Toy Collector Mel Birnkrant
( Video link ) I paid another visit to Mel Birnkrant's amazing collection of antique comic character toys and made this short video about how he got started collecting. Disney characters are ® and ©Disney Enterprises, Inc. During the visit, Mel showed me some of his most precious and wonderful animated toys, including the one he calls "Toothy Mickey," an extremely rare wind-up tin toy that he hasn't operated in more than 20 years. On the video you'll see Mickey turn around as his eyes change and his teeth come out. There's also a drummer Mickey and a dancing Mickey, and some unpainted wood crank-operated toys by Sonny Hatfield. I have dreams about all these toys, wonderful, strange dreams that inspire me in new directions as an artist. ----- Read more on Mel's website about: Mickey Tin Toys The unpainted wood animated sculptures of Sonny Hatfield Little Sammy Sneeze and other one of-a-kind sculptures by Charles Ponstingl The Bisque Pyramid (with the huge ...