By Marsie Hall Newbold
Enquirer contributor

Karl and Lillian Price have been collecting Mickey Mouse and Disney items from the 1930s through the 1970s. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

Who: Karl Price, 58, of College Hill, a retired General Motors employee whose nickname is "The Mouse Man."

On display: More than 400 Disney collectibles from the early 1930s through the early '70s including Avon bottles, pewter ware, pencils, an original cardboard map of Disneyland, brochures, yo-yos, lamps, watches, clocks and figurines.

Where: Throughout the apartment he shares with Lillian, his wife of 33 years and their cat, Tabby.

Lifelong friends: Mr. Price's interest in Disneyana began in childhood. "I remember The Mickey Mouse Club on television from when I was growing up," he says. "There was also Howdy Doody, Superman and Hopalong Cassidy, but I liked Mickey the best."

Tragedy: Mr. Price's collection is impressive but is a shadow of what it was in the past. In 1990, an explosion destroyed the family's house in Evanston. Mrs. Price was home at the time. "She was on the back porch," he recalls. "The bathtub fell on her and the house was split in half. The blast was so strong that the refrigerator was blown out into the driveway." They lost more than 3,000 collectibles.

Collectors at heart: "We're now trying to rebuild," he adds. "It's difficult, though. Old toys are hard to come by right now." He has photos of many of the lost items including a rare Mickey Mouse Lionel train from the 1930s, 400 lunchboxes and a rocking horse Mickey.

Toy treks: The Prices scour toy shows from Minneapolis and Columbus to Toledo and Atlantic City. But they have never been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. "It really doesn't make sense does it?" he asks. "But when friends and family go they bring me back toys."

Meeting cute: What does Mrs. Price think of her husband's hobby? "She's as crazy as I am," he says, affectionately. "But then, we met at an antique show at the Cincinnati convention center."

My hero: Mr. Price believes that the greatest length he has gone to for a Mickey Mouse item was driving 500 miles to get a sled hanging in a loft out in the country.

But his "little buddy" had the opportunity to repay him for his affection. "I was looking at Disney toys at one man's house and fell down the steps," he explains. "I crashed into a stuffed Steiff Mickey and it cushioned my fall. Pretty lucky, don't you think?"

Share your prize possessions with Marsie Hall Newbold by mail: c/o The Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202, e-mail: marsolete@aol.com. Please include a daytime phone number.