The Disney Kitchenware Hiding In Your Cupboard Could Include Valuable Treasures

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Dishware always seems to be collectible, with some of the most popular finds being vintage jadeite . But some Disney lovers might have unique collectibles hiding in their kitchens, picked up on visits to Disney's Magic Kingdom or Disneyland, or handed down from relatives. They could be valuable treasures or just rare finds that are highly sought-after. While most Disney kitchenware pieces made in the last 30 years are easy to find and won't necessarily have a high resale value, other Disney collectibles may be worth something.

The most sought-after "Disneyana" collectibles right now are ones featuring characters that Millennials and Gen Z grew up with, including "The Little Mermaid," "The Lion King," "Toy Story," and "Lilo & Stitch." If you have mugs, plates, or cookie jars featuring characters from those movies, they may be easier to sell.

Some of the Disney kitchen items with the highest prices on eBay right now are ceramic cookie jar sets featuring Snow White, listed for $200, and Winnie the Pooh, listed for $250, and a Disney Roger Rabbit salt and pepper shaker set for over $375. Another high-priced item is a Vintage Sleeping Beauty Castle plate and cereal bowl that is listed for over $1,300.

One of the highest listings we found for Disney kitchenware on eBay is the Lenox Walt Disney Spice Jar Collection, including the original wood display rack, which the seller has listed for $1,999. This collection debuted in 1995 and was discontinued shortly after.

The best way to tell if you have a valuable cookie jar, mug, or other vintage kitchen collectible is to do a Google search. Check the bottom of the item to see if it's stamped with a year or other information you can use in your search. Look for similar items being sold on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, Poshmark, Etsy, and eBay. Try to find ones in the same condition as yours that were sold so you can see their legitimate resale value. 

You can also use Google Lens. Take a picture of your item and then use the Google Lens app to do an image search. The app will find pictures online of similar items, and you can see if any of them match yours. 

Finally, you can also take your item to a local antique dealer or use a website like WorthPoint to get it appraised. This typically costs money, however, so if your item ends up not being worth much (or anything), you may not want to take this route.

Outside of collectible cups and mugs with Disney characters, the big-ticket items that sell for thousands or tens of thousands of dollars are mint-condition Disney figurines and dolls, rare VHS tapes of Disney movies, Big Fig display characters, props from Disney stores or theme parks, memorabilia or props from live-action movies, Disneyland or Disney World parade float figures, animation cels, and original posters and artwork.