Rare pair of solid celluloid Mickey Mouse pendants from the 1930s. - Pendant

Up for auction, a splendid and rare pair of vintage promotional pendants depicting Mickey Mouse, dating from the early 1930s. These small items were distributed as prizes inside coin-operated candy machines (gumball machines) or as surprises in Cracker Jack popcorn packs.

The lot consists of:
1. Hand-painted Mickey: Features the classic vintage design with an elongated snout, red shorts, yellow gloves, and purple shoes. The original hand-applied paint shows the classic and fascinating signs of aging. Equipped with the original fabric cord.
2. Monochrome Mickey: A solid dark green/blue-toned cellulose acetate variant with pearlescent overtones. This is the version with molded eye and details incised in the mold, lacking movable parts. Features the ribbed tail molded in one piece and its original cord.

Both pieces are made of solid celluloid ("solid celluloid"), a technique typical of pre-war Japanese-made productions intended for American and European markets.

Condition

The items show the usual signs of age and use. There are minimal crazings on the surface of the celluloid and partial wear of the paint layer on the hand-painted piece. The items are unmarked and show no visible logos or stamps under the feet or on the back, a common feature for this type of era promotional trinkets. Structurally sound and free of loose parts, a true rarity for such fragile materials that are nearly a century old.

Dimensions and Weight (approx.)

• Pendant height: about 2.2 - 2.5 cm each (excluding the top eyelet)
• Total weight of the lot: under 5 grams (the era's solid celluloid is an extremely light material)

Curiosities for collectors

• The nose is so pronounced and pointed, a hallmark of Walt Disney's very first animated short films and of the earliest official merchandise printed between 1930 and 1934.
• These mini-pendants were imported in enormous quantities from Japan and loaded into coin-operated machines during the Great Depression years, becoming among the earliest commercial collectibles of global pop culture.
• Finding these pendants with their original cotton/fabric cords from the era is incredibly difficult, as humidity and time tended to rot or break the cords long before the celluloid itself degraded.