Build your own vintage Disneyland with these items up for auction

This Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction vehicle is among the items for sale as part of the "That's From Disneyland!" auction being held this month. This vehicle is estimated to fetch between $100,000 to $150,000. Included item estimates from Van Eaton Galleries. less This Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction vehicle is among the items for sale as part of the "That's From Disneyland!" auction being held this month. This vehicle is estimated to fetch between $100,000 to ... more Photo: Courtesy Van Eaton Galleries Photo: Courtesy Van Eaton Galleries Image 1 of / 47 Caption Close Build your own vintage Disneyland with these items up for auction 1 / 47 Back to Gallery

A Disneyland fan who amassed a massive 750-item private collection of Disneyland art, ride vehicles and memorabilia is now auctioning off everything to the public this month.

Collector Richard Kraft pieced together his collection over 25 years, which first began with a vintage poster for the Autopia ride, and later expanded to include vehicles from rides such as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride or the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction.

Van Eaton Galleries is handling auction proceedings of the unique collection, and has set up the "That's from Disneyland!" pop-up in Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles County) spanning a 20,000 square-foot space to display the items throughout the month of August. Visitors can look at the pieces ahead of the scheduled sale on Aug. 25 and 26, and a number of Disney-themed events with special guests are planned for the space as well.

Kraft, an agent who has represented movie composers Danny Elfman and Alan Menken, collected all of the items, some of which date back to Disneyland's early years, including some early concept art of rides.

Among the more exciting pieces for sale are the "stretching portraits" from the Haunted Mansion, more ride vehicles (including a Skyway bucket and a pirate ship from the Peter Pan ride), even six different animatronics from "It's a Small World." Early estimates on items range anywhere from $200 for artwork to $150,000 for ride vehicles.

(Scroll through the slideshow above to see a selection of items from the collection.)

"Through Richard's passion for the park and his love for his brother and family, he has amassed a collection that is unequaled and unlike anything I have ever seen," Mike Van Eaton, co-founder of the gallery, said in a statement. "It represents the largest collection of attraction vehicles, props, costumes, drawings, original souvenirs, posters, advertising, signs and memorabilia we have ever had the privilege of hosting at auction."

Kraft's love for all things Disneyland first began as a young child with his family's yearly trips to Disneyland. Kraft's older brother, David, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and the two children would plan out their trip throughout the year; the family would then travel to Anaheim when David was at his healthiest.

"Disneyland was where we went growing up whenever [David] was feeling well," Kraft told the Los Angeles Daily News. "So [I have] nothing but pleasant Disneyland memories of childhood."

Kraft began collecting Disneyland memorabilia after David died at the age of 35, when a trip to Disneyland sparked the collection which is now for sale.

"I was really disconnected and didn't know how to connect with him and I went to Disneyland, and it reminded me of him," Kraft told Yahoo Entertainment.

"So I started buying Disneyland, basically, bringing it to my house."

The items became part of Kraft's home — the Dumbo ride vehicle for instance, weighing a whopping 800 pounds, was suspended from Kraft's living room ceiling — and overflowed to storage, before Kraft decided to part with the items for the auction. Kraft's 4-year-old daughter is diagnosed with Coffin-Siris Syndrome, according to the Daily News, and a part of the auction proceeds will go toward the CHIME Institute and the Coffin-Siris Syndrome Foundation.

Read Dianne de Guzman's latest stories and send her news tips at ddeguzman@sfchronicle.com.

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