Most of the objects in Mr. Golds were brought in by the cast.
Names for many characters in Storybrooke are often coordinated with their fairy tale counterpart. For example:
- Mary Margaret Blanchard (Snow White): Blanchard derives from the French word "blanc" or "blanche" for white. The name "Mary Margaret" is from a real-life woman believed to be the inspiration of the Snow White character named "Maria Sophia Margaretha Catharina Freifräulein Von Erthal" (born on June 15, 1729 in Germany).
- Regina Mills (Evil Queen): Regina is a Late Latin and Modern Italian feminine noun and name meaning "queen". Regina's grandfather was a Miller so that is a connection to her last name.
- David Nolan (Prince Charming): The masculine name David means "darling" or "beloved." In Biblical text, it is also the name of the shepherd who became King David after defeating the Goliath the giant. Nolan is a Gaelic name meaning "noble," "fighter," or "champion."
- Mr. Gold (Rumpelstiltskin): Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into gold in his story.
- Ruby (Red Riding Hood): A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone.
- Ashley Boyd (Cinderella): Cinders precede ashes in the burning process. Also, Cinderella was originally called Ashputtel. Boyd derives from the Gaelic word "buidhe" meaning yellow-haired.
- Sidney Glass (Mirror): Because another word for mirror is glass or looking glass. Also, his newspaper is called "The Mirror." Sidney's character as the Queen's minion trapped in a mirror parallels a genie trapped in a bottle/lamp as a master's servant. The name Sidney refers to Sidney Sheldon, the creator of I Dream of Jeannie (1965).
- Archie Hopper (Jiminy Cricket): Crickets are sometimes called hoppers, because they hop to get around. "Archie" could also allude to the cockroach poet created in 1916 by Don Marquis.
- Jefferson (The Mad Hatter): The group Jefferson Airplane has a song called "White Rabbit" which uses lyrics derived from the "Alice in Wonderland" tales.
- Paige (Grace): In the real world, the Hatter's daughter is named Paige, but in the fairy tale land her name is Grace. Grace Slick was a member of Jefferson Airplane and writer of their song "White Rabbit."
- Dr. Whale (Dr. Frankenstein): In his black and white fairy tale world, he is Dr. Victor Frankenstein. James Whale was the director of the original Universal Frankenstein (1931) and its sequel Bride of Frankenstein (1935).
- Cora (The Queen of Hearts): Derived from the Latin word "cor" meaning heart.
- Zelena/Kelly West (The Wicked Witch): Zelena means "green" in various Slavic languages. Also, "keligreen" is a shade of green, and the Wicked Witch is associated with the West.
- August W. Booth (Pinocchio): W. Booth references to Wayne C. Booth, who coined the term the "unreliable narrator" i.e. a blatant liar who misleads the audience. August's fairy tale counterpart is known for lying.
During one of the episodes, Prince Charming mentions to Snow White about falling through a portal to Asgard, a reference to Marvel's Thor. Josh Dallas played Fandral in Thor (2011).