“It all started with a toy.”

I think everyone has fond memories of a toy from their childhood. For me, I had a plush Snoopy that I slept with every night. The feeling of comfort and safety that old dog gave me still comes back to me from time to time! And I still have a wonderful Walt Disney World collector coin that my family purchased on our first trip to the Magic Kingdom all the way back in 1973!

In later years, my toy ownership turned to adult collecting, and that collecting eventually came to focus almost exclusively on Disney merchandise. But each person has a different story, a special connection to a toy or collectible from the past, or in the present.

This post compiles a collection of remembrances from some individuals who share my passion for collecting, Disney, and just plain nostalgia! I put a question to them:

HOW HAS A TOY OR COLLECTIBLE IMPACTED YOU?

First to respond was an old friend of mine who used to contribute to this very blog. His name is Nick, and this is what he had to say:

“I bought (a) Figment (ornament) in the early 90s on my first visit to Walt Disney World. (30 years later) the… ribbon came loose, it fell, and shattered. I was upset to put it mildly. (My wife) picked up the pieces and meticulously glued them back together. She painted over the cracks, and it looks better than ever.” He concludes: “It’s more about (my wife) than the ornament, but really, (she is) my favorite Disney collectible.”

It just goes to show that it’s often the connections these items help us to make with those we love that really proves to be their greatest contribution to our lives!

Next, we have the crew of a very fun Podcast named On the Road with Mickey. One of the founders, Mike, is an old friend of mine. We go way back and have collaborated to create many a post over the years. It was a no-brainer to ask him, his daughter and co-host Sophie, and co-host Brenda, how they would answer our topic question.

MIKE: “I don’t have a specific toy or collectible that has impacted me very much, but I do have some things that I consider collectibles. The first is my pin collection, which opened us up to being able to meet new people as we traded with them. That helped in the formation of our Disney community.”

SOPHIE: “Who’s going to tell Grogu that he is a toy? Honestly, out of all of the things that I’ve bought at Disney, I don’t think nearly any of them have had the impact that Grogu has. He is a member of the Podcast, and it has opened connections back to the Disney community.”

Interestingly, both father and daughter have connected their favorite toy or collectible to the Disney community. Whether it’s a favorite character we share, or a passion for a product line or some piece of attraction memorabilia, these simple little pieces of cloth or plastic can certainly reach farther than our wallets!

BRENDA: “Well, I have a lot of stuff, a lot of collections. But the one collectible that I have that impacts me the most is my Partner Statue with Walt and Mickey. It is ALWAYS on my desk, and having Walt on my desk helps a lot with my content creation.”

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can be like lightning, striking quickly and naturally, or elusive, needing prompting and assistance. Could there be a better Muse than the original Imagineer, Walt Disney?

I’d like to thank my friends for helping me to make my 1000th Post a special one! Collecting is, for me, a way to stay connected to my inner child and yes, connected to the Disney community. Hearing stories of a person’s favorite toy or collectible is a great ice breaker!

STATISTICS

How did Disleelandia perform for the year of 2021? Here are some statistics:

Technically at the end of 2021 (but actually on January 1st, 2022) we posted our 1,000th Post

Actually in 2021, we uploaded 297 Posts with over 113,000 Words! That’s a lot of typing!

December 2021 was our best month ever for both Visitors and Views (Thank you!)

We welcomed visitors from 108 Countries with the Top 5 being:

United States of America / Chile / Canada / United Kingdom / Australia

If you’d like to read our Top 5 Posts of All Time, just click the links below:

Marvel Shieldz Circle K Free Giveaways

Book Review: Walt Disney’s Mother Goose

Sinclair Oil Corporation Inspired Dinoco

Disney’s Sing-Along Songs – Disneyland Fun

Book Review: The Walt Disney Song Book

I never know what subject matter will resonate with my readers. A post I put a lot of work into and think is fascinating is received with a collective ‘Meh’ while something I put together quickly and without much thought becomes my most viewed post! This is what has literally happened. This sites top post of all time is about Marvel Shieldz, little paper Pog-like things I got for free at a gas station. Go figure!

CONCLUSION

If you have been visiting Disleelandia for a time, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you! I enjoy sharing my love of collecting with others. If this is your first visit, I hope you will come and visit us again! More treasures from my personal collection are coming in 2022. I also plan to ramp up my presence on YouTube with more regular content there.

So stick around! This is truly my Laughing Place, and maybe, it can be yours as well. Just don’t tell Br’er Bear, he’ll want to come along too!