1938 Snow White Composite Pins

Snow White pins made from a wood-like composition material. Hand-painted. Marked "© 1938 Disney Ent." They all have a simple vertical bar pin glued to the back. Most measure between 1.5" - 1.75" tall.

Snow sweeps while an unpainted rabbit holds a dust pan.

Sneezy holds a handkerchief.

Dopey holds a candle.

Doc holds a lantern.

Bashful holds an accordion.

The complete set was sold at auction in 2011 through Hake's for $143.75. On some of the pins, the paint job is either incomplete or worn.

Complete set images copyright Hake's.

According to some sources, these pins were made by Schroco. Yet, in the 1974 book, Disneyana, by Munsey (p.136), the author includes them with items produced by the Brier Manufacturing Co.

Vintage Snow White Metal Pin

A rare pin of Snow White kissing Dopey. Made from a heavy-type metal, similar in feel to that used in cooking pots. Hand-painted enameled colors on front. Hinged pin on back with a simple C-clasp. Measures 1" high x .875" across at base. The imprint reads, "© WD", an identical copyright stamp to those found on the metal pins produced by Brier, circa 1938. So this might be a Brier pin also.

Vintage Snow White Pins by Brier, circa 1938

During the initial run of the movie, a series of Snow White pins was produced by Brier Manufacturing of Providence, RI. Painted metal. Pinback clasp. Snow measures 1.5" tall, the Dwarfs about 1" to 1.125". They were sold individually on cards (2.875" x 2.5") with a nice illustration along the top and the individual character name at the bottom.

Stamped on the back of each pin is the imprint "©WD". This particular Dopey comes from blog reader, Debi. "I found it in my great grandmother's Hoosier cabinet stored in her basement. Many items from 1930's were in there including this pin."

The pins do show up every so often on ebay and other online seller sites.

While the whole collection was manufactured by Brier, note that the brand name "Nemo" is only marked on some of the cards and not others. The "Nemo" (or "Little Nemo") name was used on other Brier jewelry from that era and actually comes from the "Little Nemo in Slumberland" cartoon strip which ran in the New York Herald and New York American between 1905 and 1926. NEMO INFO VIA PAST AND PRESENT JEWELRY.

Series images via Hakes.

Other Brier items are included in the 1974 book, Disneyana, by Munsey, p.136.

In an earlier Archive entry, see the 1938 Brier sweater pin featuring Snow White and Doc.

Vintage Disney Pins

The idea of collectible Disney pins really did not come into its own until 1999 when Disney Pin Trading was introduced at the Disneyland Resort during the Millennium Celebration and then the following year at Walt Disney World.

Yet, pins in one form or another have been around almost since the beginning when the Disney Company started selling merchandise to fund their animated film projects.

Left: Vintage Mickey Mouse Pin. Made by Cohn and Rosenberger from 1933-1936. Measures approximately 1" tall, pinback clasp. Stamped "© WD" on back.

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Here's a couple of early Snow White pins...

This is one of the first pins to feature characters from a Disney full-length movie. It was popular at the time for little girls to wear their sweaters around their shoulders without putting their arms through the sleeves. This sweater pin was used as a fashion accessory to help hold the sweater on. Brier Manufacturing Company circa 1938. "©WD" stamped on back.

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This Snow White broach clasp pin is made from plastic and was sold at theatres during the first general release of the film. The Dwarfs are gathered around playing musical instruments. Pin came attached to a white card with non-Disney drawings of Snow White and Dwarfs in the woods. Top of card reads "SNOW WHITE PRODUCTS." 1937-38.