This is a wonderful guest post written by my friend Amanda who writes at MouzeKateerz.com.
The charm bracelet, a fashion statement from years gone by, has been slowly making a resurgence in the last 10 years, right back onto the wrists of fashion forward women everywhere. And Disney, masters of marketing and merchandise, is never one to miss a trend. Charm bracelets of every size, color, and price range are found all over the Disney Resorts, theme parks, Downtown Disney, and online at the Disney Store.
Where did charm bracelets originate?
During the pre-historic period, jewelry charms would be made from shells, animal-bones and clay. Later charms were made out of gems, rocks, and wood. There is evidence from Africa that shells were used for adornments around 75,000 years ago.
Queen Victoria wore charm bracelets that started a fashion trend among the European noble classes. In 1889, Tiffany and Co. introduced their first charm bracelet — a link bracelet with a single heart dangling from it This bracelet is an iconic symbol for the Tiffany jewelry company even today.
Americans have always loved their jewelry. Despite the Great Depression, during the 1920s and 1930s, platinum and diamonds were introduced to charm bracelet manufacturing. Soldiers returning home after World War II brought home trinkets, made by craftsmen local to the area where they were fighting, to give to loved ones as gifts. Screen icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Crawford helped to fuel the interest and popularity of charm bracelets. American teenagers in the 1950s and early 1960s collected charms to record the events in their lives.
I received my first charm bracelet from my mother, a chunky silver bracelet she pieced together as a teen in the early 60′s. I started wearing it when I turned 40, and this is about the time I looked up to see a collection of Disney charms calling to me while standing at The World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney.
Traditional silver Disney charms run start in the low $20 range. Several stores carry gold charms, but you may not notice these because the collections are small, obviously due to the high prices. Disney had been carrying charms in their gift shops since the 70′s. Now I don’t remember that, even though I visited Disney as a child in the 70s. I know because these charms are still for sale on one of my favorite discounted shopping spots…eBay. If you are Couponing your way to Disney, then you have probably spent some quality time on eBay.
You have the option to purchase charms for a bracelet every trip you make to Walt Disney World. This would give you a wonderful souvenir from each special trip. But you may not fill a charm bracelet, taking this slow route, for years. EBay offers you the chance to amass a large collection, for sometimes a fraction of the cost of Disney retail, in a short amount of time, even if the emotional attachment is not there. For me, if it looked like Disney, that’s all the attachment I needed.
If you are a fan of silver Disney Jewelry, here’s an article on a great resort gift shop with a nice collection of jewelry. What Disney resort has a fabulous collection of silver jewelry?
I used several key words to find my charms: “silver Disney charm” and “antique Disney charm.” The word antique limits you more, but you won’t be barraged with the new round Chamilla charms. Take a good long visual stroll through the eBay isles until you find charms you like. Save these and compare prices. The most I have spent for a silver Disney charm, including shipping, was $21.50. The least I have spent including shipping was $6.50, and that same charm is for sale right now for $29.00 in Downtown Disney.
Clipping Coupons and pinching pennies for a vacation is not unlike a hobby, so you need something to show for all that hard work once the vacation has come to an end. This could be the year to start your charm bracelet, or perhaps buy a charm for your daughter or a close friend. Be sure check out the silver charms the next time you have some free time in a Disney gift shop, and of course for those of us on a tight budget, eBay never closes.
Amanda M. writes about all things Disney at Mouze Kateerz.com, and she hangs out at Mouze Kateerz on Pinterest.
You will also find her articles on Meet the Magic.com.
