THE GEEK WHO ‘LET IT GO’
Dedicated Disney collector Richard Kraft made a tidy sum when he decided to auction off his magical memorabilia
FRichard Kraft stands with Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which he sold for R6 million. It’s just one of the 800 items he recently auctioned off at his That’s From Disneyland pop-up exhibition in California in the US. LEFT: A figurine of a Disney mermaid. OR years the place was a child’s paradise. A 3,5m wide, 1,5m long Dumbo dangled from the living room ceiling in all his pinkand-grey, flapping-eared glory.
Instead of a couch you could snuggle up in the iconic Doom Buggy from The Haunted Mansion when you wanted to watch TV or play videogames. And when you went outside for a dip a giant sea serpent from the 1959 classic Submarine Voyage gazed down at you from its perch beside the swimming pool.
All were once rides or attractions at Disneyland and formed but a fraction of the theme-park collection cramming Richard Kraft’s house in Encino, California – a collection so magical it earned the house the nickname Kraftland, or The Happiest Place in Encino.
But after spending 20 years amassing memorabilia Richard decided enough was enough. His son, Nicholas, was grown up so it was time to end the remarkable era – and make money while he was about it.
And so he decided to auction everything off – but not before he and Nicholas organised an exhibition in an abandoned sports warehouse where people could feast their eyes on the precious pieces.
The auction was a rip-roaring success, netting Richard – one of the most influential talent agents for film and Broadway composers – a staggering $8,3 million (more than R120 million).
Yet he didn’t pocket a cent. All proceeds went to two charities: the Coffin-Siris Syndrome Foundation and the Chime Institute, both of which focus on helping children with special needs.
It’s a cause close to Richard’s heart: his four-year-old daughter, Daisy, has Coffin-Siris syndrome, a genetic condition that causes developmental delays and various physical deformities, including undeveloped pinkie fingers and toes and facial abnormalities.
But don’t think because Daisy no longer has Dumbo to glance up at she’s being deprived: the little girl loves Minions so her dad is redecorating his home with a new generation of toys, games and posters.
Richard has no regrets about the auction. When making the decision to clear out his collection he followed the advice of – who else? – a Walt Disney character.
“I turned to the wisdom of one of our era’s greatest poets, Elsa [ from the movie Frozen], who once memorably proclaimed, ‘Let it go’.”