Mickey Mouse Magazine

In 1986 I lived in Cleveland, Ohio. At that time, I got into antigues and missed living in Florida so much that I began my Disneyana Collection. Anything I saw that had Mickey Mouse on it, I bought. Of course this was within reason to if the item was an antique and if I really loved it. But Mickey is my favorite character.

This LOOK magazine is 11" x 14" and showcases Mickey Mouse on the cover. This is the very first magazine that Mickey Mouse appeared on. The cover states:

FLORIDA:
The sweet life
The powder keg
and
Your first look at
the magical new
DISNEY
WORLD

This image of Mickey Mouse is how he first appeared in Florida in this magazine on April 6, 1971. The magazine was only 35 cents back then and LOOK magazine was mostly focused on photographs and not many stories. They were in existence from 1937 to 1971. So this magazine was produced in their last year.

The pages on this magazine are in good condition. There still is an address label on the cover, but instead of removing it, I have left it as is. I never want to risk ruining the condition of the cover buy taking it off. All of the 27 pages are still intact and it has been in its frame since I put it in there in 1986.

From what I know of this magazine, it's a rare collector's piece. Even in searching on Google, I only found one vendor that has at least one of these for sale. They are selling this magazine for $15.00 but as with any antique or Disneyana collectible, the item is worth the price a person is willing to pay. So what may look like another magazine to you, is a part of Florida's history to me and the beginning of the most Magical Place in the world for everyone.

So many families save money for years, just to come stay in Orlando and visit Mickey Mouse for one to two weeks. I feel fortunate to have such a magazine and probably won't part with it unless Disney themselves offer me 2 lifetime passes for me and my husband. Hey, we're in our mid 40s. Who knows how long we have to live, so I'd trade this for passes like that.

I think many would agree because Orlando has grown tremendously since it's swampland days and the introduction of the Mouse.

Update On Feb 10, 2010: Ok, so I took the magazine out of the frame to take pictures of some of the Disney pages.

Funny thing too, in addition to the numerous car ads, there were at least 10 different cigarette ads! There are also a few hard liquor ads and a full two page spread of True Value store products too.