks have you visited?  Do you have a favorite?

Only been to WDW but would like to go to Disney Land one day. Due to finances, parks outside the United States will probably always remain a dream of mine. Epcot is my favorite park of WDW!

Speaking of favorites, do you have a favorite haiku you’ve written?  Can you share it?

I don’t recall an exact favorite haiku but it seems my favorites seem to be the ones based of memories of my children!

Haunted Mansion Hearse Haiku

When can we expect your Mouse of Zen book to be released? How can I get a copy? ;)

The book will be avaliable within the next couple of months. I plan on offering signed copies of around a 100 limited run. If there is demand for more “signed copies”, I will gladly increase that past 100!

reprinted with permission – © J.B. Conway

If you would like to learn more about his Mouse of Zen projects, you can find him on Twitter, Facebook and of course, www.mouseofzen.com

Every time MOZ’s  ”Disney inspired, mouse-size poetry” pops up on twitter, I’m instantly transported into my own personal Disney oasis.  Even if its just for a moment.  I can taste the dole whip, smell the churros and popcorn, feel the magic of Disney.  I’m really honored J.B. joined us today for Fanmade Friday.  I know I can’t wait to get my hands on his new book.

Posted in Fanmade Fridays | Tags: , , ,

by Carrie

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