Welcome Wilderness Explorers to tonight's post!
Last summer during the 2017 D23 Expo, Disney & Pixar (with creative guidance from John Lasseter) debuted a new collection inspired by traditional Japanese wooden collectibles known as Kokeshi dolls. The collection began with three Disney Store D23 Expo exclusive sets: Buzz & Woody (which I picked up of course, see my full blog post HERE), Anna & Elsa and Moana & Maui—each set limited to only 300 units produced.
A few months after that, ShopDisney.com released (to my surprise) two more wooden collectible sets: a Cars 3 one (featuring Lightning McQueen & Cruz Ramirez; see post HERE) and a Monsters Inc. one (featuring Mike & Sulley; see post HERE). I realized then that this collection was really becoming a thing and it seemed as though even more sets would be released in the future. Could every Pixar film be eventually represented? Time would tell. Now flash forward to early 2018, and once again we were treated to another two surprise sets of Pixar friends—this Up inspired Carl and Russell 2-Pack and one featuring Wall·E & Eve (which I'll be showing off soon). I was ecstatic!
As usual, this set is a limited edition of only 400 and is sold only on the ShopDisney website HERE (not sold in stores). I LOVE the way these characters are stylized and they will display perfectly next to all the others. Just look at them! So simple, yet so effective. My hat goes off to the designer, Jen Tan (Creative Director of Consumer Products at Pixar), who created the signature look of each and every one of these wooden collectibles. She did a fabulous job. In fact, you can see the entire character lineup she illustrated on her Instagram HERE. The designs have even been utilized on shirts (one from last year's D23 Expo and a couple available now only to annual pass holders during Disneyland's Pixar Fest) and Dooney and Bourke bags.
As with the others in this collection, the packaging is clean and minimal—definitely marketing to adult collectors like myself (these are certainly not toys). You can tell right away from looking it it that this is a special item. The box is basically one big clear plastic case with a cardboard stand/ backdrop that can be easily removed (as seen below). The Disney Store logo is featured in the top left corner. The backdrop art is amazing and I love the style. I wonder who did it? It makes for a solid display piece in or out of the package.
Take a look at these guys out of the packaging! I'm obsessed; they're seriously just too cute.
These are maliciously designed, quality crafted and hand painted (made entirely out of solid wood; both are decently heavy for what they are). As far as their size, Carl is 4" tall and Russell is 3 1/2" tall. The dimensions of the packaging are 7 1/2'' H x 7 1/2'' W x 4 1/2'' D. Retail price for this set, like the others, is $59.95 (which yes, is extremely pricey, but hey, it's Disney and a limited edition—it's what I expect at this point).
Underneath them, you'll find the Disney/Pixar copyright and the limited edition number of 400. And maybe you're thinking this too, but I thought it was kind of funny that these Japanese inspired collectibles were actually made in China ;)
No limited edition item is complete without a certificate of authenticity! My edition number is 134/400. The certificate can be found under and within the cardboard base. Don't forget it!
As a big fan of Up, this is a most welcomed addition to my collection (especially since any new Up items are few and far between). I highly recommend it to any and all Disney collectors who love these classic characters! If you're interested in this set, I wouldn't hesitate too much. It's still in stock on the ShopDisney site HERE (which I'm really surprised about after all these months), but once it's gone, it's gone. Be sure to let me know your thoughts or any questions you might have in the comments below!
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