1936 Collezionisti Figurine Premio Topolino Elah

1936 Topolino Elah Figurine Album

The 1936 Italian Disney Silly Symphonies Series titled “ Collezionisti Figurine Premio Topolino Elah” or for most collector’s simply “Topolino Elah” is a long highly sought after and popular series from Italy that was issued at the time as part of a campaign partnership between Disney & numerous vendors and participating manufacturers that lead to a nationwide contest thru out Italy. This campaign of sorts created public excitement as consumers hunted and traded with friends and loved ones these early premium inserts that could be used towards great sponsor prizes.

This prove quite a challenge for collectors as they had to assemble a complete collection of all 100 cards in the series just to qualify for a basic sponsor prize. Top prizes in this contest required collectors to submit 200 complete sets, a feat in itself. Even in 1936 it was well known and published that some cards were limited in quantity further challenging prize hopeful hunters. These same cards command a significant premium with collectors today, with the key card, #41 La Donna Fatale” card being the rarest and most sought after. The redemption multiplier to obtain this rare issue has been said to be 100 to 1. Further research on this rare series has indicated that only 2-3 complete sets exist today in all of Italy, why this can’t be substantiated 100% it’s fair to say locating this rare card would be comparable to searching for a needle in a haystack.

 

SpotlightFigurine-41

Popular collector consensus is that current market research has outlined certain key issues that also consistently command a premium amount above and beyond the regular cards from this series though not as high as the elusive card #41. There are other facets to price that also play a role in resale value of these early Disney cards, that of condition. While there will be pockets of time during the year when private collectors will offer such cards from their collections, more than not there will be a larger percentage of times when the cards are issues with back damage or glue stains from being previously removed from a collector album. As such finding cards in their original condition unglued with strong corners, white to off white borders and bold text is very challenging to say the least.

Of all the Pre-War series that came out during this time period, this set, at least for me has a special distinction from the rest. Unlike the early series that had a tendency to be small issues in the 5-25 card range, this series was a whopping 100 cards. But this isn’t the reason for its special place in my personal “Top 10 Picks” list. The set is unique in that it encompasses the essence of everything that was great at the time from the House of Disney. It provided a A-Z type feel for almost all of Disney stable of characters, not just the major players like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto. It also showcased many of the feature short films stars that Disney produced during the early years leading up to 1936. The list below, while not complete, offers a glimpse of each cards historical importance as it relates to the feature film it referenced via the color pictures that were wonderfully reproduced on each card of such classic characters as The Three Little Pigs, The Pig Bad Wolf, The Wise Little Hen, the Tortoise and the Hare, as well as Classic famous short stories like “Who Killed Cock Robin” to name a few .

Who-Killed-Cock-Robin

It should be noted that the 1934 Short Disney Film “The Wise Little Hen” based on the fairy tale “The Little Red Hen” marked the debut of Donald Duck. Donald and his friend Peter Pig try to avoid work by faking stomach aches until Mrs. Hen teaches them the value of good old fashion hard work.

The-Wise-Little-Hen-poster

The set had one other interesting side note in that it also showcased many of the early Hollywood stars of that time period in its series. I think you’ll agree that no other card offers this type of homage to all that made Disney great like the series “Topolino Elah”. With so many of these cards being returned for premiums and ultimately destroyed, few exist today, especially in high grade. Its been said that within all of Italy only a few handful of complete sets with the ultra-rare card #41 exist today.

Typical prices as seen at private auctions and online internet sites like Ebay show semi complete albums with 90-95% of the cards glued within them going for upwards of 800 Euros. It should be noted that in these instances none of these offers include many of the key cards that complete this rare series. It should also be noted that none of these offers ever include an original collection of unglued original state mid to high grade examples in their offerings. A set like this would be valued easily at over 3,000.00 dollars and that would still be missing most of the key cards that make up this elusive collection. I’ll have a follow-up article on the rare issues from this series for those that want to know more about this great Pre-War Collection.

Here is a very rare original wrapper envelope in which these cards would have been distributed in.

This particular issue was sponsored by the Chocolate Manufacturer Pernigotti.

 

topolino-elah-pernigotti II

 

Movie Star Cameo Appearances

 

Some cards highlight famous Movie star cameo appearances by such stars as: 34 May West, 41 Greta Garbo, 42 W.C. Fields, 71 W.C. Fields, 87 Clark Cable, 88 Laurel & Hardy

1936 Topolino Elah Premio

 

[FigurinesMovie Shorts – Reference]

The Silly Symphonies were a series of animated short subjects produced by Walt Disney Productions. A total of 75 shorts were made between 1929 and 1939 while the studio was located at Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. Unlike the Mickey Mouse series, to which it is a sister series, Silly Symphonies did not usually feature continuing characters (an exception being the Three Little Pigs which had three sequels to their first cartoon) and as such were unique in their own way. Donald Duck got his start in a Silly Symphonies cartoon (The Wise Little Hen, 1934), and Pluto’s first appearance without Mickey Mouse was also in a Silly Symphonies cartoon (Just Dogs, 1932). Characters such as Donald Duck were separated from the Silly Symphonies group to have their own cartoon series.

Card#

Comments

Movie Referenced

1 – Topolino Disney Key Character
2 – Topolina Disney Key Character
3 – Pluto Disney Key Character
4 – Clarabella Disney Support Character
5 – Orazio Disney Support Character
6 – Tommi Silly Symphonies Character 1933 The Three Little Pigs
7 – Timmi Silly Symphonies Character 1933 The Three Little Pigs
8 – Gimmi Silly Symphonies Character 1933 The Three Little Pigs
9 – IL Lupo Mannaro Silly Symphonies Character 1933 The Three Little Pigs
10 – Paolino Silly Symphonies Character 1934 The Wise Little Hen
11 – Goffo Disney Key Character
12 – IL Feroce Gamba di Legno Silly Symphonies Character 1934 Shanghaied
13 – Tobia Tartaruga Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Tortoise & The Hare
14 – Max Leprotto Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Tortoise & The Hare
15 – La Cicala Silly Symphonies Character 1934 The Grasshopper and the Ants
16 – Fuffo Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Elmer Elephant
17 – Ippo Silly Symphonies Character
18 – IL Gigante Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1933 Giantland
19 – IL Fannullone Silly Symphonies Character 1934 The Wise Little Hen
20 – IL Signor Centopiedi Silly Symphonies Character
21 – La Chioccia Silly Symphonies Character 1934 The Wise Little Hen
22 – IL Canguro Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Mickey’s Kangaroo
23 – I Tre Lupetti Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Three Little Wolves
24 – Micetto Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Robber Kitten
25 – IL Brigante Bill Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Robber Kitten
26 – IL Direttore Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 The Band Concert
27 – IL Capobanda Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 The Band Concert
28 – IL Suonatore di Tromba Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 The Band Concert
29 – La Suonatrice di Flauto Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 The Band Concert
30 – IL Suonatore di Trombone Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 The Band Concert
31 – IL Suonatore di Jazz
32 – IL Tenore di Forza Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Mickey’s Grand Opera
33 – La Soprano Assoluto Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Mickey’s Grand Opera
34 – IL Violino Tzigano Silly Symphonies Character 1934 The Grasshopper and the Ants
35 – IL Trovatore
36 – GL’ Innamorati Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Elmer Elephant
37 – L’Allenatore Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Toby Tortoise Returns
38 – IL Padrone di Casa Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Moving Day
39 – IL Telefono Animato
40 – L’Ammaliatore
41 – La Donna Fatale Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1933 Mickey’s Gala Premiere
42 – IL Sarto Alla Moda
43 – IL Vigile Urbano
44 – IL Rivale
45 – IL Dentista Silly Symphonies Character 1933 The Mad Doctor
46 – I Lottatori 1936 Elmer Elephant 1936 Elmer Elephant
47 – La Macchina Per Punire I Cattivi
48 – IL Pescatore Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 On Ice
49 – IL Campione Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Toby Tortoise Returns
50 – I Soldati di Piombo Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Broken Toys
51 – Figurine di Bisquit Silly Symphonies Character 1934 The China Shop
52 – IL Padrone Del Circo Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Mickey’s Circus
53 – I Bambini Acquatici Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Water Babies
54 – IL Cane Sapiente Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Mickey’s Circus
55 – L’Ammaestratore Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Mickey’s Circus
56 – IL Colosso Impotente Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1933 Giantland
57 – I Funamboli Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Mickey’s Circus
58 – Giulietta e Romeo 1936 Mickey’s Grand Opera 1936 Mickey’s Grand Opera
59 – La Ninna Nanna Silly Symphonies Character 1933 Lullaby Land
60 – Gli Amici Inseparabili Silly Symphonies Character 1933 Lullaby Land
61 – IL Buon Mago Silly Symphonies Character 1933 Lullaby Land
62 – La Febbre Dell’oro Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Golden Touch
63 – IL Torneo
64 – L’Agguato
65 – IL Sogno Dell’innocente Silly Symphonies Character 1933 Lullaby Land
66 – Le Cure Materne Silly Symphonies Character 1933 Lullaby Land
67 – La Lezione Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Three Little Wolves
68 – L’Invito Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Three Little Wolves
69 – La Dichiarazione D’Amore Silly Symphonies Character 1934 Cookie Carnival
70 – Oro e’ Dannazione Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Golden Touch
71 – IL Prestigio Dell’Uniforme Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Broken Toys
72 – La Lezione di Pattinaggio Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 On Ice
73 – La Tentazione Irresistibile Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Three Blind Mouseketeers
74 – IL Ramoscello D’ulivo
75 – Le Gioie Del Turismo
76 – Le Cure Paterne
77 – Chi Va Piano Va Lontano Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Tortoise & The Hare
78 – Dolorosa Obbedienza
79 – IL Fascino Della Musica Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Mickey’s Rival
80 – Leggerezza Femminile Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Mickey’s Rival
81 – IL Giorno Del Giudizio Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 Pluto’s Judgement Day
82 – Un Sistema Sbrigativo
83 – Trasporto in Frigorifero
84 – Gli Amici Sanno Rendersi Utili
85 – La Pazienza ha Un Limite Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Mickey’s Rival
86 – Non Fare Ad Altri Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1935 Pluto’s Judgement Day
87 IL Fascino Del Cinematografo Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Mickey’s Polo Team
88 – Lotta Impari Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Mickey’s Polo Team
89 – Una Situazione Imbarazzante Mickey Mouse Cartoon 1936 Alpine Climbers
90 – La Punizione Dell’Avaro Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Golden Touch
91 – Condannato a Morire di Fame Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Golden Touch
92 – Un Corto Circuito
93 – Non Lasciatevi Influenzare Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Who Killed Cock Robin?
94 – Una Energica Protesta
95 – L’Avvocato Difensore Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Who Killed Cock Robin?
96 – IL Trasloco di Topolino
97 – IL Gattino Brigante Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Robber Kitten
98 – Mani in Alto Silly Symphonies Character 1935 The Robber Kitten
99 – IL Pesce D’Aprile Silly Symphonies Character 1935 Water Babies
100 – I Tre Moschettieri Silly Symphonies Character 1936 Three Blind Mouseketeers

 

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