Patience is a Paintbox

Patience is a virtue,

Possess it if you can;

It's rarely in a woman,

And never in a man!

That poem is a family hand-me-down from my grandparents. They probably loved it because the harsh climate they lived in made for very long, rough winters. It is a poem that has stuck with me, because I realize my shortcomings with patience and actively work on it. (Hubbie snorted when he read that, and said, yeah, right!)

This is a story of obtaining an awesome, vintage Disney paintbox for my Disney Husband's Christmas present. It started off innocently enough, I was browsing around one of my favorite thrift stores. This shop is known for being extremely crowded and hard to maneuver around.

I heard a lady ask to see an item in a locked case. I was on the other side of the case and, yes, I was eavesdropping in on their conversation which went something like this, "I'd like to see that Disney paint box, please." My interest piqued. The shop guy, "Of course, you have a good eye, it's really hidden back there!" The lady exclaimed, "Hmm, there's no paint in this? I'm not sure if I want this!" And finally the guy said, "Well, it will be here if you want to look around, or come back."

I was heading up the stairs at that point so as not to arouse any suspicions, and let the other customer make up her mind on her own! When I came back down I made a bee-line for the case where the paint tin was, and miracle or miracles, it was still there! I ran over to the shop guy and asked to see an item in the case and when we walked over to it and he asked me what I wanted to see, I almost burst out laughing, "The paint tin!" He said,  "I just had someone in here who was looking at that," and I said "I know, hehehe!"

I went up to the counter to pay and I was giddy, I told the guy that I thought it was a real bargain even without the paint that originally came with it, as the graphics were lovely, and no rust-and no real dents or dings! I gave the lady half an hour after she left the store to return and buy the tin, so patience on my part paid off this time. If you see something in a charity shop, or thrift store and the price is right, buy it; because you never know who is behind you peering over your shoulder for the exact same thing!

Vinylmation Around the House

 There's only one Vinylmation Orange Bird in the photo. I noticed him while I was taking photos of the Orange Bird collection. Surprise!

As I've stated before, I didn't really understand Disney's Vinylmation, but I'm coming around. For those of you who might not know about Vinylmation yet, the name is an amalgamation of the words animation and vinyl. Vinylmation was first introduced in 2008, and I thought to myself, I wonder whether this will last? Well, it has only grown in popularity each year!

All the figures are three inches (exceptions are nine inch special edition figures and one and a half inch figures) and shaped like Mickey Mouse but are painted up to look quite differently from Mickey. Each figure is sold in sealed packaging in little boxes or collector tins. You don't know which figure you are buying until it is opened. The figures can be purchased singly or by the case. Cases are by theme, such as Muppets, Robots, or Star Wars. There seems to be no end to the themes. There's something for everybody.

Disney allows people to trade one of their Vinylmations for one out of an opaque, numbered mystery box. If you do not like the vinyl from the mystery box, you can keep yours! They also have clear cases that showcase the traders which you can trade. You can participate at most stores throughout Disney World, Disneyland, and in some cases, the Disney stores in your local malls. Just politely ask a cast member whether they do any Vinymation trading at that particular spot or not. Be careful, you just might get caught up in a whole trading marathon with other customers! You'll be buying each other Vinylmations and trading together, and you might even make some life long friendships.

But I digress, this was supposed to be a short post about vinyls showing up, nay, sneaking into the house and quietly insinuating themselves into my life! How long has that cactus vinyl been there?

O.k. I'll admit that my husband asked me to pick out the robot themed Vinylmation box for him when we were in the Disney Store. He got the robot Pooh and proceeded to place him in with my little Pooh collection. There's more! Stay tuned.

The Case for Vinylmation

They have been growing on me! Yes, Disney's vinylmations are starting to appeal to me, and I thought it couldn't happen. Disney has been putting out some really sweet characters, unique sets that are extremely collectible as a series, and pieces that can even be hung on your Christmas tree! Here are two of this year's Jingle Smells that are ornamental, they are supposed to smell like the treat they hold; gingerbread, pie, but they really don't (don't hold that against them).

 

Here are a couple others that have taken hold in my heart: the grey and pink mouse must have been in every trading box because every time the hubby went to make a trade he'd end up with this mouse.

The pink flowery mouse wouldn't take no for a answer from us as its new owners. It decided to become the protector of my phone and the girlfriend of Remy, another favorite. It is always protecting the phone from being lost. What a good mouse. How can you not love that face? They both have a forever home now. Pink mousie will not be traded away!

Even though I have been neglecting this blog, look forward to a couple more posts on exactly how much fun Disney vinylmations are. Of course, you can read all about them from my hubbie's perspective, a guy who embraced them long ago!

Merry Christmas!