The Secret of the Panel Chest

 This week I'm featuring an item that I've had for quite a while, and is still one of my favorites; The Haunted Mansion Secret Panel Chest! Here it is!

These were sold at the parks the first few years of the Mansions' lives at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. This one is obviously from Walt Disney World. Each park had their Mansion's picture on the label. I got this one off of eBay a few years ago, although I remember wanting to buy one at Disneyland on my 1973 trip as a kid. 

These are interesting little items. They actually aren't chests at all, but, rather, Japanese puzzle boxes, called "Himitsu Bako." These have been a Japanese tradition since at least 1870. They feature parquet-like wooden patterns called "Yosegi-Zuiku." Most (maybe all) are hand made. They have to be due to the sliding panels that have to be the exact right shape and tightness. 

There were two types sold at Disney; a 20 step "large" box, and a seven step "small" box. I'm not sure if the boxes are actually different sizes, though, as they seem to be the same. Mine is about 5.5" x 3.75" x 2.25". It's the much more common "small" box, with seven steps to open it. Here it is solved...

Interestingly enough (at least to me) my step-dad has a puzzle box which is very close to the 20 step box. It wasn't purchased at Disney, though, and so it doesn't have the sticker on the lid. That's significant. Why? Because the official Disney Secret Panel Chests are going for well over a hundred bucks; sometimes over 200! (No, I didn't pay near that for mine). The same box not from Disney goes for about 50 bucks. That's an expensive sticker!

Still, it's not the value that makes this one of my Haunted Mansion favorites. It's the fact that I finally got a souvenir that I wanted as a kid. And a cool one at that!

Until next time, keep searching for treasure!