Haunted Mansion Collectibles » Theme Park Merchandise

Haunted Mansion Tabletop Block Puzzle

Carrie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:31:06 +0000

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.

Stretching Portraits

Carrie — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:01:15 +0000

Hands down, the number one question I receive is “Where did you get those Stretching Portraits?”

These Stretching Portraits are amazing and provide the perfect backdrop for any Haunted Mansion collection. And I’m so excited to share that these prints are once again available at the Disney Gallery thru Print on Demand. We recently visited the newly opened Disney Gallery for an artist signing, and I had to stop at the kiosk to see for myself. Besides the stretching portraits, the Duelists are available, as well as some Haunted Mansion concept art.

Disney Gallery Returns!

Carrie — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:29:21 +0000

The Disney Gallery is set to open this Fall in the former Bank of Main Street Building in Disneyland! Read more about it here. This is great news to Haunted Mansion collectors and Disney fans, as it is a great source for art and collectibles. I’m pretty sure the number one question I get regarding my collection is “Where did you get those stretching portraits?” Print on Demand located in the Disney Gallery was my biggest source, so I’m really hoping Print of Demand will make a return as well. I believe there is a POD station located in World of Disney store in Downtown Disney (or there was one last time I was there, which was some time ago) but it seems as though their selections differed from Disney Gallery. I’m sure there will be some wonderful pieces celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion at the Gallery, which will be a welcomed site to many fans, especially those who were unable to attend the merchandise events this year.

Haunted Mansion by George Scribner (Photo from DisneyGallery.com)

Madame Leota by Yakovetic (Photo from DisneyGallery.com)

Hitchhiking Ghost Gate Plaque Mirror

Carrie — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:00:50 +0000

Thanks for all the well wishes for Sam. He’s sore from all the injections, but we are feeling hopeful that the procedure he had yesterday will offer Sam a reprieve from back pain for a good long time. While you didn’t know it, all your comments kept me in good spirits while sitting at the hospital, and for that, I’m sincerely grateful.

I was really impressed with all the guesses and more excited that so many of you participated! In the end, Ste3ve guessed correctly! It is indeed the Hitchhiking Ghost Gate Plaque Mirror sold at the Disneyland Resort back in 2003 (I think.)

The Haunted Mansion Gate Plaque is legendary among fans and collectors in part because Disney has only released 4 replicated versions. If I’m wrong, someone please correct me. There are bootleg versions available on eekbay, of course. This plaque stands out from the others because of the special effect included. You think its just a mirror, but then suddenly the Hitchhiking Ghosts appear in ghostly green form. It seems that they did indeed follow you home. The demon’s eyes turn blood red and you hear the familiar and always bone-chilling voice of the Ghost Host with his welcoming spiel.

The sensor located in the skull at the base of the plaque is very sensitive, so we leave ours turned off most of the time.

I don’t know what it is about horned beasts. I’m frightened, and yet strangely attracted to them, this guy in particular. He looks like a cross between Amadeus and Chernabog, another favorite villain of mine.

The mirror has The Haunted Mansion etched in the glass, which I discovered is challenging to photograph. Don’t stare at the following picture too long. You might get disoriented.

Perhaps the most beautiful detail in the plaque is the wreath of oak leaves and acorns. In Celtic mythology, the mighty oak tree, often represented as oak leaves and acorns, is called the tree of doors, believed to be a gateway between worlds. You will sometimes see depictions of oak leaves and acorns on tombstones, as well, signifying strength, honor, longevity and steadfastness.

And finally, weird glows gleam where spirits dwell….

So here is a last minute video I put together, so you could see all the components working together.

Be sure to stop back this friday for another Fanmade Friday and give-away!!

Let’s SHAG, baby!

Carrie — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:28:40 +0000

I remember feeling disappointed when I first saw that the SHAG “Spirited” Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Cocktail Reception (which is sold out) was being held on August 8th, the day before the much debated opening date of Haunted Mansion. I thought there should be something on August 9th to celebrate this special occasion! Well, I was hasty to assume that Disneyland would celebrate the Mansion’s birthday with nothing more than a birthday sticker… albeit a cute sticker, indeed! Besides the Shag Cocktail Reception and the highly anticipated Anniversary Merchandise Event, Disneyland is hosting a SHAG Haunted Mansion Product Release & Signing from 10:00-1:00 on August 9th. Now, I have a hard enough time getting my husband to stand in a line longer than 10 minutes at the park, so this event is out of the question. And there’s that little matter of our passes expiring last year…. But, I would love to be at Disneyland that day, not only to wish my favorite antebellum mansion and her 999 Happy Haunts a very spirited birthday, but also to get my hands on some really groovy merchandise!

Call me a wanna-be 50’s hip home-maker, whatever… I’m so dorking over all the housewares stuff. And I don’t want to receive nasty grams about being a homemaker. I love my job! The pay sucks, but the hugs and kisses from my happy husband and children offers huge dividends!

Oh Magic Collectors Fairy, I beseech you to please bring me one of these, so that I may fill it with homemade cookies for all the children of the world….

I’ll give up chocolate and start drinking for one of these….

and a set of these….

I’ll give up harmful plastic water bottles for one of these…

I vow to put all future wedding portraits in these mats… whether the couple is goth or not!

I know that some of the merchandise will be sold out the day before August 9th, but I grew up believing that a dream that I wish will come true and that mice and birds will clean my house and sew my clothes…