The information available in this post is available as a PDF on Google drive. Remember, the internet is not forever and printing physical copies can be your friend.
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US Based Licensees
100% Soft
Licensee of Marvel pins. You can find them on their website or at pop culture conventions.
ACME Archives Direct
Former producer of Disney fine art quality pins sold via Hot Art HK. They also produced pins in conjunction with their Character Key merchandise line and currently sell licensed Star Wars fine art which may include matching pins.
Aminco International (USA) Inc.
Former licensee authorized to produce crossover merchandise that featured Disney characters and professional sports teams like MLB, NBA and NHL. Some All-Star Game pins sets were made as well. Their products were available 2011-2015 ish, but don’t seem to have created pins after that time period.
Applause
Former licensee that produced many types of Disney products in the 1980s and 1990s and sold through a variety of retail outlets.
ATA-BOY Inc
Licensee of Marvel Comics pins. They have a storefront on Amazon.
FiGPiN Collect Awesome Inc.
Unlike many other licenses which sell a variety of products, FiGPiN’s primary business is pins. FiGPiNs are larger than traditional pins and meant to be collectibles not souvenirs. They maintain an app to track your collection and earn points.
Funko
While their primary product is POP! Figures, many of those figures have been reproduced as pins. They are also the owner of Loungefly which maintains their own set of licenses.
Gift Creations, Inc.
Former licensee from the 1980s / 1990s. Produced pins for Disney films like Dick Tracy and the Rocketeer.
Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Hallmark and Disney have a long history, as the founders of both companies were friends due to their Kansas City connection. Their original licensing agreement began in 1931, and retail operator at WDW and Disneyland in the 1960s and 1970s. At one point, during the corporate raid attempt in the early 1980s, Disney was rumored to buy the company. They haven’t produced a lot of pins, but there were some jewelry items in the 1980s / 1990s and more recently as part of their Itty Bitty merchandise collection.
Jerry Leigh
Producer of tourist souvenir merchandise like you would find in a hotel gift shop, airport store, Walmart etc. They appear to have lost their Disney license to produce pins around 2016, but continue to sell other types of merchandise. Medium volume producer.
Junk Food
Small volume producer. Producer of a set of pins released at Target to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday.
Loungefly
High volume producer. Pins are sold at a wide variety of retailers as well as their own website. Their parent company is Funko, Inc.
Monogram International, Inc.
The OG licensee. Reviewing old pins, keychains, ornaments and other tourist souvenir merchandise from the 1980s many items are marked with Monogram. After a long absence, Monogram returned as a pin wholesaler around 2016. Their product includes Disney, Star Wars and Marvel franchises. High volume producer.
Neon Tuesday
Small volume producer. Pins are sold at Hobby Lobby.
Out of Print
Former licensee as of April 2024. Small volume producer, sold via their website. Part of Penguin Random House.
Salesone Studios
High volume producer. Pins are usually soft enamel sets featuring Star Wars and Marvel franchises.
TeeTurtle
Former licensee as of June 2024. Small volume producer, sold via their website.
Uncas International
High volume producer. Pins are often sold at Box Lunch and Hot Topic.
Asia Licensees
Brilliant Linkage, Ltd.
Licensee in Hong Kong. Produced a Tsum Tsum mystery pouch set, maybe from a popup.
DIS Co., Ltd.
Licensee in Japan. In this case, DIS is short for “dream incubation system.” In the early 2000s they produced a line of pins and accessories branded “Disney on Tour” promoting various cities in Japan, and could only be bought in that city. Pins are marked “dis” in a comic font, on the back.
Ensky
Licensee in Japan.
Grand Smart International Development, Ltd.
Hong Kong toy and hobby company.
IKNOWK
Licensee in South Korea.
Innoduction Group INC Ltd.
Hong Kong based licensee. Operator of some of the Hong Kong popup locations.
Keep
Chinese fitness company. While building this guide, I found reference to this company on the packaging of a Mickey pin set, Wall-E and an Alice boxed pin. It seems like maybe these were rewards that could be earned through their fitness app.
Kodansha
Japanese publishing company. You may not be familiar with their name, but they are the publishing house behind Akira, Sailor Moon, Attack on Titan and many other popular manga titles. Since 1990, they have published Disney FAN Magazine. A monthly magazine focusing on the Tokyo Disney Resort and other Disney news. Merchandise, food, events, it’s all there. They have released Disney FAN Magazine pins in conjunction with the publication.
Lucky & Co
Japanese jewelry maker, and former licensee. Pins are marked with their logo on the back. Produced pins for Mickey & Pals Corner retail stores for the “Walt Disney’s 100 Years of Magic” celebration.
Marimo Craft
Major licensee of Disney goods in Japan. Produced pins for Mickey & Pals Corner, Disney Store (Japan) and other retailers in the early-mid 2000s. After a long break, Marimo Craft Disney pins returned a few years ago (2021?). Pins are marked “MC” on the back, near the copyright.
Royal Selangor International
Malaysia-based manufacturer of pewter goods; the largest such company in the world. They manufacture pewter Marvel pins that are distributed by a company in Japan. They may manufacture for other licensees as opposed to being the licensee themselves.
Run’a Co., Ltd.
Former licensee in Japan. A toy, hobby and games company. Seems like they merged with another company in 2016. Their pins are soft enamel.
Simply Toys Wholesale Pte Ltd.
Licensee in Singapore.
Small Planet Co., Ltd
Licensee in Japan. Their pins are sold on the Japanese versions of Amazon, Rakuten and Disney Store Japan. Pins are marked “SP” on the back.
Europe Licensees
Arthus Bertrand
French jewelry maker, and former licensee. Pins were produced during the 1980s and 1990s, and included pins for Euro Disneyland (now Disneyland Paris Resort). Pins are marked “A.B. Paris” or “Arthus Bertrand” on the back.
Artland
Licensee of fine art quality Disney pins. Located in the UK. These pins are sold via Pulse Gallery and other official retailers.
Bertoni Milano
Italian trophy and medal manufacturer, and former licensee. The FIFA World Cup trophy and the UEFA Cup are some of their more well-known works, but they were a Disney licensee in the 1980s and 1990s.
Cobra Scandinavia
Former licensee from Denmark. Their primary business seems to have been accessories and party supplies, but seem to have produced a few Beauty and the Beast pins, presumably during the movie’s initial release in 1992.
Dan Hilfling Peterson APS / Lindegaard & Hilfling Marketing
Former licensee from Denmark that appears to have been active in the 1990s.
Delhaize
Former licensee from Belgium. They seem to be responsible for producing multiple soft enamel Disney pins from 1990s. Their primary business is supermarkets and convenience stores. They merged with another company in 2015.
DPG Media / De Geïllustreerde Pers
Publisher of Disney comics in the Netherlands, and apparently some matching pins.
Dufort & Sons Ltd.
Former licensee from the UK in the 1990s. Pins are plastic, but can have posts and butterfly claps.
Kenneth Feld / Feld Entertainment
Parent company of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and operator of Disney on Ice / Walt Disney’s World on Ice.
Melior Amsterdam
This is probably not the the actual licensee name. However, there is a set of stick pins of Disney characters released in 1965. They also seem to have made pins and keychains for The Flintstones. The marking on the back of these is “T.M. of S.C.I., Melior Amsterdam.”
M/M Präsente, R. Quade
Possibly German, but not really sure on the origin, other than the mark shows up on 1980s vintage European pins.
Propin
Former licensee from Germany in the 1990s and early 2000s. Pins are domed enamel. Despite their simple quality, these pins can be popular because they feature characters that are not often represented.
Ravensburger
Publisher of Lorcana, Disney’s collectible card game. They distribute promotional pins as prizes for local tournaments and at their booth at pop culture conventions.
Sedesma
Former licensee from Spain the 1990s and early 2000s. Pins are soft enamel. Before fakes and counterfeits entered the chat, traders used to complain that cast member lanyards were covered in these pins, as they were the cheapest available on the market.
Tweer & Turck Lüdenscheid
Former German licensee. Their name appears on vintage, 1950s era Disney movie themed pins.
Unique Heritage Media / Disney Hatchette Press
Publisher of Disney comics in France such as Picsou Magazine (Scrooge), Le Journal de Mickey and others. And occasionally, some matching pins.
Yoshinori Pins
Another one I am unsure of the actual origin. There are some European Disney pins, some with Euro Disney backer cards that have this name stamped on the back with “bijoux en France.”
Other Region Licensees
AMK Souvenirs
Former licensee from Canada, that seems to have been active in the 1980s and maybe later. They produced a series of soft enamel Mickey and Friends pins which were sold in the various countries at Epcot, although their normal business seemed to be sports pins. Also, co-branded Mickey and Calgary Olympics pins from 1988.
Cotton On Group / Typo Pty LTD.
Licensee from Australia. Their pins are sold in their stationary store chain Typo, and appear to be imported into various countries. Backer cards of pins seen on Ebay, mention distribution in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Get to Know Licensees.pdf
drive.google.com
Get to Know: Licensees
As part of branding strategy to place the Disney name and characters in front of as many eyes as possible, the Walt Disney Company licenses their family of characters and franchises to a wide variety of manufacturers. Everything from children’s toys and apparel, to food, to pins. Like the retailer guide, this will probably always be a work in progress as agreements end, new ones formed, and old ones, especially international ones are re-discovered.
US Based Licensees
100% Soft
Licensee of Marvel pins. You can find them on their website or at pop culture conventions.
ACME Archives Direct
Former producer of Disney fine art quality pins sold via Hot Art HK. They also produced pins in conjunction with their Character Key merchandise line and currently sell licensed Star Wars fine art which may include matching pins.
Aminco International (USA) Inc.
Former licensee authorized to produce crossover merchandise that featured Disney characters and professional sports teams like MLB, NBA and NHL. Some All-Star Game pins sets were made as well. Their products were available 2011-2015 ish, but don’t seem to have created pins after that time period.
Applause
Former licensee that produced many types of Disney products in the 1980s and 1990s and sold through a variety of retail outlets.
ATA-BOY Inc
Licensee of Marvel Comics pins. They have a storefront on Amazon.
FiGPiN Collect Awesome Inc.
Unlike many other licenses which sell a variety of products, FiGPiN’s primary business is pins. FiGPiNs are larger than traditional pins and meant to be collectibles not souvenirs. They maintain an app to track your collection and earn points.
Funko
While their primary product is POP! Figures, many of those figures have been reproduced as pins. They are also the owner of Loungefly which maintains their own set of licenses.
Gift Creations, Inc.
Former licensee from the 1980s / 1990s. Produced pins for Disney films like Dick Tracy and the Rocketeer.
Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Hallmark and Disney have a long history, as the founders of both companies were friends due to their Kansas City connection. Their original licensing agreement began in 1931, and retail operator at WDW and Disneyland in the 1960s and 1970s. At one point, during the corporate raid attempt in the early 1980s, Disney was rumored to buy the company. They haven’t produced a lot of pins, but there were some jewelry items in the 1980s / 1990s and more recently as part of their Itty Bitty merchandise collection.
Jerry Leigh
Producer of tourist souvenir merchandise like you would find in a hotel gift shop, airport store, Walmart etc. They appear to have lost their Disney license to produce pins around 2016, but continue to sell other types of merchandise. Medium volume producer.
Junk Food
Small volume producer. Producer of a set of pins released at Target to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday.
Loungefly
High volume producer. Pins are sold at a wide variety of retailers as well as their own website. Their parent company is Funko, Inc.
Monogram International, Inc.
The OG licensee. Reviewing old pins, keychains, ornaments and other tourist souvenir merchandise from the 1980s many items are marked with Monogram. After a long absence, Monogram returned as a pin wholesaler around 2016. Their product includes Disney, Star Wars and Marvel franchises. High volume producer.
Neon Tuesday
Small volume producer. Pins are sold at Hobby Lobby.
Out of Print
Former licensee as of April 2024. Small volume producer, sold via their website. Part of Penguin Random House.
Salesone Studios
High volume producer. Pins are usually soft enamel sets featuring Star Wars and Marvel franchises.
TeeTurtle
Former licensee as of June 2024. Small volume producer, sold via their website.
Uncas International
High volume producer. Pins are often sold at Box Lunch and Hot Topic.
Asia Licensees
Brilliant Linkage, Ltd.
Licensee in Hong Kong. Produced a Tsum Tsum mystery pouch set, maybe from a popup.
DIS Co., Ltd.
Licensee in Japan. In this case, DIS is short for “dream incubation system.” In the early 2000s they produced a line of pins and accessories branded “Disney on Tour” promoting various cities in Japan, and could only be bought in that city. Pins are marked “dis” in a comic font, on the back.
Ensky
Licensee in Japan.
Grand Smart International Development, Ltd.
Hong Kong toy and hobby company.
IKNOWK
Licensee in South Korea.
Innoduction Group INC Ltd.
Hong Kong based licensee. Operator of some of the Hong Kong popup locations.
Keep
Chinese fitness company. While building this guide, I found reference to this company on the packaging of a Mickey pin set, Wall-E and an Alice boxed pin. It seems like maybe these were rewards that could be earned through their fitness app.
Kodansha
Japanese publishing company. You may not be familiar with their name, but they are the publishing house behind Akira, Sailor Moon, Attack on Titan and many other popular manga titles. Since 1990, they have published Disney FAN Magazine. A monthly magazine focusing on the Tokyo Disney Resort and other Disney news. Merchandise, food, events, it’s all there. They have released Disney FAN Magazine pins in conjunction with the publication.
Lucky & Co
Japanese jewelry maker, and former licensee. Pins are marked with their logo on the back. Produced pins for Mickey & Pals Corner retail stores for the “Walt Disney’s 100 Years of Magic” celebration.
Marimo Craft
Major licensee of Disney goods in Japan. Produced pins for Mickey & Pals Corner, Disney Store (Japan) and other retailers in the early-mid 2000s. After a long break, Marimo Craft Disney pins returned a few years ago (2021?). Pins are marked “MC” on the back, near the copyright.
Royal Selangor International
Malaysia-based manufacturer of pewter goods; the largest such company in the world. They manufacture pewter Marvel pins that are distributed by a company in Japan. They may manufacture for other licensees as opposed to being the licensee themselves.
Run’a Co., Ltd.
Former licensee in Japan. A toy, hobby and games company. Seems like they merged with another company in 2016. Their pins are soft enamel.
Simply Toys Wholesale Pte Ltd.
Licensee in Singapore.
Small Planet Co., Ltd
Licensee in Japan. Their pins are sold on the Japanese versions of Amazon, Rakuten and Disney Store Japan. Pins are marked “SP” on the back.
Europe Licensees
Arthus Bertrand
French jewelry maker, and former licensee. Pins were produced during the 1980s and 1990s, and included pins for Euro Disneyland (now Disneyland Paris Resort). Pins are marked “A.B. Paris” or “Arthus Bertrand” on the back.
Artland
Licensee of fine art quality Disney pins. Located in the UK. These pins are sold via Pulse Gallery and other official retailers.
Bertoni Milano
Italian trophy and medal manufacturer, and former licensee. The FIFA World Cup trophy and the UEFA Cup are some of their more well-known works, but they were a Disney licensee in the 1980s and 1990s.
Cobra Scandinavia
Former licensee from Denmark. Their primary business seems to have been accessories and party supplies, but seem to have produced a few Beauty and the Beast pins, presumably during the movie’s initial release in 1992.
Dan Hilfling Peterson APS / Lindegaard & Hilfling Marketing
Former licensee from Denmark that appears to have been active in the 1990s.
Delhaize
Former licensee from Belgium. They seem to be responsible for producing multiple soft enamel Disney pins from 1990s. Their primary business is supermarkets and convenience stores. They merged with another company in 2015.
DPG Media / De Geïllustreerde Pers
Publisher of Disney comics in the Netherlands, and apparently some matching pins.
Dufort & Sons Ltd.
Former licensee from the UK in the 1990s. Pins are plastic, but can have posts and butterfly claps.
Kenneth Feld / Feld Entertainment
Parent company of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and operator of Disney on Ice / Walt Disney’s World on Ice.
Melior Amsterdam
This is probably not the the actual licensee name. However, there is a set of stick pins of Disney characters released in 1965. They also seem to have made pins and keychains for The Flintstones. The marking on the back of these is “T.M. of S.C.I., Melior Amsterdam.”
M/M Präsente, R. Quade
Possibly German, but not really sure on the origin, other than the mark shows up on 1980s vintage European pins.
Propin
Former licensee from Germany in the 1990s and early 2000s. Pins are domed enamel. Despite their simple quality, these pins can be popular because they feature characters that are not often represented.
Ravensburger
Publisher of Lorcana, Disney’s collectible card game. They distribute promotional pins as prizes for local tournaments and at their booth at pop culture conventions.
Sedesma
Former licensee from Spain the 1990s and early 2000s. Pins are soft enamel. Before fakes and counterfeits entered the chat, traders used to complain that cast member lanyards were covered in these pins, as they were the cheapest available on the market.
Tweer & Turck Lüdenscheid
Former German licensee. Their name appears on vintage, 1950s era Disney movie themed pins.
Unique Heritage Media / Disney Hatchette Press
Publisher of Disney comics in France such as Picsou Magazine (Scrooge), Le Journal de Mickey and others. And occasionally, some matching pins.
Yoshinori Pins
Another one I am unsure of the actual origin. There are some European Disney pins, some with Euro Disney backer cards that have this name stamped on the back with “bijoux en France.”
Other Region Licensees
AMK Souvenirs
Former licensee from Canada, that seems to have been active in the 1980s and maybe later. They produced a series of soft enamel Mickey and Friends pins which were sold in the various countries at Epcot, although their normal business seemed to be sports pins. Also, co-branded Mickey and Calgary Olympics pins from 1988.
Cotton On Group / Typo Pty LTD.
Licensee from Australia. Their pins are sold in their stationary store chain Typo, and appear to be imported into various countries. Backer cards of pins seen on Ebay, mention distribution in Indonesia and the Philippines.