The Pennington Collection originated in 2019 when Maura Pennington and Matthew Wilkins took their first trip to Disneyland together. Maura grew up on the East Coast taking family trips to Disney World and had been a Disneyland Annual Passholder since her days at UCLA Law. Matthew, who grew up in California making annual pilgrimages to Disneyland as a child but spent his adult life in New York City, had not been to the Park for over a decade but remembered it as the wonderful place it is with its unique and magical energy.

Their first visit quickly turned into a second (and Matthew’s first as an Annual Passholder), which happened to coincide with the week of the Haunted Mansion’s 50th Anniversary celebration. By the end of that week, Matthew and Maura had accumulated a respectable bounty of Haunted Mansion merchandise. They did not know it yet, but The Pennington Collection had established its humble roots as an assortment of limited edition pins celebrating the Haunted Mansion’s 50th Anniversary.

Drawing on his past work for a well respected dealer of rare books and photographs, Matthew started cataloguing Maura’s existing collection and investigating the world of Disneyana more broadly. Not so slowly over the past few years, The Pennington Collection has significantly expanded its holdings and compiled a serious research library containing hundreds of reference sources, including key volumes pertaining to Disney and Disneyland history, more obscure publications not readily available, and an extensive collection of auction catalogues and historical pricing information pertaining to many areas of Disneyana collectibles.

Although young, The Pennington Collection brings together a keen eye for quality and aesthetic detail, rigorous research methods, impeccable ethical standards, knowledge and appreciation of its subjects’ historical and cultural importance, and a continually growing understanding of the niche market in which it operates that are the hallmarks of any great collector and dealer. Our story is only just beginning, and we welcome you to be a part of it.