Monday, June 25, 2007

Olszewski Main Street USA Collection

Welcome to the first Blog posting for Olszewski Studios. I thought I would start this off with a discussion about the Main Street USA Collection. Do you have any general thoughts or questions about the Collection?

61 comments:

Carol said...

Since I haven't been able to get the Bachman train set - will any train in that scale work ok with the display?

Anonymous said...

Great question and the answer is Yes. Any "N" guage scale train is suitable. Since there are no known plans at the moment to release a new train set until at least 2008, we are recommending collectors purchase something else.

Anonymous said...

I've been collecting the WDW Main Street USA Collection and have all that has been released to date (meeting the master himself and Travis for signing each time), but nothing has been released for almost a year. In the beginning, the release schedule appeared very aggressive. Are there still plans to continue the WDW collection? Why the delay?

DM said...

The Main Street Collection is proudly displayed in my living room and I anxiously await every new release. You used to post items, that are in the works, with tentative release. It gave me something to look forward to, and start saving for. It would be nice to have that information again along with updates on items like the wiring harness. I come to the Olszewski website and the Disney Gallery site regularly to make sure that I do not miss a release. The newest release and signing announcement for the Disneyland Marquee was a hugh surprise with very short notice. I like to travel to Disney for these signings when I am able but this one is going to be tough due to the short notice.

Thanks!

The Brother said...

DM: Official announcement was just made yesterday by The Disney Company regarding the event. Olszewski Studios cannot publish the event until Disney publishes it themselves. I can only apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

The Brother said...

Heather: Great question and thanks for your positive comments. Yes, the Disney WDW program is still on track (although a bit getting it going since last August). There will be forthcoming announcements regarding the program.

Christoph said...

I just wanted to congratulate you guys for the fantastic work you are doing with the Main Street USA Collection.
Will you bring out more Castmembers to put on Main Street? As an actual City Hall Castmember at Disneyland Paris I really would appreceate it if you would bring out a City Hall Host ;-)

The Brother said...

Christoph : merci pour la magnifique suggestion de Disney les Caractères de Paris. Nous l'ajouterons à notre liste d'entre beaucoup nous recevons de magnifiques fans de Disney et d'Olszewski comme vous.

For those who do not understand the French language, I merely thanked Christoph for the wonderful suggestion and we'll add it to our list of suggestions which many of Olszewski and Disney fans send us.

Anonymous said...

We love our Disneyland Main Street Collection and have every piece. The artist, his brother and all of the Studio team are top notch--always super helpful. We got our platform at Christmas and recently rented a van and drove eight hours to pick up our platform plexiglass cover! Are there plans for more attractions after Main Street is finished? And rumors were that there would be a villain accessory pack or cast member accessory pack. And other accessories coming?

Anonymous said...

Great to see the blog – thanks for setting this up and taking the time to reply! I'm having a great time collecting the Main Street set, but I'm a bit late to the collection so I'm missing a few of the pieces (Candy Palace, Penny Arcade, etc.) I’ve heard rumors about re-releases of the Orbiter and Town Square – will there be re-releases of other pieces as well?

Anonymous said...

Hi,

The Disneyland Main Street Collection is like a dream come true!

I may have missed it, but is there any information detailing how to replace bulbs for the Main Street pieces, if necessary, and part numbers for replacement bulbs?

Also, at what point in the series was the auto time-out mechanism applied to the series (the feature that shuts the lights after 15 minutes)?

The Brother said...

Tom of Atlanta. The following is from the FAQs that are listed on www.disneygallery.com.

Q: Can the lights be changed in the pieces?
A: Yes, the lights can be changed in the pieces. The LED’s should not need be changed as they have a life expectancy of 10,000 hours. The small street lamps have a 1.3mm incandescent bulb and can be changed easily by removing the faux wood base (unscrew the 3 or 4 mounted screws). Pull the lights out from the street lamp from below and clip the wires. Take a new bulb and twist each pair of wires together (keep the positive and negative wires apart using electrical tape). Push the new bulb back up into the lamp post and tape the wires to the piece, so the bulb does not slip back into the post. Put the faux wood base back on the piece. New street lamp bulbs can be purchased at your local hobby shop or from Olszewski Studios at www.olszewskistudios.com.

All pieces after Sleeping Beauty's Castle were configured with the 15 minute timer. Plans are to provide a kit that can be exchanged for that which was issued with that Castle.

Anonymous said...

Carol asked about the N-Gauge trains. All is not lost if you missed buying the limted edition EP Ripley. Search Yahoo for "Bachmann Prairie Flyer". That train set has the same hardware as Disney EP Ripley, but the Loco isn't painted like the Ripley and the rolling stock doesn't have the "Disneyland" artwork. From 3 feet away it's hard to tell the difference. For extra fun, check out the "Bachmann Jupiter". It has the same phyiscal configuration as the CK Holiday - just with different paint/logos. My platform is set up to run both the EP Ripley and my home made CK Holiday.

Daveland said...

I can't give enough kudos for the Disneyland Main Street pieces, as well as the auxillary attractions that you have created so far. The detail is amazing; I can't tell you how many times I sit in my living room and just stare at each building in the base, noticing something different that you have capture each time I look. The tree packs are a really cool finishing touch, too. Can't wait for the electrical kit to come so I can see everything lit up again. Huge kudos also to the excellent customer service and friendly responses given every time I have contacted you. You guys are all a class act! Looking forward to each new release (even if my bank account isn't!).

Anonymous said...

I am a HUGE Haunted Mansion fan and proudly own the DL version. I was wondering if there were plans to release WDW and Paris (Phantom Manor) in the future? Also is there a site that has the complete collection to date for WDW and DL?
I don't think I can get thm all but I'd love to see what's available s I can get me favs. So far I have DL HM and WDW Cinderella's Castle. Both are amzing pieces. I foolishly passed on Pirates of the Carribean but now regret it. Hopefully I'll be lucky and see it again when I'm at DL in Oct.

Big Al said...

I am so excited to bring the spirit of Disneyland to my home in Atlanta through the Main Street miniatures. To add a special touch, I rigged small speakers to play the background area music for each of the lands. it really completes the scene and mood.

I usually try to pick up 1-2 pieces when I visit Disneyland which is only a few times a year. On my last trip, the Cast Member at the gallery said that pieces that were no longer available had been "discontinued." I am missing the Astro Orbitor, Plaza Inn, and many of the accessories. Can you please confirm if/when these pieces will be available again either through the Disney Gallery or the Olszewski Studio. Thanks!

The Brother said...

For MVRTGO: Cut and paste the following link to your browser which will take you to the comprehensive list of Olszewski art and should answer your question. http://www.olszewskistudios.com/1994-TodayArt.php

The Brother said...

Big Al: Thanks for your comments. There will be re-introductions of the pieces you mentioned. We will be announcing them as they are reintroduced. Stay tuned!

The Brother said...

For the many who have raised questions about the WDW Main Street USA program, it is the intent to finish that which has been started. Announcements will be made to those to have signed up for receive our emails. If you have not signed up, please do at this link: http://www.olszewskistudios.com/contactus.php.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Ray! Yes, we are on the list but are quite jealous of the many current Disneyland realeases - though we hope to rectify that by making our first visit to Disneyland next summer and picking up a few original pieces for that park - (long live the ORIGINAL Tiki Room)! Looking forward to the next magical WDW sculpture and character pack. Keep up the great work, my best to the team, and Happy Fourth!

Carol said...

Thank you SJ Bruce, I was able to find the Bachmann prairie flyer on ebay and bought it. It will definitely do as a replacement. I'm jealous that some have already gotten their plexiglass covers. I signed up originally but never heard anything from the plastic company??? Will they be doing more?

Carol said...

Thank you SJ Bruce. I was able to find the Bachmann Prairie Flyer train and it will definitely do as a replacement. I'm jealous to hear that some have already received their plexiglass cover. I signed up originally, but never heard from the plastic company. Will they be doing anymore?

The Brother said...

Hello all - regarding the plexiglass cover for the Disneyland Main Street USA platform. Olszewski Studios took the initiative for collecting names and contact information to get this special price, and passed that on to American Plastics Corporation who is the manufacturer of the cover. At the time, we had an overwhelming response and those who responded their names and contact information were collected and that information was provided to APC. APC was to contact each individual. If you have not been contacted, we suggest you please contact APC at 1-800-448-2234 and speak with Armand. APC is located in Camarillo CA and the arrangement was for pick up ONLY - no shipping. This information was and continues to be published on the Olszewski Studio website.

Anonymous said...

Three Questions:
1) Is there any way to purchase replacement flags? Before I got my plexi cover my cats chewed on a few of the flags. I need both the american and mouse flags.

2) Are there any plans to release more people figures? Assorted park guests, mom's dad's strollers etc. Would help to populate a rather empty looking park.

3) Are there any plans to rerelease the red fire engine car or the Dicken's carolers. They are two pieces I missed.

Anonymous said...

Ray--

Thank you for answering our questons and on the Fourth of July to boot! When we asked at the Disney Gallery in Disneyland about future releases, they told us that after Main Street is complete (September 2007), that only Peter Pan's Flight had been commissioned. We hope that this is just from a cast member without all the information as we'd love to see other buildings and attractions completed!

Billy

Anonymous said...

Since it appears that it's going to be sometime before the actual Lighting Kit for the collection is available, is there a way to get the current pieces in the base to light up?

The Brother said...

Neal: Just yesterday, Bob Olszewski tested the Electrical Light Kit which was to be in the hands of Main Street USA Platform owners in September. He found some problems and things are underway to get them fixed so that you and everyone else that owns a Platform has a quality product. In answer to your question about a way to get the pieces you have in the Platform to light up now, Bob says "No, not unless you want to keep messing with this the rest of your life!" Please be patient, as we too are very anxious for you to get it all Lit Up too! :)

Anonymous said...

Is there a third tree pack coming for the base?

The Brother said...

There will be an announcement made when the Third Tree Kit is available for purchase.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ray,

Thanks for your answer. First of all this blog is a great idea! I have seen pictures on the net from the turnstiles/front gates, the souvenir stands, newsstand, and stroller/wheelchair rental. Can you tell me/us if these will get the lights the same way as the houses have? (With lights in the roof). I can't see any holes for those in the pictures.

Kind regards,
Martijn Boevink

Unknown said...

Wondering if you guys are still on track for re releases of the Haunted Mansion and Pirates this July as some at Disney have stated the'll be receiving some. I missed them the first time around, sadly. Have they shipped out to the Disney warehouses yet?

Anonymous said...

I started collecting since the beginning and am the proud to have all releases so far. I do have the Ripley train, but the Prairi one as well (for exchanging and spare parts). Everything is still boxed. I want to assemble the platform when all pieces are there. BTW this is one of the most magical collections ever! Thank you! My question: can we expect any xmas decoration kit/trains? and what about the electrical parade? never heard about it again. This would be de ultimate piece to go in DL.

Carol said...

For those that have or want the great Main Street Platform but aren't sure what to put it on - I bought a 30" by 72" bookcase from Walmart for $30 and will lay it face down for a base. Platform will sit about 12" above carpet so when the plexiglass cover is on it will be a great height for a coffee table. This was a whole lot less expensive than buying cabinets or building a special platform. Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

Eric in Irvine - sorry no way to sign up for a propper name.

Thank you for a way to express our joy about your product. We have all pieces from Disneyland and look forward to each new release.

Originaly, rumors of two contracts of five attractions each was going around.

Set One
1. Astro Orbitor
2. Mark Twain
3. Mad Tea Party
4. Jungle Cruise
5. Haunted Mansion

Set Two
6. Pirates of the Carribean
7. Peter Pan's Flight
8. Mattahorn Bobsleds
9. Splash Mountain
10. Dumbo, Flying Elephants

What ever happened to the last four items on the list? and is there a chance of doing even more attractions at Disneyland, or a major Icon Attraction for each Park at Walt Disney World, or possible each park around the World?

Anonymous said...

one word.........SUBS!!

Old or new versions, it would be great w/ lighting and water like on the castle piece. And with the Matterhorn on top??

Definately hoping for a Matterhorn though.......

Thunder Mountain anyone?

Anonymous said...

Every time I view my nearly completed Main Street it rekindles the amazement and joy I felt over 50 years ago when I first visited Disneyland.My congratulations and thanks on a job well done.
I too have not received a reply about the plexiglass cover ; thanks for providing the phone number.
Two questions : 1)The inner edge of the platform behind the Astro Orbiter shows a white, bumpy surface. Any ideas for covering it?
2)Will tree accessory pack #3 extend up to the Plaza Inn, or can we expect a pack #4?

The Brother said...

In Response to McBob:

1)The white bumpy surface is to match the rock wall surface that is found behind the Sleeping Beauty Castle. The brick wall needed to end at the edge of the main building on Main Street as this brick does not extend up into the Hub area. We understand that this surface is not as pleasing to the eye, but did not have a lot of choices here. You do not see this surface with most of the other Hub pieces as we have made them with back tree areas or the buildings as in the case of the Plaza Inn and Plaza Pavilion hide this wall. On the Gateways to Adventureland and Frontierland piece (launching on September 22, 2007) we have enclosed Fort Wilderness, so you do not see much of the white rock wall either.

2)Tree Accessory Pack #3 will have trees that extend the entire length behind the East side of Main Street, all the way upto Plaza Inn. We will have a Tree Accessory Pack #4, but this pack will have small single trees in round and square planter boxes. These trees will be used to add detail to the interior of the Main Street area and will be able to be used to hide gap blemishes. We will also have a touch up kit out later this fall, with matching paint colors to many of the major surface areas including the sidewalk color, the road color, the roof top colors, the hedge and tree colors, etc.

The Brother said...

This is a response to Randy's posting on 5 July. Question (1) Please send an email to info@olszewskistudios.com identifying what pieces you want, how many, and your mailing address. There may be a small fee associated with mailing the items. If there is, then you will be sent a PayPal invoice. Questions (2) and (3) These items you mentioned, people figures, etc. and red fire engine are all in the plans for reintroduction. When The Disney Company decides to order more of these, then an announcement will be made to our email list. Sorry for the delay in my response, but have been focused on PokitPals launch.

Carol said...

Got your email regarding the re-release of Pirates and Haunted Mansion. Will these be listed as first editions also? Have had lots of good comments on the pokitpals.

Disney Fans #1 & #2 said...

Excited about the PokitPals, They are GREAT! Any chance for Disney Ones!

Anonymous said...

We just received our first DisneyLAND piece today - The Disneyland Marquee! We were very excited to find two lights that illuminate the sign. Unfortunately, after a few seconds of bliss, the lights went out. We took out the batteries, plugged in the AC adapter, and - same thing. No lights at all. Tried all new batteries and waiting a while to no avail. We've called about an exchange, but is there anything we can do? Any suggestions for repair? We hate to send it back if it's a quick fix.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Bob, for demonstrating (at the Plaza Pavilion signing) that the Olszewski palm trees in our Main Street collection are not intended to look like umbrellas! Like many, I was afraid to touch the delicate palm fronds fearing I would break them! I followed instructions and carefully lifted individual fronds, placing them in a much more realistic position. Wow! They really look like real palm trees now!

For the collectors who have not yet done this, Bob explained that these are brass. Unless you are rough or repeatedly bend them back and forth, they are not likely to break off. A gentle touch is all that is needed.

Anonymous said...

For Heather in NC -

You may have already figured this out, but the Fire Hydrant is the light switch. Push it in and see if that turns the lights on - they will go off with another push, or after a few minutes due to their timer. If the lights still don't come on, then ya, sounds like it might be defective...

The Brother said...

Anonymous is correct, but you may need to change the 3 AA batteries underneath first. On the www.disneygallery.com site under Olszewski information, you will find FAQs and the last item discusses bulb replacement.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Ray and "Anonymous." As I said in my post, the lights did work at first (yes - found the hydrant), but shut off shortly thereafter. We changed batteries, tried the AC adapter w/o batteries to no avail. The piece was defective, so we returned it and just got the replacement a few days ago. The lights are much brighter than the first and it works perfectly. We're so thrilled about our first disneyLAND piece! Can't wait for more WORLD pieces! Thank you again!

DM said...

I want to share some plexiglass care advice that was given to me by the fabricator of my Main Street Platform cover. He said to NEVER use windex or other glass cleaner as it will eventually cloud the plexiglass. He recommended using Pledge furniture polish with a soft cloth. I bought the pledge that is in the spray bottle rather than aerosol and have dedicated a microfiber polishing cloth for application and buffing. This really works well. I have cleaned the cover many times and it shines as it did the day I brought it home.

The Brother said...

DM: Thanks for sending us your comment. Actually, we have published on the Olszewski Studios website the plexiglass manufacturer's instructions on how to care for the cover. Again, thanks for sharing. For those who would like those instructions go to www.olszewskistudios.com and do a search on the word "plexiglass."

Carol said...

Yeah - i just noticed the release info on the Disneyland site of the first 2 accessory packs. I just ordered the wiring kit - you must have known that I rearranged the living room yesterday to start the set up of our display. Wiring kit will come just in time.

The Brother said...

Carol: Great minds think alike!

Drew said...

Does Olszewski still offer the train accessory kit for the platform? I haven't seen this listed for sale in a long time.

Anonymous said...

All I can say is "WOW" once we plugged in the light set. Great job!

One question, however.

We have had the figures in the base now close to eight months and have not seen any of them lit up within that time. Once we turned on the lighting system we noticed that many of the "older" figures (i.e., emporium, opera house, showcase)have hairline cracks in their roof which emits the light when turned on. It is nothing that disrupts the atmosphere but it is noticeable.

Will the paint re-touch kit address this concern? Or, are there any other ideas to fix this?

waltyensid said...

Big Al of Atlanta.

I am also from Atlanta and was wondering if you have found anyone who can do the plexiglass cover for the platform?

Thanks.
Tom

Anonymous said...

Any chance of the Walt Disney World Main Street collection resuming?

Anonymous said...

I have the complete Main Street collection and have been wiring and placing the pieces into the "Main Street Platform". Unfortunately, I am having a problem fitting the "Plaza Pavilion and Tiki Room" between the street and the back wall of the platform. The base seems to hang over the street by a 1/4 of an inch. Has this problem shown up on other platforms and if so, what is the recommended fix? I don't want to shave a 1/4 of an inch off of the Plaza Pavilion base as that would alter it from ever being remounted on it's original wood base. So that leaves me with cutting a 1/4" notch out of the road bed. Is that my only alternative?
Thank you for your help. The "Main Street Collection" turned out beautifully.

Bill OC said...

Well, after reading what Travis, the GM at Olszewski Studios offered in response to an email I sent Ray Olszewski, I rechecked the placements of all the pieces around the castle end of the platform. I had no significant gaps, but after pulling up all the pieces, I started with placing the Plaza Pavilion first. I had shave to just a little off the back platform wall (less than 1/32") and the piece fits (very snugly) into place. The other pieces fit into place, but the move created gaps between all the pieces around the circle which I can live with or filled the glaring ones.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

What is the status of the Walt Disney World Main Street. Is this coming to be complete?

Kind regards
Martijn Boevink
The Netherlands

Anonymous said...

For the upcoming Main St Electrical Parade figures, The Disney Gallery isn't giving any information about ordering. Will we be able to order online? I try to make it out for signing when I can, but I'm in Colorado and can't make it to all of them ; )

Anonymous said...

Hello,

I've sent emails to Olszewski Studios twice with no response, so trying all the blogs I can find for possible help..

I'm trying to install the light kit for the Disneyland Main Street platform..
My carnation plaza has a red/orange wire, and a red/gray wire.. I've connect the "A" wire kit green/red
wire to both, but don't see anything lighting up.
Please provide the following:
1) which wire should I connect to
2) what should light up on the carnation plaza.

I also need help connecting the Marquee sign.. My problem is that I took the base apart over a year
ago to put on the platform, so I couldn't do step 2 from the directions.
Is there any way you can tell me which wires to connect back to the circuit board other
than the directions on the web site???
Any help would be appreciated...


regards,
don

avarant said...

I need the crystal arts miniature, the castle brothers miniature, the emporium miniature, and the crystal arcade miniature that olszewski has made for the main street collection. Any one know where I can find these?

Unknown said...

I was wondering if there was a place that we could send a piece to get it repaired in the Southern California area?

The Brother said...

Stephen: What is it that needs fixing? Please send email to info@olszewskistudios.com. Thank you,