1955 Disneyland Main Street USA Uncut Yale Lock Shop Souvenir Key Gold Plated for Sale

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1955 Disneyland Main Street USA Uncut Yale Lock Shop Souvenir Key Gold Plated For Sale

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1955 Disneyland Main Street USA Uncut Yale Lock Shop Souvenir Key Gold Plated:
$299.99

**Down to my final few**

Up for sale is an original, uncut, gold plated Yale Lock Company Disneyland Key. These keys come with a lot of history and lore, so please read so you understand exactly what your are getting, why it is so rare, and why you need this in your Disneyana collection.

Much of the research on this item was conducted by the good people at disneyhistory101.com, and all credit is due them for all the amazing information they have uncovered on this particular piece.

In a nutshell, Walt Disney needed capital to fund construction of Disneyland. He looked to reliable companies that had a long track record of success and offered them retail space within Disneyland to both sell their products and advertise within the park. The Yale Lock Manufacturing Company was one of these old, reliable firms that Disney himself relied upon to help fund his dream. As a result, the Yale Lock Manufacturing Company was one of the first and most enduring storefronts on the original Disneyland Main Street. The Yale and Towne Lock Shop, at 606 Main Street, was opened on July 17th, 1955. On that day, the shop celebrated the opening of Disneyland by issuing gold-plated souvenir keys to members of the press and their families.

One of the functions of this Yale and Towne Lock Shop was practical; they offered key duplication services and sold these special keys. These keys have a special Disneyland design showing the imprint of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and were available only in the Main Street Store. These keys would fit any Yale lock and could be cut if so desired. These gold plated key blanks were routinely distributed as complimentary souvenirs over the years, and gifted on special occasions. One of these same exact keys was gifted to Vice President Richard Nixon in 1955.

In 1964, the Yale and Towne Lock Shop closed permanently on Main Street, Disneyland, effectively eliminating thereafter any opportunity to obtain one of these incredible pieces of Disney lore. However, a small cache of these spectacular, gold plated Disneyland keys were found in the basement of a former, retired Yale employee in Connecticut, still in their original packages. These keys were released in a trickle to the market, but I had the good fortune of obtaining all of the remaining keys from the original person who purchased the collection. Any keys you see available on the market or at sale now came from him, and now I have all of the remainder.

With your purchase, you will receive 1 (one) uncut, gold plated original Disneyland Yale and Towne Lock Shop key in it's original packaging, which have all but disappeared from the public purview. There may be some slight tarnishing, but remember that these have been in their original packaging for nearly 70 years. The picture in the description is representative of what you’ll receive but may not be the exact one. I would recommend not polishing these, as it may impact their value and you could risk damaging the keys. This is simply a must for any Disneyland enthusiast, Disneyana collector, Disney Fan, or lock aficionado. A similar key in worse condition sold earlier this year for more than $4,000 am down to my final few keys, they sold faster than I ever thought. I’ve sold more than 15 of these and everyone has been thrilled, with some repeat buyers! Just check out the response. These are by far the best prices available anywhere. A portion of the proceeds is donated to a veterans related charity, as with all of my sales.

Again, all credit for research is due to disneyhistory101.com, and if you want to read more about this key and the Yale and Towne Lock Shop at the old Main Street in Disneyland, please