Spotlight On: Vinylmation Custom Artist Gemma Steib

WDWNT on July 29, 2011

Recently, we found a Facebook page full of some great customs. The page belongs to Gemma Steib. Originally from Essex, England, she now resides in California where she can be found most days working on her commissioned Vinylmation custom figures.

Destination Vinylmation: How many customs have you created?
Gemma: I’m just about to start working on my 87th and 88th customs! I’ve created 26 for our personal collection and 60 commissions and it still feels like it was only yesterday when I was asked to make my first commission. I’m really looking forward to working on the first 9″ custom for our collection, I wont give away too many details but I feel sorry for my poor 9″ at the moment seeing as I’ve already poked a ton of holes into his head, I’m just waiting for a few parts to come through the mail so I can continue to torture him!

Gemma Steib VMK Custom

DV: What first caught my eye, were the Virtual Magic Kingdom figures. This is very unique. For anyone who doesn’t know about VMK, can you tell us what it was?
Gemma: Hubby and I and a lot of our friends used to play an online Disney game that started in ’05 called Virtual Magic Kingdom, VMK for short. It was a little virtual world where you could be anywhere around the globe and we could all experience a little bit of Disneyland from our homes together. It’s actually the reason I signed up on a forum for the game and met my hubby! Not surprisingly Disneyland is where we are most weekends. The game sadly closed it’s virtual doors in May of ’08 and my hubby and I wanted to make a little something to have as a keepsake to remind us of good times in game.

Boolani and TheAlienStitch

I took Boolani (my character) and TheAlienStitch (my hubby’s character) and translated them to the vinyl form, and ever since then I’ve been getting commissions from others who loved the game and want their own little vinyl reminder of a great short lived game.

Gemma Steib VMK Custom

Which warms my heart a little more for each one I complete, especially ones with sculpted hats like the one with the seagull pirate hat. I couldn’t help but giggle a little inside every time someone ordered one of them, especially as everyone referred to it as the chicken hat, I even roped my hubby into helping make all the individual pieces of straw for the seagull to sit on hehe.

Gemma Steib VMK Custom

DV: What is your favorite VMK custom you’ve done?
Gemma: Other than our own personal ones, I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite out of the VMK customs, although creating the space suit pants for one does come close to topping the list along with the ‘chicken’ hat. But really my favourite part of making the VMK customs is seeing them go off to their new homes and seeing posts on Facebook of their new owners taking them on adventures, Especially when those adventures are Disney park related!

Gemma Steib VMK Custom

DV: What do you like most about making customs?
Gemma: Painting is just something I adore and I love the challenge of translating ideas and designs to the Vinylmation form, especially charactertures of people.

The “making of” a Gems Vinyl Custom

DV: How can people see your work and order a custom from Gems Vinyls?
Gemma: Usually I can only take one one or two commissions per week depending on how complex the design is, so my wait list does sometimes get backed up. It sometimes takes a while to get through them all without rushing orders. I’d hate to have to rush a piece that wasn’t up to my standards which I wouldn’t be happy sending out. People can contact me on Facebook. I have a Facebook profile and a group for my customs. My profile for Gem’s Vinyl Customs is usually where I post the most. I debated so much over making a profile vs a page but I much prefer having an inbox on the profile so I can be contacted easily.

Profile – http://www.facebook.com/gemsvinyls
Group – http://www.facebook.com/groups/101823626520457?ap=1

DV: Thank you and keep up the great work. We will be featuring more of your customs soon.
Gemma: Thanks again for featuring my customs!

Doug, 9″ Park 6 Now Online

WDWNT on July 29, 2011

Update: Noon- The Doug set is now sold out. According to @VMKingdom, they were gone at 3:45 AM. So they were on sale for about 25 minutes. I hope more people got them this time because of the limits!

Did you get one??


The update was a little late, almost 3:20 AM before it arrived, but thanks to a tweet by @Vinylchaser, we all started to purchase our Dougs.

Interesting note: I was only limited to purchasing up to 2 of these. So hopefully these will stay around for a while.

For those who want to reach the $75 free shipping, you can also order one of the two 9″ Park 6 figures that came out today. Animal Kingdom Crate and Davy Crockett.

What do you think of this release?

It’s a Small Vinylmation Set

WDWNT on July 28, 2011

No really, Junior Vinylmation are tiny. Series 4 was teased today with a tweet by Vinylmation Designer Thomas Scott. Only a few hours later, vinylmation.com is confirming the series.

Each one of the pieces in the Juniors 4 set will be related to the “It’s a Small World” ride. The series is by Thomas Scott and will “make it’s debut” at the D23 event in August in California.

Here’s a look at the sides of the box.


So far we’ve seen two pieces, a tiger and a kid. Disney promises more to come.

So it looks like a Small World Theme for Jr. 4. We have to ask, what would you like to see in this set? Do you have some favorite Small World characters? Email us photos of your favorites and we will post them. It looks like there will be all humans and animals as well!

Unofficial Vinylmation Art Show Announced

WDWNT on July 28, 2011

Vinylmation Custom Artist Cesar Diaz has a very special announcement:

For a while now I’ve had this idea where I want to put together a custom Vinylmation art show. Well that idea is now becoming a reality. I’ve already booked an art gallery to display the custom vinyls I make. But I didn’t stop there! I have invited 5 more custom artists to join me and display their work as well. The artists that are involved are Celeste Villanueva, Chelsey Zhang, Lucas Yoshida, Jesus Paez and Angie Annett. I’m calling the show “The Customation Project” It will be hosted my PROXART. Check out their website proxart.org to find out more info on them. The show will be on September 24th from 7pm-10pm  in the city of Newhall CA. I think this vinyl show will be a great way to bring art fans, vinyl fans, Disney fans all together.

Thanks for your time
-Cesar Diaz

For more information on this event, visit www.mycustomations.com. We will have more information about this event in the coming weeks.

Vinylmation Speculation: Juniors 4?

WDWNT on July 28, 2011

Today Thomas Scott released this picture on Twitter.

So what does it mean? I haven’t seen this figure before, so does this point to the first figure of Juniors 4? We are pretty sure that series will be coming at some point. Maybe this is the first clue. Will the whole series be people dressed up? Is it possible to connect this to one of the EPCOT lands? Any ideas?

Over on twitter @vinylchaser says that it seems like a 45th Anniversary of It’s A Small World figure.

As a side note, I really love the fabric it’s on. I gotta find out where to find that!

Collecting with Claudia: Trading Vinylmation

WDWNT on July 28, 2011

Most of us depend on trades to enhance our own Vinylmation collection, so the more options we have for trade locations, the better. This article will explore the most common trading practices, locations, and suggestions.

For those collectors who live in Florida, it is a bit easier to trade on Disney properties like the Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney, Resorts, Trade Nights, and so on. You can find a list of trading spots on Disney properties by going to: Destination Vinylmation’s Trading Locations page or typing “trading locations” in the search bar (on the top right).

Though not everyone has the luxury of living near Disney, there are several options that I will discuss here.

One trading option is to go to Disney Stores, which are located in malls throughout the country. Do take into consideration that not all stores will have Vinylmation trading, so check with your local stores.

If you cannot get to a Disney Store, there are many online trading websites available (please do your own research before you sign-up for a particular trading site). Here is a list of commonly known trading sites; however, this is by no means a complete list:

Vinylmation Kingdom http://vinylmationkingdom.com/

Vinylnation http://www.vinylnation.net/

Vinylmation Trader https://sites.google.com/site/vinylmations/

Vinylmation Traders http://www.vinylmationtraders.com/

Facebook, youtube, and Craigslist are also other options when searching for new trading experiences.

Advice & Suggestions:

*SAFETY is #1. I cannot stress this enough. A vinylmation is NOT worth risking your privacy and safety.

*If you are under the age of 18, please make sure you have your parents’ permission.

*Be honest throughout the entire trading process. For example: accurately describe your vinyls that are up for trade (are they new, damaged, scuffed, have paint loss, etc…).

*Do your research, ask other collectors, go online, talk to your friends.

* When trading via “snail” mail, I would highly encourage you to obtain a tracking number, and package the vinyls very well. Bubble wrap is a great way to ensure your figures are safe during transit. It is very disappointing to receive a vinyl that is damaged due to poor packaging.

If I have left out any trading options, websites, groups, suggestions, etc… please make sure to inform our readers by leaving a comment below. Thank you, and KEEP ON COLLECTING!

Alien at Arlington

WDWNT on July 28, 2011

“We caught this guy enjoying some cotton candy at the Texas Ranger’s ballpark in Arlington. He really looks to be enjoying his cotton candy. Thought you guys might want to see.” – Scot Moore

Get on the Grid with the Tronorail & Other New Toys at the D23 Expo

WDWNT on July 27, 2011

From Steven Miller on the Disney Parks Blog:

'TRON: Legacy' Monorail Die-Cast Vehicle

A few weeks ago my fellow author Michelle Harker gave you a first look at some new items coming to the D23 Expo Dream Store on Aug. 19-21. I begged her to let me write about some of the new toys and games that will make their debut at the Expo. I can summarize my reasons for wanting to write this article in three words – “TRON: Legacy” Monorail.

'TRON: Legacy' Monorail Die-Cast Vehicle

You may recall that I’m a huge fan of anything Tron. I remember the day in March 2011 that Cody Hampton, Associate Product Developer for Toys and Games, shared with me the first sample of this new die-cast vehicle. I was as excited as the first day I saw the actual “TRON: Legacy” monorail at Epcot. The monorail measures approximately 12 inches long and has wheels on the bottom of it. The toy will have an edition size of 3,000 and will be packaged two different ways – Sam Flynn’s blue Lightcycle version and Clu’s yellow Lightcycle version (roughly 1,500 of each packaging version were made). While the toy will debut at the D23 Expo, there will be limited quantities also offered at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Disneyland Resort Monorail Toy

Speaking of monorails, this past April I gave you a first look at the new Disneyland Monorail toy that is coming toDisney Parks. One of the coolest new features which Cody didn’t want to spoil is the remote control, a first for the monorail playset! When the sound button is pressed, you will hear the infamous monorail welcome spiel. Similar to the actual Disneyland Resort monorail, the doors only open on one side. The tops on some of the cabins also open so mini-figures can be placed inside.

Disney Parks Trivial Pursuit Game

Do you know what year the monorail was first introduced at Disneyland? The official opening was June 14, 1959, and it was the first daily operating monorail in the United States. If you answered that question correctly, then I challenge you to a game of “Trivial Pursuit: Disney For All” edition (it seems no one else wants to play with me ever since I’ve read “Disney A to Z” twice).

This new version of the classic Trivial Pursuit game will feature three question types (as the official press release describes): “’Take 2 Trivia’ – giving two chances to earn the wedge, ‘My Disney’ – a little personal trivia sparked by favorite Disney moments or characters, and ‘Disney List’ – work together to create lists or choose which don’t belong.”

Robots Signing at California Disney Store

WDWNT on July 27, 2011

Disney is amazing us with the promotion and coverage of the Robots Vinylmation release. They continue this week with artist profiles and a story on the artist signing this past weekend at the Fashion Valley Disney Store in San Diego, CA.

Photo from Disney Store Blog

Here, Marcella Lau signs a Robot for a guest. Take a look at the set up. Huge detailed displays featuring the artists in the background. Again, showing the Disney Store going all out for this release. I can’t wait to see what they do for Lion King! (another Disney Store release) Hope it’s more of the same fanfare.

Photo from Disney Store Blog

For more pictures and the full story on the artist signing, check out this article at the Disney Store Blog. If you were there, send us your pictures and story too.