Any of you out there spend 3 or 4 thousand dollars lately?
Perhaps a new dining room or living room set?
Maybe that nice new HD plasma screen you’ve been saving for?
Take the family to Walt Disney World or Disneyland for a week?
Or…were you at the Celebrate Mickey: 75 Inspearations Statue Auction at Sotheby’s in New York City this past fall?
Last time I talked about the big sellers at the Mickey auction. Remember the Elton John designed “Music Royalty” which went for upwards of $60,000…
… or “Back to School” designed by Disney merchandising legend Al Konetzni, which brought in a cool $54,000.
Most of us don’t live in that price range. However, it was comforting to see that if you really had an obsession for one of these works of art, you could have one for roughly the price of any of the things I listed above. Like I said in my last article, my wife would’ve filed the divorce papers if I had brought home a $4,000, 7-foot tall Mickey statue in a U-Haul, but it’s good to know that some of them were almost obtainable.
For instance for a mere $3,000 you could’ve brought home, “All the World’s his Stage” designed by soap opera legend Susan Lucci. The ABC veteran donated proceeds to the Little Flower Children’s Services of New York.
For the same price, my 7-year-old daughter’s favorite, “Mickey and the Nightingale”, designed by Ming-Na, could’ve been yours. Disney fans know Ming-Na as the voice of Mulan. The ER star’s charity of choice was the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Also bringing in $3,000 was “Mickey in the Park,” designed by Black Entertainment Television and benefiting the Minority Task Force on AIDS in New York.
Add $600 to that 3 grand and you could’ve owned, “True Blue.” Oscar winner Marlee Matlin designed this tribute to her heroes, policemen and women across the country and donated the proceeds to the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation.
For the same $3,600 there were lots of choices.
How about “IceskatEAR”, designed by Olympic medalist and sports commentator Paul Wylie? Paul’s charity of choice was The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Or, “Liquid Mickey” designed by G. Byron Peck for the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Peck is a noted painter and mural artist. He has taught classes at the Smithsonian Institution and George Washington University. His murals adorn the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. Nuclear Energy Commission Headquarters.
$3,600 was also the winning bid for “UndercovEAR Mickey,” designed by Alias star Jennifer Garner. Proceeds went to the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Almost breaking the 4 thousand mark was mega star John Travolta’s “Jet Setter,” which brought in $3,900 for the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project.
Capping off the “bargain section” of this auction were two different statues modeled after recently released special edition Classic Coke bottles. Perhaps you saw some of these in the supermarket a year or so ago. I bought my six-pack, but I didn’t shell out the $2,400 for the 6-foot tall version, or $3,300 for the version with Mickey in a vintage Coca-Cola delivery uniform. The Coca-Cola Company has a long history with Disney, going way back to sponsorship of the first-ever Disney Television Special in 1950, One Hour in Wonderland. Coca-Cola was also the primary sponsor of the InspEARations tour.
Once again, I realize most of us weren’t able to bid on these works of art. 3 grand is still 3 grand. Most of us probably don’t have the room for a 7-foot tall, 700-pound statue of our favorite mouse in the living room anyway, but it was nice to see that a Disneyana fan of relatively modest means could possibly bring home a one of a kind Mickey.
Who needs an HD plasma screen anyway. My Snow White DVD looks just fine on my $300 30-inch Sony. That empty corner of my family room however…sure would be a great spot for my very own Mickey.
Oh well…maybe next time.
Doubtful…but I can dream can’t I?
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