Mickey & Minnie Mouse Marionettes

Q: I am 67 years old and when I was 10, I was given Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse marionettes. Rarely used, they are in excellent condition. Is there any value to my puppets?

A: A few different Mickey and Minnie Mouse marionettes were made in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Disney character marionettes were made in England for Walt Disney Productions by Pelham Puppets from 1953 to the early 1970s. They were made with composition, and later plastic, heads, hands and feet, wooden segmented arms and legs and cloth clothing. They are about 10 inches high and sell today for $25 to $50 each or about $200 for both Mickey and Minnie with original boxes. Mickey and Minnie marionettes were also made in the 1950s by Peter Puppet Playthings. They were composition and wood with cotton and felt clothing, about 12 inches high, and are worth about $50 each. The “holy grails” of Mickey and Minnie Mouse marionettes were made in the 1930s by Hestwood Marionette Studio of Glendale, California. Mickey, Minnie and Pluto were made of wood, composition and cloth and came in fabric drawstring bags. They are rare and sell today from $600 to $4,000 each, depending on character and condition.