I have been collecting Disney memorabilia for more than twenty-seven years, but my greatest passion has always been preserving the history behind the objects themselves. While I enjoy all facets of Disney collecting, my primary focus has become the pins created for the Cast Members, Imagineers, Cruise Line crew members, Disney Store employees, Adventures by Disney participants, and countless others who helped shape The Walt Disney Company from behind the scenes. Many of these pieces were never intended to become collectibles. They were presented in recognition of service, achievement, training, anniversaries, special events, or internal company initiatives. Because they were created for a specific purpose rather than for retail sale, they often preserve chapters of Disney history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whenever possible, I research the story behind each piece and include that history within my listings. My goal extends beyond simply selling Disney memorabilia. I hope to document the significance of these artifacts and place them with collectors who appreciate not only their rarity, but the people, places, and moments they represent. Every pin tells a story, and preserving those stories has become just as important to me as preserving the pins themselves. Walt Disney built a company whose greatest achievement was never simply its attractions or merchandise, but the culture created by the people who brought his vision to life each day. Although Walt passed away in 1966, the company continued to evolve through the creativity and dedication of generations of Cast Members around the world. Many of the pieces I offer serve as tangible reminders of that continuing legacy. If your collection is guided not only by characters or edition sizes, but by an appreciation for Disney's history, its Cast Members, and the remarkable stories behind these artifacts, I hope you'll find something here worthy of becoming part of your own collection. Description: Created for Walt Disney Worlds 999 Happy Haunts Ball, held at the Magic Kingdom on October 27, 2004, this extraordinary Limited Edition collectible transforms one of the Haunted Mansions most memorable scenes into a three-dimensional display piece. Titled Stretching the Imagination, the set recreates the Haunted Mansions famous Stretching Room portrait gallery as a substantial resin sculpture. The paneled walls, striped wallpaper, ornate portrait frames, candle sconces and distinctive geometric ceiling reproduce the wonderfully macabre atmosphere encountered by guests at the beginning of the attraction. Mounted within the gallery are four removable pins reproducing Marc Daviss legendary Stretching Portraits. Each begins innocently enough before the stretching room reveals the considerably less reassuring circumstances beneath the sitter: The Parasol Portrait the young woman balancing above an alligator The Dynamite Portrait  the elderly woman seated atop the grave of George, with a rather explosive surprise below The Quicksand Portrait  the gentleman standing atop the shoulders of two unfortunate companions sinking into quicksand The Headstone Portrait  the distinguished gentleman whose trousers reveal that he is standing atop another gentleman on a barrel of dynamite The portrait pins are approximately 2.25 inches tall and incorporate a pin-on-pin construction. Particularly clever is the sculpture itself: the upper portion of the gallery can be raised and lowered, mimicking the Haunted Mansions stretching-room illusion. With the gallery lowered, the portraits appear in their more respectable form; raising it reveals the complete, darkly comic scenes envisioned by Disney Legend Marc Davis. This was not simply a boxed collection of Haunted Mansion pins. The pins were designed as integral components of an elaborate display, making the complete ensemble a miniature piece of attraction architecture as much as a pin set. Each portrait pin is back-stamped with the 999 Happy Haunts Ball event identification and edition information, while the resin gallery itself carries its edition information on the reverse. The set was produced in a Limited Edition of only 300. Complete examples are particularly noteworthy today. Over the years, some sets have been dismantled so the four portrait pins could be collected or sold individually. The elaborate resin construction is also inherently more vulnerable to damage than an ordinary pin presentation box, and production imperfections are known to have occurred on some examples. Consequently, the original edition of 300 should not be confused with the number of complete, undamaged examples that remain more than two decades later. The 999 Happy Haunts Ball events occupy a special niche in Haunted Mansion collecting. Rather than merely placing the attraction's characters on conventional merchandise, many of the event pieces celebrated the Mansion's actual props, environments, illusions and Imagineering history. Stretching the Imagination is an especially ambitious example, taking four of Marc Daviss most recognizable pieces of Haunted Mansion concept art and returning them, in miniature, to the architectural setting for which they became famous. A remarkable early-2000s Walt Disney World event collectible combining Disney pin trading, Marc Davis artwork, Haunted Mansion history and an elaborate three-dimensional attraction replica, this complete LE 300 set is far more than four pins. It is essentially a miniature Stretching Room built to display them. Year of Release: 2004 Where Released: Walt Disney World Pinpics # 32789 Traders Having This Pin: 1 Traders Wanting This Pin: 19 Backer Card: Yes (Box) How Acquired: Purchase Pin Central # 172775 Edition Type/Size: LE 300 Shipping & Payment Every item is carefully packed with the same attention I would expect when adding a piece to my own collection. Most individual pins are shipped securely in padded bubble mailers, while larger orders, boxed pins, pin sets, framed displays, and particularly rare or irreplaceable pieces are shipped in sturdy boxes for added protection. High-value shipments may be insured and/or require a signature upon delivery. Payment is due within three (3) days of the auction's end or purchase date unless other arrangements have been made in advance. I accept payment through eBay's approved payment system. Returns & Shipping Damage If your order arrives damaged or appears to be missing contents, please contact me through eBay Messages within 48 hours of delivery. To preserve any available shipping insurance coverage, please retain all original packaging, including the shipping box or mailer, packing materials, and labels, until the claim has been resolved. Failure to retain the original packaging may prevent an insurance claim from being processed.