Guess who fetched top dollar at the Potter & Potter Disney auction

On July 30, 2021, nearly 500 lots of Disney-related memorabilia, park used signage and accessories, and souvenirs and collectibles went on the auction block at the Chicago area auction house Potter & Potter Disney auction, with five lots selling for over $10,000.

“Demand for Disney remains strong,” says Gabe Fajuri, president of Potter & Potter Auctions. “We were gratified by the results in this auction and can’t wait for our next sale, which is already in the works.”

That demand was evident after energetic bidding among Disney fans saw several items breaking the five-digit mark, including a Figment the Dragon maquette from the Imagination pavilion in Epcot and a turn-of-the-century-style Disneyland park mailbox from 1980, both of which sold for $10,200.

Two Disneyland attraction posters also broke the $10,000 mark: A rare Pirates of the Caribbean/New Orleans Square poster designed by Collin Campbell that sold for $10,625 (despite minor creases, pinholes, and a closed tear), and a Haunted Mansion attraction poster featuring the Hitchhiking Ghosts and signed by Disney Legend Marc Davis that sold for $13,200.

However, the top-selling Disney item was a full-size proof of concept Stretching Portrait featuring “Constance Hatchaway” based on original artwork by Marc Davis and created for use in Walt Disney World that sold for a whopping $33,750.

The Potter & Potter Disney auction also offered fans the chance to own a 1971 Walt Disney World Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride “Ratty” Ride Vehicle (estimated at $40,000-$60,000). This iconic piece of Fantasyland history was expected to be a top seller, but despite the “bargain” opening bid of $20,000, there were no takers.