Vintage Disney Brooches ~ Brooch or Disney Pin?
Vintage Disney brooches and jewelry are cherished treasures in my book. Long before collecting and trading pins became a thing at Disney Parks, I purchased an adorable Mickey Mouse pin at Target to wear on my Levi’s jean jacket. It was the mid-90s, and it was most likely on clearance. About the same time, we bought a golden Buzz Lightyear wings pin for my son to wear on his denim jacket to preschool. Though my first Disney pin is long gone, my son keeps those wings in his collection of Disney pins to this day.
So, when researching Disney pins, it is often said that the first Disney pins were made in the early 2000s. However, I believe vintage Disney brooches were a precursor to the trading pin. If a vintage brooch is really a pin, then the first Disney pin was much earlier.
Let’s take a look at some of the designers and styles of the original jewelry pieces. I’d like to explore the question: are they vintage Disney brooches or Disney pins?
1940s Coro Jewelry ~ Dumbo Designs
In the early 1940s, Coro, a well-known jewelry manufacturer, was licensed to create a line of Dumbo Jewelry. This collection was inspired by the 1941 Walt Disney film “Dumbo”. The pieces are wonderfully whimsical with designs to capture the young and young at heart. Brooch designs included Mrs. Jumbo caged into a 3D train car, Timothy riding in Dumbo’s hat, and a banner with three dangling figural flying elephants. These vintage Disney brooches are difficult to find and sought after by jewelry collectors and pin traders alike.
1970s – 1980s Napier Jewelry ~ Mickey Mouse and Friends
While the 1950s and 1960s Disney jewelry focused more on pendants and charms, there was a resurgence of vintage Disney brooches that were issued in the late 1970s to early 1980s by Napier. These brooches were shiny gold metal with brightly colored enamel. Each piece was a work of art and truly a jewelry masterpiece. Disney characters, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Pluto, playfully adorned the wearers’ lapels. Some of these brooches did not feature a traditional fold-over clasp but had a tack pin design with a push-on lock similar to the rubber Mickey icon backs on Disney pins today.
1980s Monogram Products ~ Plastic Disney Character Faces
In the 1980s, Disney Parks offered a number of plastic vintage Disney brooches of the Fab 5 character faces, including Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto. While these aren’t as fancy as the jewelry designs, these pins still are sought out by collectors today.
1980s Wendy Gell Jewelry ~ Mickey Mouse Brooches
Wendy Gell Jewelry was licensed in 1985 to create large brooches with Disney characters. These vintage Disney brooches came in jumbo sizes and featured characters shown as full-body as well as face designs. These whimsical pins came in both silver and gold tones or colorful enamels and are still sought after as collectibles.
1990s AAi Jewelry ~ Mickey and Friends Disney Jewelry
In the early 1990s, a Rhode Island jewelry manufacturer, Accessories Associates, Inc. (AAi), introduced a selection of large Disney character brooches as part of the Mickey Unlimited line. These were in brushed gold or pewter-colored metal and sold as fashion jewelry accessories. My beloved Mickey Painting brooch was one part of that line. Most designs were a brooch style with a straight pin locking clasp on the back. Also, there was a set of enameled Mickey hands with a tack pin back, similar to Disney trading pins today too.
2000s Swarovski Crystal Jewelry ~ Open and Limited-Edition Brooches
In the early 2000s, Swarovski started creating vintage Disney brooches featuring characters from several animated classics. Many of the first pins designed by Swarovski were brooches of Mickey and the Fab 5 and sold exclusively through the Disney Catalog. As the demand for high-quality refined pins progressed, Swarovski’s designs expanded to limited edition jeweled brooches for special events and anniversaries. Because of their beauty, the crystal-encrusted vintage Disney brooches designed by Swarovski are highly collectible and sought-after pins.
1990s – Today ~ Disney Vintage Brooches
Throughout the last few decades, Disney also released some of my favorite accessories that pin on but are not Disney pins. They sold these character brooches at Disney Parks and retail stores under a variety of brand names. Some pieces were made for a specific park, like the Wild Bryde Giraffes sold at Animal Kingdom, while others were just whimsical fashion, like the brushed gold articulated Mickey Mouse. There were numerous other characters created as vintage Disney brooches. A notable collection includes a full line of Pooh and Friends. All are highly sought after by collectors but still affordable enough for daily wear.
Vintage Disney Brooch jewelry or a Disney pin?
Though I doubt there is a definitive answer, I am in the firm camp that most vintage Disney brooches do qualify as the original Disney pins. So the first Disney pin is probably much older than most pin traders would guess. But think twice before sporting a rare Coro brooch on your lanyard, as they are very difficult to replace. And would you actually trade a rare pin away?
Looking to add a Vintage Disney Brooch to your Pin Collection?
We have a vintage Swarovski Disney Catalog exclusive brooch for sale at our eBay store. Check it out… Disney Catalog Pin Patriotic Mickey Brooch Swarovski Crystal I Love America 2002 | eBay
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