Growing up in California I have been collecting Disney Charms for over 40 years now so I believe I have accumulated knowledge on the subject of authentic Disney charms that were designed in the 40s-80s and later year’s with Limited Edition and Disney/Pixar. In my research The Walt Disney CO. produced it’s first feature films of the Three Little Pigs (1934), The Little Hiawatha (1937), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938), Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo (1941), Bambi (1942), The Three Caballeros (1944), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955). When Disneyland opened in 1955 and Disney World in 1971 all the Disney sterling charms came with a little oval tag stamped Disneyland for CA theme park and

Both parks sold the same charms that were designed from the 1940s -1988 with sterling tags. However, some did not come with a tag and are stamped © Walt Disney Productions or © WDP. Also, Limited Edition charms from the 90s do not come with a tag because of the stamp on the bale. Disney/Pixar charms came with their own tag as well. So if you are buying a Disney charm from the 1940s - 1988, Limited Edition 90s or Disney/Pixar charm from Ebay, Etsy or any other internet site and there is no tag or stamp on the charm they may be fake or reproductions. 1940's charms are not that RARE or difficult to find. If a seller is pricing these supposedly hard-to-find charms high I would shop around and get every penny's worth for the hundreds you spend.

Keep in mind used and lovingly worn charms show normal wear on the bale and other elements. Be careful of charms being sold by dishonest sellers listing their charms as AUTHENTIC that show no signs of being vintage may have been recently reproduced or faked. That their charms have a nice flat surface bale....RED FLAG! The weight of the charm may vary depending on age, wear and manufacturing. Not every charm has the exact same weight.


• In my experience, these are mostly the Limited Edition Disney Charms sold on original black Disney cards, state NEW ON CARD! or Never Used , comes in original box with COA, still on original Kleenex paper and listed RARE Vintage Disney or found in a warehouse liquidation sale. These are RED FLAGS for reproduced, recasts or fake.


https://www.ebay.com/gds/the-coa-the-beginers-guide-to-spotting-a-fake-coa/10000000001789296/g.html

I believe, these recast fake Limited Edition Disney charms look new and unused. The silver has a “factory shine” or mirror bright surface on which patina has not had a chance to develop. Patina is part of the living finish of silver and should be appreciated. Tarnish and Patina are not the same. Patina is very desirable on antique vintage silver.

Also, there are Disney charms being circulated on the internet that are painted with antique ink to make them look authentic. There is no such process as manufactured patina but there is a chemical process done to fake a vintage look. Disney authorized manufacture's to induce the Antique look by using the oxidation chemical process and never used painted ink. Unfortunately, the process of painting with antique ink is very common in RECAST and FAKES.

My research shows, that these fake Limited Edition Disney Charms produced a tarnish not a patina. The Tarnish on these charms will appear as a dull, yellowish, gray or black film on the surface of the Silver. After a pro-long period, forming an all round blackening of the Silver object.

Another extremely important point is, Silver dip gives the Silver a lifeless, white dull appearance. Silver Dip can significantly decrease the value of your sterling charms. This damage is normally irreversible and may require the help of a Silversmith.

If your charm is AUTHENTIC the patina will NEVER wash away and saying the charm was not exposed to air or sulfur and that patina is just tarnish is insulting to the buyer. AGAIN please be extremely AWARE Real patina is hard to fake so a certain way to authenticate your charm is to wash it in warm water using toothpaste and brush lightly or soak in soapy water then rub off lightly with your fingers. If it's a faux silver metal the ink will wash off which is not patina. If your charm is real sterling silver the patina will NEVER wash away. There is no such process as manufactured patina that is done to FAKE a vintage look. Any seller who claims this is suspect and misleading the buyer. Contact your seller and report them for selling FAKES.

•Jungle Book charms were made in Sterling. They are very SUPER cool!!! I prefer Sterling over white metal plated toxic LEAD which can be dangerous and even deadly when used in jewelry.

• In a failed effort to make charms more affordable original Jungle Book charms were cast in white metal and finished with a nickel plate and a gold plate but Disney recognized the danger of LEAD and stopped the production and began to produced these charms in STERLING instead. These white metal charms contained DANGEROUS LEAD and posted a RISK to children. They appear to be dull, yellowish and gray and have a metal odor.

• For more information on the DANGERS of LEAD in jewelry go to...https://www.the-jewelry-making-website.com/dangers-of-lead.html