This blog is moving!

Today I'm excited to announce that Haunted Mansion Collectibles is moving to a new home! Our new site will still offer the same material, but in a much better format in which to showcase my pictures more easily. Anything and Everything HMC will still be here for reference sake, but I will no longer be updating this blog. Please don't forget to update your bookmarks.

Our new home can be found at www.HauntedMansionCollectibles.com or click here.

Rest in Pieces

Happy New Year to you all! I hope your holidays were filled with love, friendship and lots of presents.. :) I apologize for the lack of posts over the past several weeks. I'm not even going to bother with excuses. Instead, I'm just going to declare blog bankruptcy, and start fresh this year with a clean slate. I do, however, feel really bad about the twitter cliffhanger regarding one of the collectibles, so lets get to that story... one I actually stared about 20 days ago... before yesterday's earthquake.. more on that later...


This post is hard for me to write because I'm saying a final farewell to beloved collectible, or make it 3 collectibles. I've posted about our Hitchhiking Ghost Masks in the past, but I don't think I've shared just how much we adored these masks. That's why its pains me to have to share with everyone that our masks are the unfortunate victims of Time's cruel affect on latex. Over our stressful summer we were unaware that Time had taken a deadly grip of our latex masks. We knew this process would happen, but we figured it would be a much slower undertaking. It seems that Time knew that we were distracted with our thoughts and concerns on other issues, so Time snuck in under a radar and sped up the deterioration process. Within a few short months, our masks were nothing but a fragile shell of what they used to be. We tried to make their move to our new house as painless as possible, but the more we tried to handle them, the more they fell apart. Ezra's faring better than the others, but that doesn't say much considering that Phineas has no face left and Gus is hanging by a thread of his beard, literally. The beard is all that remains. I didn't even have the strength to take his final picture.

Back in November 2007 I posted about our masks. You can see it here and check out for yourself just how devastating Time can be on latex.








I know using a vacuum handle to display Phineas is absolutely offensive. I'm in mourning, folks. I'm not thinking clearly.
Please forgive me.





As I said, no pics of Gus. It was just too difficult to get past the remnants of his face, scattered around and amongst his beard. Just too painful.

So now what? It seems so disrespectful to just throw these pieces away with the kitchen scraps. What do I do with them? Bury them with our pets in the backyard? (Not likely seeing that we just moved. Thankfully, we haven't had to bury anyone...yet.) Does latex burn? Should I scatter the ashes in the Mansion? (Also not likely. I'm really not supposed to condone that sort of thing.) Anyone have any good suggestions?


*****
This is what I had finished writing some 2 weeks or so ago and had intended to finish it last night when our house started shaking. Now, the USGS claims that it was only a 4.5 magnitude earthquake, but seeing how the epicenter was 2 miles from my house (ok, 2 miles south of my town) it sure felt much larger than that. As badly as the house shook, I only heard one picture fall over downstairs, and it was completely unharmed. My nerves, and my children's nerves didn't fare as nicely. It took awhile for everyone to calm down and come out from under the tables. So it wasn't until this morning, while looking for clothes in my upstairs closet, that I noticed something. Awful.

Remember this picture from when we first moved to our new house?




Well the stanchion and the gargoyle were still on that very shelf in my closet as of yesterday, until an earthquake at 7:49 pm sent one of them flying across the closet and landing on the floor in multiple pieces. Care to take a guess which piece it was?

It was of course, my absolute favorite piece in my entire collection! The one that I waited for years to get my hands on, and will probably wait years more if I am so lucky.

It was the gargoyle. I warn you now. These pictures are not for the weak collector.













Just rip my heart out while its still beating!




I more angry with myself than sad for not finding a better place to house this piece. But truth be told, there was no other place. We left the large entertainment center where our collection was previously stored at the other house, because it was just too cumbersome to move. It was a Big Lots special, not a family heirloom. My closet seemed out of the way, and therefor I thought it would be safe.

*Sigh*

So friends, readers of this blog, let us have a moment of silence for this masterful piece.







Screw the silence. I'm heartbroken and want to commiserate. Have any of you lost a favorite piece and were heartbroken over it? How did you ever recover? Please, share your story in the comments below. Your story will be very helpful to us all.

*Ugh* I hate starting the New Year on a sour note. Nothing like a little Merchandise Event to bring me out of my sorrow. Don't forget.. tickets go on sale in 11 days!

Scary Hitchhiking Ghosts

One of the more unique pieces in our collection originated from the Haunted Mansion Comic Book franchise. One of the artists for the comic book, D.W. Frydendall, had a booth at the Black Market for Bat's Day promoting the comic. Something came over us when we saw this piece...we had never seen any Haunted Mansion art take on a darker, more sinister look and we were drawn to it. We made an offer for this one of a kind piece, he thought we were nuts, and he may be right, but we were thrilled when he agreed.

This piece is a huge at nearly 4 feet across and 3.5 feet tall and is mounted on foam board, making it very light for hanging.





We've loved displaying this piece in our home, using it during the Halloween season in our large picture window to scare the bejeezus out the kidlets. Now we are offering it up for other Haunted Mansion fans to enjoy. As far as I know, this is the only one of its kind. Shipping could prove tricky, but the great folks at my local UPS store are awesome and will figure it out. If you're interested, please shoot me an email.

New Merchandise

Haunted Mansion fans have been chomping at the bit for some new merchandise.  I think the number one complaint I hear from collectors is "Where is the new merchandise?!"  

Well, I was at the park yesterday, and my husband gleefully bounds up to me and says, "Honey, look at what I found?  It's Haauuuntted Maaannssion!"  He proclaims this as if it were some historical breaking news while waving back and forth a rather small package in front of me.  It's so small and close, I just see a blueish blur.  What in the name of Phineas Pock could have him so excited?

Trumpets please!  

Duh duh duh duuuuuuh!

It's a .... Haunted Mansion Ghost Disney Racer!

A Disney What Whaa?!

Its a die cast car, folks! A 1/64 scale Die Cast Metal Body Race Car in the shape of Ezra's head. Yep, its a toy car!  In all fairness, as a kid, my husband's favorite toys were HotWheels, so maybe I can understand his enthusiasm, although I certainly felt deflated after the big build up. Now don't get me wrong, it's cute.  And for $4.00, sure, I'll take it.  But Disney, if you're out there, hear me loud and clear!  If this is how a 35 year old semi-reasonable Haunted Mansion fan reacts to a car in the shape of a Haunted Mansion ghost, imagine the chorus of Hallelujahs (and credit card purchases) you'd get if you released a replica of the full size stretching room gargoyle or snowglobe of a working Madame Leota.  

 

Of course, there's another way to look at this situation.  I'm always up for looking at the brighter side.  With the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion a mere 16 months away, at only $4.00, this trinket might be just enough to satisfy our insatiable appetites until the main feast comes in the form of a Fantasically-Over-The-Top-Event and a RSP brochure that will fill our shelves and empty our 401K's.  

Yep, there's always a silver lining...

Gary's Hitchiking Ghost Sculptures

Happy April Fools Day! Did playful spooks get you today?

I'm so pleased to share another fan's collection and this guy is no joke!

Meet Gary, from Michigan, an artist who has never taken an art class and has made over 35 animated Halloween props. Of course, no self-respecting haunted house would be caught dead without Hitchhiking Ghosts or the Organist from the Ballroom. So Gary decided to add some Disney magic to his "haunted yard".

Gary describes his first trip to WDW!

"My first trip to Disney World was in 1991. (I got a late start) Ann and I were there for our wedding anniversary. I had never gone prior to that because I had thought Disney World was for kids. But was I wrong!!!

I have never been to any place that fills me with such wonderment and awe. Corny as it sounds I DO feel that it is a truly magical place! Anyhoo.. Ann had been to Disney World before and she wanted to ride the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. ( I liked it better before they changed it to parallel the movie!) Anyhoo again...That ride was being renovated so we went on our way. A few shops and snow cones later we rounded the corner and there it was!

The Mansion. 

Looming large and ominous in the distance. With each advancing cautious steps we made, the sounds of laughter and joy were slowly, yet inescapably being replaced with the sounds of a storm blowing in. Wind and thunder. And was that a cat screeching? Or a muffled scream?? Past the iron gates to the graveyard. Surrounded by memorials to lost friends and family. A rose placed lovingly on a tombstone pays grim testimony to the loss still felt. But where are the smiles? Where is the warmth? Where is the bright, warm sunshine? An invisible weight has been placed on your very soul. Your heart beats fast and loud in your chest. The beginnings of doubt, fear, nay TERROR start to overtake your thoughts. Should I go on?? CAN I go back??? Then you are in. No turning back. TOO LATE....Too late..........Then you are greeted....???......

WELCOME!.....FOOLISH MORTALS.............

That was the beginning. Since that time we try to get back to Disney at least once a year. But of all the attractions...All of the shows...All of the MAGIC that is truly Disney. The Haunted Mansion has been, and always will be, my favorite!!! It has inspired me and given me many, many, ideas for my Halloween yard display. Plus it has been upgraded since last I was there. So it will be a NEW experience! A new thrill!" 

Its hard to believe that Gary hasn't had any training in sculpting!  I'm insanely jealous of his talent!  I asked him to share more about the process of making these really cool props.

"It starts out as a clay sculpting that I do during the winter months. I only work on it for an hour or so a night. I usually have a sculpting done in a week. (depending on the detail). That would be for one head. Then I needed to sculpt the hands. Head and hands are all that were needed for Phineas and Ezra. Gus was another thing. Since he is dressed in a nightshirt (or is it a mental hospital gown? ) his arms and legs are visible. Also he is barefooted. So it takes more to sculpt.
When spring finally arrives a mans thoughts turn to......Mold making!!! The sculpting is molded in a very hard plaster like compound. Hydrocal or Ultracal is usually used. Think of it as plaster of Paris on steroids. The molds are usually made in two or more pieces to help with removing the finished product. After the plaster has hardened the sculpting is removed. This always breaks my heart! You see, You usually (almost always) have to totally destroy your sculpting to get it out of the mold. Technical stuff like undercuts and entrapment's and other annoying stuff. You tend to grow attached to your creation and then have to rip it to shreds just to make another identical to the one you already have. That makes a lot of sense does it not?? Perhaps that is why artists are always depicted as , shall we say, MAD!!! I do not classify myself an artist. Having never taken an art class. But the MAD part.....

The mold shells are cleaned, dried, and reassembled. You now have in essence a giant Jello mold. Liquid latex rubber is poured into the mold. The mold soaks up water from the latex and a thick wall of latex forms against the mold sides. In about a half hour the remaining rubber is poured out and the rest sits overnight (or more) to cure. (vulcanize). When all that has taken place you can open the mold and remove the rubber copy of your sculpting. Yah... Like it's ever that easy!!! But if it were no challenge...Where would be the rewards?

Now you have yourself a Jim Dandy set of hands and a head to go with them. You could put them in the freezer and wait until someone goes for some ice for their soda. Or you could make a body for them. I chose the latter!

My job title is "Sheet metal model maker". A fancy way of saying that I bend, pound ,grind, weld, pry, cut, assemble, and in a word "fabricate" Metal from it's crude base shape to a finished and hopefully usable product. I know!! Sounds GLAMOROUS!!! But I get paid weekly....VERRY WEAKLY!! But I am straying.

I use tube steel to form the basic "Skeletons". Welding it together. This is faster than bolting things together but the downside is that ...it is what it is....After making many props comes another problem. Where do ya put 'em?? But that's another problem! The skeletons are animated using gear reduced electric motors. Real "hi tec" stuff only!!!! My motors of choice are B.B.Q. rotisserie motors or can openers. Nothing but the best!!!

Then foam padding to give it shape.....Some hair.... A little paint and a prayer..... Plug it in..... And if you do not smell ozone or hear the sound of approaching firetrucks you have yourself an animated Hitchhiking Ghost!

So to answer the question....About three weeks each to make the ghosts. (All that explanation and I could have summed it up like that????...Sheeesh!!!"

Funny, artistically talented, and drives the coolest little car I've ever seen. Some people have all the luck!  Gary, I hope you and Ann can make it to Disneyland sometime!  I would love to visit the Haunted Mansion with you guys! In the meantime, I look forward to progress reports on the band you're making to accompany your Organist. Please keep us posted and thanks for sharing! I've got a special gift to send your way to say thanks...

If you would like to share your Haunted Mansion collection, please email me at hauntedmansioncollectibles@gmail.com!

Hurry baaack!

Phineas Head

Greeting Foolish Mortals!
After a short break, I'm glad to be back and with a prize of a collectible! If only it were mine!

My good friend Guy has an amazing Haunted Mansion collection, but the pièce de résistance is this fantastic Phineas head from the Haunted Mansion attraction itself!



Here's how Guy scored this amazing piece...
"About 1990 or so, a man who worked in props in the film industry had acquired a real robot ghost head of Phineas from the Anaheim DL HM. He offered to sell it to me for the unbelievable price of $60.00!! I couldn't believe it! I don't think he realized how special this item was. Fortunately, I did. So it is now one of my most prized pieces in my ever growing collection."


Some people have all the luck! Well, we're lucky enough to have these photos! Thanks Guy! This is the closest to an authentic HHG prop some of us will ever get!





Happy New Year Everyone!

Don Post Hitchhiking Ghost Masks

Originally selling for around $25.00 a piece, these highly sought after masks can easily sell for $100.00 or more per piece on ebay, depending on their quality, of course. I'm not entirely sure when Disneyland started selling Don Post Hitchhiking Ghost masks. Chef, owner and creator of doombuggies.com has a Don Post Haunted Mansion Caretaker mask circa 1975 listed in the collectibles section. (I would love to get my hands on one!) My HHG masks have a copyright date of 1992. Seeing how the inherit nature of latex is to decompose when exposed to the elements, as time goes on, these masks will become harder and harder to find.

Having a little fun with the camera here...