Wanna hear a funny story? As you know by now, we’re handling a gorgeous collection of one-of-a-kind animation artwork. Our consignor, lets call him Mr. Cel, told us the story of an outlet who took themselves out of contention for handling it long before he was even ready to sell it. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.
On The Cover of a Magazine
As a dedicated collector of animation art, Mr. Cel kept his ear to the ground for new pieces for sale. This included subscribing to publications about the scene. Y’know, catalogs and magazines that hipped collectors to stuff that had just hit the market. This included the catalog for a place we’re gonna call Chicken Counters Gallery. Chicken Counters had handled some wonderful pieces over the years. It was little surprise when a gorgeous Mickey Mouse cel showed up on the cover of their magazine.
The piece in question was a framed set of an original pencil sketch and final production cel from 1939’s “Society Dog Show” short. It features Mickey Mouse showing his dog Pluto, meaning both are rendered full body in a dynamic-yet-amusing pose. It is also the final appearance of Mickey Mouse’s “dot eyes” character design. Finally, both are signed by original Disney animator Marc Davis (one of the legendary Nine Old Men) AND a genuine Walt Disney signature is included as an inset. It’s absolutely the sort of thing you’d expect to see hanging in a Disney office, and Chicken Counters was offering the opportunity to hang it in your home!
…Before They Hatch
Mr. Cel, however, was not interested in this opportunity. See, the piece was already hanging in his home. He’d purchased it some time earlier at a public sale, from which photos were doubtlessly available. Chicken Counters was advertising something that they didn’t have and wasn’t even for sale, using photos that weren’t theirs! Mr. Cel decided to have some fun with them. He called up and inquired about the piece on the cover, making an offer. They informed him that they’d have to contact the owner to get the offer approved and would call him back.
Moments later, his phone rang. It was Chicken Counters Gallery telling him they were interested in selling his “Society Dog Show” piece. He informed them it wasn’t for sale and stuck to that position despite their attempts to entice him. The phone call ended, and again he waited. The phone rang a few minutes later, with Chicken Counters seeking to inform him about the state of his offer. At this point, he came clean and gave them a piece of his mind about their conduct. Suffice it to say, they weren’t on his shortlist when he decided to sell the collection.
“Society Dog Show” Now Available In Our Gallery
Well, Back to the Past is proud to announce that we’re offering that very piece for sale, with the owner’s full knowledge and permission! It, along with many other pieces of original animation art, are now available in our brand-new online store. We’ll be using this outlet for direct sales of various items, initially with a focus on more art-oriented collectibles. Coming behind this animation art is a collection of limited-edition movie posters from Mondo and more!
If you have a collection you’re interested in selling, please drop us a line. We handle just about anything collectible and have been doing so for over thirty years. You can also follow us on social media @b2pcollect for more info on incoming collections, upcoming auctions, and everything we do.
