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Drop David a note if you read this. He would like to hear from you. Any comments, suggestions, additions, critiques or questions would also be appreciated. Email David at: spears.duluth@juno.com Just so you know! January 28, 2012 Minithings has some new Windsocks; 'Quack,' 'Cupcakes,' 'Stars and Stripes,' 'Patriotic,' Candy Corn,' and 'Autumn Leaves' on 4 inch shepherd hooks - $10.00 each. She also had some new items under 'Toys' that I plan to take another look at. Some very small shadow boxes looked very usable - not sure what for. A Dept. 56 San Francisco Cable Car stopped by for a visit this afternoon. It stayed long enough to pose for a couple photos in our Chinatown. It really is nice looking. I'd like to thank the person who brought it by, I'd like to... Just so you know! January 26, 2012 I'm going to have to make a list of things for folks to see in our displays. Repeat visitors like to look for their favorite items, i.e., the quilt lady, the nuns throwing snowballs, or the snow angel. Unfortunately they miss things that they might have found interesting/fun. Don't really want to be pushy but if we go to all the work, we like people to enjoy it. Note: The editor of Village D'Lights used an image of the same Lemax Snow Angel with my column in the very first issue of the magazine. The hockey player background Linda used this year received many positive comments. It was with our Dept. 56 'Hockey Practice.' The images came from a calendar page. They also liked the stadium seating we borrowed from Dept. 56 'Champsfield Stadium,' as well as the two sets of 'Stadium Lights' that we included in with that display. I received this link yesterday. I'd spent part of the evening looking for Lemax 2012 items and this showed - hmmm. Click Here It had to come from someone I know, it is a direct link to the new 'Pagoda Restaurant' - yes for our Chinatown. It's a Dutch web site with new Lemax people, buildings and accessories. Some of the 2012 Lemax things I saw on the above web site (and found interesting): 'Street Corner Serenade Singers,' four singers around a light pole, dressed alike in maroon(?) suits. 'Jukebox Dancers,' young, '50's era couple dancing, black leather jacket, saddle shoes. 'ATV Action,' two ATV's with riders, helmets, modern looking - in action. 'Christmas Sock Hop,' gazebo with a swing band and dancers, animated and musical. 26W 25H 26D (Centimeters). 'Jerald & Sons Jewelers,' facade. I like the appearance, looks like it might belong in a CIC display. Just so you know! January 22, 2012 Also on the Village North tour we saw many other items/ideas of interest. Mike and Lani's DVD player as a Star Dust drive-in theater showing 'A Christmas Story;' Loved the steamer trunks full of Christmas In the City at Gail and Jeffs. This seemed to be the year of the bathroom (display). We sort of felt left out not having one. Tom I. was among us. We also heard about hood on the Village North tour - complete with a song. I'm looking for a picture of the display (I already have a photo of the singers). Linda and I have over forty folks at our open house on Saturday, January 14th. Our guest book says we have had 70 people here so far. That included a reporter returning for another visit. No article, just enjoys visiting our display. A lady visited that took our display class at Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles approx 10 years ago. It was her first time here. Another lady that knew someone who knew someone that heard about our open house. She took a bunch of photos to send to her out of town niece who has a village display. She thought she might learn something to make her displays more interesting. Wildgrass from Scenic Express. I know it's not for everyone, but if you're looking for a different ground cover, this could be it. It's an 'off yellow' color and stands up maybe a quarter inch. (724) 468-3106. I've been wanting another travel trailer or two for our Homie Trailer Park Rednecks display. I see that Diecast Direct now has one in 1:43 scale for $14.95 (including a vehicle). That might be my next addition. The February/March 2012 had an article called 'The Big Show.' It features five Dept. 56 Fiber Optic Fireworks, #56.52727 and eight Dept. 56 Frost Light Sprays, #56.52682. They used them all to light up a hillside with fireworks. It's says they lit the sky with Kaleidoscope Jet Laser that projected red and green lights above the display. They also used Dept. 56 Small Twinkle Brite Trees #56.52983 with the tree branches sort of rolled into ball. Couldn't really tell what was done with them. I liked the way the hill looked - the sky, not so much. Saw this on the Yahoo Dept. 56 Group. "I came across a unique accessory item at a garage sale. This is a internal prerelease design item called "San Fran Cable Car" it has a number 56.06401 on the box but I can't find it any book and not in Dept56 website. It is a cable car with a sign on the top that reads "Discover Department 56 at Pier 39" It is a really nice looking piece and I am wondering if this ever made it to market? I am thinking it would have been a CIC accessory. It would look good with the Golden Gate Bridge. If you have ever seen this or have any information I would appreciate hearing from you." Further messages noted that the cable car was an exclusive sold only at Pier 39 in San Francisco. I think it would look good in our Chinatown (it I could take it off it's stand). Just so you know! January 11, 2012 The 2012 introductions are on the Dept. 56 website http://www.department56.com I'll have more opinions as we have time. I'd like to hear yours as well. "Subject: Largest Train Set Now has Airlines Added All in Scale http://devour.com/video/miniatur-wunderland " - I looked at photos of this display a couple of years ago - it was amazing! I'll view the video at a friends house. Our dial-up makes video impossible at here. This is info from the Dept. 56 group on Yahoo. Just so you know! December 28, 2011 Menard's Lemax 50% off - not many accessories left, some buildings. We saw a 'Salvation Army Band,' 'Alpine Band,' and 'Dixieland Band.' They must have just found these at the Hermantown store, they had a bunch of them (and I don't remember seeing them there before). There are also some Woodland Classics, Woodland Scenics, trees, two styles remaining (we purchased the last set of six inch birch trees - with leaves). Model railroad items but we can't have too many trees. They also have several very nice model railroad buildings. More in the Snow Village size, and probably too realistic for village us. Our Village Open House is Saturday, January 14th, 105 E Toledo St., Duluth, MN. 25% off all Dept. 56 (except for the stuff that was already 50% off). It includes the new items. Just came from Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles and saw it ourselves (and asked to confirm) - just so you know! Several Dept. 56 'A Christmas Story' buildings and accessories found, by Linda, at Walgreens in West Duluth. She spotted them last evening. All local KMart's have 50% off the little bit of Lemax Coventry Cove they have remaining. We were able buy us a second Mexican Waitress from the display at the West Duluth store. Linda was able to find calendars to use as display backgrounds. So far they are all from the calendar kiosk at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth. Anyone else have another source? With our new color printer we have been able to copy some calendar pages onto card stock and then cut that to size saving the calendar itself for a future use. Linda is happy! Just so you know! December 23, 2011 Dianne Stone is interested in selling her Dept. 56 pieces. If you are interested, and don't have her number, give me a call. Merry Christmas!! Just so you know! December 21, 2011 Gordy's Gifts & Collectibles (Hermantown, MN) has some interesting little ornaments that they are giving away with purchases. Today we received some metal, village size, umbrellas. We have red/green and red/white. I know they'll work in North Pole and/or our carnival. Not fancy, but very usable. We bought some Flexible Sisal Hedge at Gordy's. I didn't' realize they came in two heights, now we have both. Note: they are moving right along closing in the 'outside' area where they now keep Dept. 56. The area does include a new restroom - just so you know! Dept. 56 2012 Village introductions are available at: You just need to select "Village 2012" on the left side of the screen. Thanks to Paul on the Dept. 56 Yahoo Group for the link. Linda and I have now completed our carnival display for 2011/2012. We can move on to a display for Christmas in The City. Remember we are sort of featuring North Pole, our limited Alpine and New England. We also have a zoo, the rodeo/dancers, China/Oriental area, and a couple of other small displays completed. Remember we our Village Open House will be on January 14. We will also be part of the Village North Collectors Club Tour of Homes the following day (Sunday the 15th). Just so you know! December 17, 2011 Savers in Duluth (MN) has more and more Christmas village stuff on their shelves. Currently a few Dept. 56 pieces from Home Town Traditions ($14.99 each). They are 'Honey of a Deal,' Dottie's Gum Drop Diner,' and 'Mrs. Butter Creams.' There was also at least one Coca Cola building and several from Lemax. Among the individual 'people' they have for ninety-nine cents are several of the nice ones from past years from WalMart, Lemax and a couple of others I can't remember. We purchased three facades from an unknown maker. They are six inches by six inches, three inches deep (they are lit). They are currently sitting on window sill and they look kinda neat. Remember that now is the time to look for deals at the seasonal Dept. 56 (Sears and Younkers) and Lemax (Michael's, KMart and Menard's) stores. Just so you know! December 14, 2011 Has anyone used a 'safety net' (as part of the display) to catch people that 'jump' from your displays. Especially those high on the top of China cabinets? The top of a large popcorn can cover/top makes a good base for various North Pole houses. It looks like a large piece of peppermint candy. I flattened out a Dept. 56 Jackpine Tree, on one side, and used it against a window. A nice look and makes the tree appear very bushy. A few of my comments on the 2012 Dept. 56 releases show in the Dec/Jan Village D'Lights. Looking close, I see the three CIC East Village Shops are a coffee house, a candy shop and a book store. Nice coloring, familiar shapes to the buildings and it looks like they feature no interior scenes. There appears to be an accessory with each of them. In the picture they placed the book store on two books - made me think the building was taller than the others (it is not). The new Dickens' Village Devon Country buildings are three. One , I believe, is the 'Squires House.' The second I can't read the name, a two story structure with a neat roof line. The third appears to be a house built on a bridge over a river(?). I look forward to seeing that one in person. Don't know what to say about the Snow Village Christmas Lane building. It's a long structure with a big sign of the front that says "Merry Christmas." Oh, and a sign that says "North Pole." It says in the Dept. 56 Village D'Lights ad: "Salem Willows - New England Village. The storied history of Salem, Mass. continues to spin haunting tales and attract visitors to one of the largest celebrations of Halloween. This new series starts with 3 buildings and 3 accessories. Welcome to Salem, where history continues." Sort of soft, muted NEV colors on the two houses and the barn. They look interesting to me, I'll have to wait and see where they go with the Halloween thing. Witch Hollow is advertised as a new subseries of Snow Village Halloween. I believe the first building is Hilda's Woodland Cottage. She makes brooms for witches, apparently the very best brooms. The structure is very Halloween like, Hilda, very scary looking. I'm very happy to see new stuff coming from Dept. 56. In these times you can't take anything for granted. Personally I'm not sure they needed to introduce an additional 'series' or 'subseries' - but they did. Dept. 56 Village Autumn Maple Trees, 381045, Village Accessories, set of 3. Has anyone taken the Village Autumn Maple Trees out of that little tiny box? Has anyone been able to put them back in? Making progress on our displays. So far we are sort of featuring North Pole, our limited Alpine and New England. We also have a zoo, the and China/Oriental area completed. Remember we our personal Village Open House will be on January 14. We will also be part of the Village North Collectors Club Tour of Homes the following day (Sunday the 15th). Gordy's had additional new Dept. 56 items on their shelves earlier this week. They also have some retired items for 50% off. Just so you know! November 28, 2011 The 'Cobblestone Corners Collectibles' trees from Dollar Tree aren't fancy. But, these four and five inch white trees work pretty well in a North Pole display. Yes, they are two for a dollar. Lemax Christmas is again a percentage off at Michael's. They keep changing the number, I believe it's 40%. The Village North Collectors Club Christmas Party-Dinner, Wednesday, December 7, Shack Supper Club in Superior, WI. Just so you know! November 18, 2011 'Risky Business' is a 2007 figurine from Lemax. I don't remember seeing it before. It's a two piece set featuring a girl and a boy on bicycles. The girl is riding normally, the boy is facing backwards i.e., risky business. The Shopping Channel in Canada is selling Dept. 56 'A Christmas Story' - interesting. The prices are pretty high. Info from slygranny3 on the Dept. 56 Yahoo Group. Visited Denny's Ace Hardware, Woodland area, Duluth (MN). They have their usual small selection of Christmas village items. The thing about them is they always seem to have something that no one else has. Don't forget to take a look in the front window - there several items there you won't see inside. A summary of what they have: 'Deluxe Village Accessories,' some decent people in little scenes only $2.99; several table accents from Lemax (a couple animated); 'Heartland Village Houses,' $14.99 - $19.99; a few Lemax people and accessories (none new for 2011); and several ugly LED lit buildings. Yes, we made a couple purchases. Linda visited the Mall of America yesterday. I got up at 6:30 A.M. to bring her to the bus. She found that 'Callisters Christmas,' in MOA, does have some Dept. 56. (925) 854-1935 is their phone number. - She made a couple of 'small' purchases at 'Beadniks, Don't Worry Bead Happy.' We now have a very small Buddha, monkey, and a colorful peacock. She also brought home the 'Playing & Collecting 2011' catalog from Schleich (small animals and people, etc.). And, the 'Papo 2011 Figurines Designer' catalog (same things). We have several items from the companies. Unfortunately these catalogs showed very few sizes. The 'Saddle For Sale,' 'Waitress,' 'Mayor,' and 'Ballroom Dancers' all arrived in the mail today. Mercedes, a friend in North Carolina, purchased and mailed these new Lemax Coventry Cove people to us. They aren't available at KMart, nor on their web site, so we really appreciate her efforts on our behalf. Thanks! Have a nice Thanksgiving! Just so you know! November 14, 2011
Just so you know! November 11, 2011 - Remember our veterans! With our new Panda, we needed to know what he/she eats. The Internet says mostly arrow and umbrella bamboo, approx 30 lbs per day - 30 pounds? Great photos and fun narration, http://thecaveonline.com/Hauntsville2011/Hauntsville2011pt1.html Larry in South Florida, Halloween 2011 display. http://www.chicagogathering.org is the official web site for the 2012 Chicago Gathering. Not much there yet, but it's coming. Kenwood Lutheran Church (Duluth, MN) is having a silent auction now thru November 20. You can stop in before noon any day to place a bid. They have the Dept. 56 Snow Village - McDonalds; Dickens' - Birthplace of Dickens; Dickens' - The Ice Man and a few other pieces. There are also quilts and other things. My thanks to Kim Anderson for the information. Lots of Dept. 56 for sale on various Internet groups - just so you know! Village North Collectors Club dinner meeting Wednesday, November 16, 6 P.M. at Farley's Family Restaurant in Hermantown (MN). I posted a question on a couple of Internet locations looking for an update on "Village Realty & Landscaping." The owners name is "Mom" aka Pattie Murphy. Her phone numbers are: (501) 472-5377 or (501) 329-4016. E-mail address: Mini56er@aol.com They have been missing from gatherings as of late so I wanted to see if they were still around. She does have many items for sale, however her web site is not working so you really have to E-mail and ask. Might take awhile but it's good to know that Mom is still a source for miniatures. Just so you know! November 6, 2011 This was a recent response to the annual question about getting a light bulb out of Dept. 56 building: "I just hand the house with the bulb inside to my husband and quickly leave the room before he starts swearing at me. I assume that the swearing must make the light fall out because when I return quite some time later it is fixed." When I contacted the writer of the Email, Ellen Beighley (Portland, OR) a member of the Village Idiots, she added this comment - "I did buy one of those retractor things but years ago we put it in a safe place. - Haven't seen it since." 50% Lemax Christmas at Michael's in Duluth (MN). Through November 10th. This are usually the lowest prices until after Christmas - just so you know! Did everyone see the 2011 Dept. 56 retirement list? Just so you know! November 2, 2011 You can now buy "Ponderosa Pines," 8, 10, or 12 inches tall - tall and skinny they might be a good addition to our tree collection. $9.99 each. Sources? Your local model railroad shop or Scenic Express, 724 468-3106 or www.scenicexpress.com Have you ever needed a pile of tires for a display? - I had to ask. Anyway, Diecast Direct offers an assortment of 1:43 scale tires - 100, $29.95 or 200, $49.95. 800-718-1866 or www.DiecastDirect.com Use at a gas station, auto dealership or maybe a junkyard. Dept. 56 does provide the source for at least two of the three. TJ Maxx in Duluth (MN) has a few 'village type' items. We always look at those 'houses' made from thick card stock. They have a sophisticated look. Some are two colors, white and silver, with glitter (three or four or five small, approx 5 inches tall, houses together). The others are indiviual houses, maybe 8 or 9 inches tall. Most of these are in a couple of subdued, coordinated colors. $12.99 for the row of smaller houses, $9.99 each for the larger houses. Again, a classy look. Our local Menard's stores are offering 19% off Lemax Christmas. Dollar Tree in Duluth, MN (by Best Buy) now has a whole bunch of Christmas stuff. Linda says the approx 8 inch tall 'Christmas' trees would look great in North Pole. They come in red, green or gold, wire spiral with big star on top (much smaller stars as decorations). They also have the usual 'Cobblestone Corners Christmas Village' ($36 plus tax and shipping). Small and not particularly well done. They do have a few trees, two for a dollar, that are pretty nice. Just so you know!October 30, 2011 40% off all Dept. 56 when you use your store card at Younkers. Very limited supply, but 40% off is 40% off! Menard's in Superior (WI) has it's Lemax Christmas on display (joining Hermantown and West Duluth). All three have the same two Dept. 56 accessories, "Snowman Water Tower," and "Up North Outhouse." Those plus the Dept. 56 Disney and Rudolph that I mentioned earlier. Additional comments on items seen at Menard's. They have a really big, approx 18 inches wide, animated Menard's store $99.99. There is also another structure that has a "Menard's" sign. I don't remember what kind of store it is/was. *** The following all say "2011." The containers only say "figurine." That means most of the 'names' are my attempt at a description. #12908, park ranger helping to kids with maps, $3.99; #12900, mom and and child petting dog (nice German Shepard); #12932, hot dog stand/vendor/child $4.99; #12918, Alpine backpacker with dog/lantern, $2.99; #12924, lady shopper with bags, $2.99. *** Big pieces/house I saw: #14340, animated "Holiday Merry Go Round," $29.99; #15245, "Brewhouse & Brouse," $34.99; #15270, "Brathaus," $29.00; 15226, "Cheese Factory." I'm also going to be looking at #62292, a four piece Dixieland band, and the good selection of 1:43 scale cars from the '50's and '60's ($5.99 each). Just so you know! October 27, 2011 Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles in Hermantown (MN) had several more new Dept. 56 items when we visited today. Also some Dept. 56 houses remaining at 40% off - mostly Christmas In The City. Just so you know! October 26, 2011 Metal charms - 'Orient Express' from Blue Moon Beads. The ones Linda found were: a sign saying "Shanghai," a bottle, a fan and a portrait of a lady. Maybe an inch tall each, look like they will make good Chinatown accessories. They were at Michael's in Duluth (MN). Dept. 56 'Hope For The Future' - NEV, 'Autumn Maple & Birch Trees,' were our Village North Collectors Club display contest prizes, courtesy of CJ's of Cloquet (MN). Kim won a 'Village Square Snowman' (also from CJ's). The new in 2011 Dept. 56 'Music in the City' sub series of Christmas In The City looks like it will be fun to accessorize. So far it's three buildings (with accessories). They are 'Maxwell's Blues Hall' - 'A Night Out' / 'The Flamingo Club' - 'The Flamingo Revue' / 'The Macambo' - 'Uptown Boys.' Linda found scrap booking paper at Fabric Works in Superior, WI. It's tan with light black 'musical notes' - it looks like sheet music (P653 Sheet Music). $1.00 per sheet. Kaisercraft Timeless Collection. www.kaisercraft.net Ring for circus? Is a knitting or crocheting ring that I saw in a photo of took of circus accessories. Maybe eight to ten inches in diameter, 3/4 of an inch high. They had it painted bright colors and it looked good. Am I correct, could it's original purpose have been for crocheting or knitting? I rediscovered that sometimes it works to use simple signs to explain 'obvious to you,' ideas in a display. In this case I added 'In" and "Out" signs in front of the costume shop in my Halloween display for the Village North display contest. I then had kids lined up with 'normal' clothing behind the In sign and kids in costume on the Out side. Made sense to me, and more importantly, to the club members. Lemax Coventry Cove for 2011- Sears/KMart (?). I've already mentioned that we'd like to find/purchase the new: 'Waitress,' 'Mayor,' 'Ballroom Dancers,' and 'We're Not Done Yet.' Looking at the brochure I'm thinking 'Saddle For Sale,', 'Knitter,' and 'New Poinsettias' might be good as well. Now if I can just find a store that sells them. Still none at either of the above mentioned stores. The information below is from the website for A Christmas Story House. It does have images of each of the pieces mentioned: "For 2011 Department 56 will release two brand new accessories and one new building! They will also re-release two buildings. The Last Straw and Ralphie Loses His Glasses are the new accessories. The Last Straw shows Ralphie letting bully Scut Farkus have it after being fed a snowball sandwich. Ralphie Loses His Glasses shows Ralphie stepping on his glasses after they were knocked off by a bb from his brand new Red Ryder bb-Gun. The new building is The Farkus House which is the home of bully Scut Farkus. The two re-released buildings are The Uptown Theater and Schultz Optometry. Both of these buildings were originally released in 2007." - My note: 'The Last Straw' is marked as a "Sears Exclusive' on the box. The other items should be available at either Sears or Younkers (at least in Duluth). A little shopping today showed me that Ralphie Loses His Glasses is priced at $30.00 at Younkers and $14.99 at Sears. However all Dept. 56 is 25% off at the Duluth Sears store. That includes their very limited inventory of 'regular' Dept. 56 items. Just so you know! October 12, 2011 Martha Stewart Crafts deep edge punch, 'Iron Fence.' 1 1/4" high ornamental fence. I can see us punching the fence using paper and then using that against a background (as a visual fence). Linda thinks we can punch the fence from a heavier card stock and actually use what we punched as a fence. Linda says this is a Halloween punch so it might not be available year around. $8.99 at Michael's in Duluth (MN). *** There was also a Fiskars punch that can make icicles. If turned upside down it looks like grass (maybe 3/8" high). Icicles could be used on a building, the grass has a background. $14.99. Leaf punches, glitter hair spray available at Halloween. *** Linda also found some 'dimensional stickers' from K&Company. The ones she purchased are 2/12 inch witches. She is sure there is a display use for these. *** 7-8 inch tall 'Agathis Conifer' (looks tropical to me), and a shorter 'Tree Fern.' I sort of like the looks of the conifer but at $8.99 each, I haven't made a purchase. The TOOB (animals and people in clear plastic tubes). Some are near village size. Linda likes the new (at least to us) faeries. I think the variety of new knights will work with one of our castles. $7.99 for a tube of maybe six knights. The faeries are sold one at a time. Don't remember the cost for sure, maybe 6 or seven dollars each. Dept 56 'A Christmas Story' is available at Sears and Younkers, both in the Miller Hill Mall, Duluth (MN). 'The Joke Shop' is selling for $89.99 at Younkers, $39.99 at Sears. That's right, fifty dollars cheaper at Sears (not on sale at either place). I checked with management at both locations and they assured me the pricing was correct. Good thing we made the purchase last year so we didn't have to make a decision now. We have two of the buildings and most of the accessories from that line. The 2011 Dept. 56 Brochure does not include a suggested retail price for items from A Christmas Story. Note: 'A Christmas Story' is 30% off at Younkers (as is Dept. 56 Disney). Just so you know! October 12, 2011 AFL color bulbs, $2.99, blue, green and red. Menard's. Energy saving bulbs for Christmas decorations. They sure do have a whole bunch of choices on lights for use in displays and decorating your home for the holidays. Superior (WI) Walmart - 'Salvation Army Band,' four musicians + sign (all on one base) $3.97. Much more stuff than the Hermantown Walmart. Also have a small selection of their much smaller village. However, as someone said on a Yahoo Group, "The items at my local Home Depots and Walmarts are pretty dreadful - while I can use the Lowes Chick Fil-A in the back row -- the Depot and Walmart items would have to be several miles in the background." Our October/November Village D-Lights came yesterday! Village North Collectors Club members reminder: Dinner Meeting, Wednesday, October 19, 6 p.m. at Farley's Family Restaurant Hermantown (MN) - in the Gordy's building. Remember the display contest. Other stores don't have Christmas village stuff yet: KMart, West Duluth and Superior; Menard's, West Duluth and Superior. I'm still disappointed that there is no more Lemax at Shopko's. The good news - Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles in Hermantown (MN) is still receiving new Dept. 56 items. Retired items are 40% off. Just so you know! October 2, 2011 I'm thinking about trying my Palermos with one of the new Dept. 56 Christmas in The City houses. That would be 'Maxwell's Blues Hall,' 'The Flamingo Club,' or the 'The Macambo.' The Palermos are the 'mob folks' made by the Homies people. The editor of Village D'Lights called me "Old reliable" when I submitted my October/November column - Old Reliable? That issue will be in the mail this Monday (October 3rd). 18% off all Halloween Villages & Accessories at Menard's. I take that to mean Lemax Spooky Town. In the Sunday, October 2nd, Duluth newspaper. 40% off on Lemax Spooky Town Collection at Michael's. They had one 'Skeleton Mariachi Band' hidden on the shelf. Linda has been looking at the skinny group - we bought it! Lemax Christmas is 30% off, we purchased the 'No Littering' accessory. Just so you know! September 22, 2011 There is Christmas village at Walmart Hermantown (MN). It is the 'Victorian Village series. In the accessory line, we bought the 'Bell Ringer' for $2.99. The coin bucket and 'The Salvation Army' sign made it more than worth the money. The face detail on the lady is pretty bad. They also had a fairly small animated skating rink that Linda thought might be OK. It operates on batteries or a 4.5 volt adapter. The houses are the proper size for some of our displays. That's about the best I can say about them. Kathy at Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles in Hermantown, MN has managed to put together several Dept. 56 displays in their new location (the stores garden/plant area). They continue to have many Dept. 56 retired items discounted. New items are coming in. The Dept. 56 Snowbabies have been moved to the 'Fig Tree,' also in Gordy's 'mall. Just so you know! September 16, 2011 Stopped at Kohl's in Duluth (MN) today. They have the beginnings of St. Nichols Square on the shelves. So far only house 'boxes' and no accessories. They have the rest in the back room so I would think the remainder will be out soon. New houses: 'Stone Church,' 'ABC Day-Care,' 'Village Phone Company,' 'The Doughnut Shop,' and 'SNS Veterinary Hospital.' Most of the buildings have 'inside views.' New accessories: 'Kids Sledding,' 'Fun With Santa,' ' Roasted Chestnuts,' Dog House and Pets,' 'Countdown to Christmas,' and 'Frosted Trees.' I'll go back and check the accessories. Not sure if we need/want any of the houses. Always interested in looking at the people/accessories. I was told that Michael's in other cities have Lemax Christmas out - so does the store in Duluth (MN). New for 2011: 'Bernie'sTeddy Bears,' $49.99; 'Mallard Bay Cabins,' $49.99; 'Winter Ridge Ski Lodge,' and 'Churchill's Bakery & Bistro,' $59.99 (all are Michael's exclusives). Other houses: 'Happy Hounds Doggie Day Care,' $39.99; 'Tudor Style House,' 'The Cheshire Cottage,' 'Deck The Halls Christmas Shop,' 'St. Andrews Church,' 'Sunset Valley Cheese Factory,' 'Marcell's Cooking School,' 'Stella Creek Winery,' $49.99; 'Pam's Gingerbread House,' $39.99; 'Regency Ballroom,' $119.00; 'Sunshine Carousel,' $119.99; and 'Decorating the House.' The prices go from $39.99 to $119.99. *** Table Accents/large accessories: 'Ready To Launch,' (animated); ' 'Kris's Christmas Tree Far,' 'After School Hockey Match,' (animated); and 'Sleigh Ride.' *** New figurines: 'Fire Brigade To the Rescue,' 'Last Minute Shopper,' 'Father & Daughter Day,' 'Will You Take Mine Too?' 'Picking The Tallest Tree,' and 'No Littering.' My comments: Churchill's Bakery has an open door as well as 'inside views' on two sides; I'm going to be looking for the animated Hockey Match (our store doesn't have it out yet); Regency Ballroom is attention grabbing. Four couples, in formal attire, dancing under a glass dome. There is even a couple of spectators and several other items to dress up the scene. Not as well finished as Dept. 56 buildings but it's going to be tough to pass up (still too expensive); The Sunshine Carousel looks very much like the 'old one.' The advantage to this one is it includes riders and a couple people watching - a nice touch; I must really like the Last Minute Shopper - I just bought a second one! Just so you know! September 18, 2011 Christmas village at Walmart?? Robert, on the Dept. 56 Yahoo group says, "They are bringing back the 'Victorian Village' series! Looks like a Victorian House, Shops, an Ice Rink and several people, trees, and of course a Super Walmart bldg." Menard's in Hermantown (MN) has begun to put out Christmas stuff. Nothing village - yet! Reminder - Village North Collectors Club meeting at Farley's Family Restaurant (in the Gordy's building), Hermantown, MN. 6 P.M., Wednesday, September 21. Just so you know! September 14, 2011 A reminder that if you see anything that I might be interested in, please let me know. I can't be everywhere and I need your help. If you like construction stuff in a display, Diecast Cars has a new set off four trucks that you might find interesting. It includes a Chevrolet Suburban, an International 4200 auger truck, a Ford F250 Super Duty pickup and an International 4200 bucket truck. They are 1:43 scale, the size I use in our displays. www.diecastdirect.com 800-718-1866. $49.95. 1917 Fordson Model F Tractor, 1:43 scale, $19.95. This one for those of you that remember tractors with steel wheels. I've never driven one, but I do remember seeing them in the fields. Neat looking - maybe in a parade if you don't have New England 'display' farm. Find at a model train shop or www.diecastdirect.com 800-718-1866. Just so you know! September 13, 2011 Additional Lemax Halloween opinions/comments: 'Killer Clown Mobile Home' is kinda big (and ugly). However I'm thinking it might work with our 'Trailer Park Homies.' I plan to give it a try (at the store) just to check; For some reason I still like the 'Octo Swing,' a carnival type ride. Purple octopus on top, but other than that it needs a bit more 'decoration;' The 'Haunted Grove' (ghost sort of inside a tree trunk) attracts my eye; If you're looking, the 'Skeleton Mariachi Band' is sold out. I might be in trouble, Linda was thinking maybe we should purchase it. . . . . From SuzyQ: "Bronner's created a non-animated ski-lift that I photographed on my way to last year's gathering. I posted it in the album named "1 way to make ski lift". . . . " I checked out the photo. The lift is made from three Dept. 56 North Pole 'Candy Cane Benches' and I think 'Small Town Street Lamps' used as supports. I've included a photo as a test to see how this works. If you are a member of the Dept. 56 Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dept56/photos/recent/2013784230/view
Just so you know! September 11, 2011 We have our hotel reservations for the Chicago Gathering - September 2012. Linda said we needed a second digital camera - we now have one. I'm still working at making it work (properly). Someone asked me about a source for this item: Lemax Caddington Village: Yulesteiner Brewery, with 4.5v Adaptor, Lemax Item #05073, $89.99 http://www.lemaxvillages.com/servlet/StoreFront. I can't find my note so I'm giving it a try here. Michael's in Duluth (MN) has moved their Lemax Halloween to another aisle (right side) in the store. I understand they are receiving Christmas stuff almost daily (nothing out yet). Just so you know! September 2, 2011 I was at Gordy's Gift and Collectibles in Hermantown (MN) today. What we all think of as 'Gordy's Gifts' is just about gone. They're working like crazy to put the building back together in it's new configuration. A lot of words to say that end of the building is a mess. There is/are still new Dept. 56 items arriving. Remember I earlier said, "According to the flyer they gave me, the space currently occupied by Gordy's Gifts and the Fig Tree Garden & Home Decor will soon be the home of the new Family Fitness Center. The Fig Tree will be moving front and center of the Gordy's building and will be carrying many of Gordy's current lines." That is the work/construction they are now doing. Linda said we needed a second digital camera - we now have one. Just so you know! August 24, 2011 As an old sports car rally participant/driver, I should have noticed it right away - the new Dept. 56 'Car's North Pole Rally Center.' I'm really not sure what it is, I've never heard of a 'rally center,' but what the heck, the name is enough for me. We already have several race/rally cars to add to a display (and a bunch of rally/race people). The new accessories for the piece are 'Mater Christmas To you, Too!' and 'Lightning's Ready To Race.' We could add them as well. I found these items in the 'Dept. 56 Village and Classic Brands Spring Twenty Eleven' brochure. Has anyone seen Halloween buildings anywhere besides the Hermantown Menard's and Duluth Michael's? Just so you know! August 22, 2011 Today Linda found a couple of Dept 56 houses at Savers in Duluth (MN). Both from Dickens' Village, they are 'Sudbury Church' ($12.99) and 'Old East Rectory' ($14.99). They are part of a Dept. 56 starter set. I couldn't find the people (or the box). The Rectory does have the Styrofoam. - There was also three small candleholder apartment houses. Maybe 5 inches by 3 inches, they are nice looking. $2.99 each. We bought the 'Creepy Cotton Candy' from Lemax Halloween. I knew I was going to do it at the first sign of a Lemax coupon (or sale). Also bought our second 'Ghoul Clown' - don't know why - don't really like it all that much. I guess I forgot about the first one (last week). Just so you know! August 21, 2011 Recently I've received several comments about the Styrofoam and sleeves that Dept. 56 been using the past several years. Those flat tops (covers) on accessories aren't favorites of mine either. The covers slide off way to easily and the whole inside comes out. To be honest I haven't lost/dropped anything yet, but I've come close - very close. ?????? If you are an 'outhouse' collector, Atlas Laser Design has a new one. Based on Adirondack, shanty, style, outhouse, 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 x 2 1/2 inches high. $5.00. http://www.atlaso.com/olaserdesign.htm - 378 Florence Ave, Hillside, NJ 07205. This is a kit. I received an E-mail giving me another source for village items - in this case dogs, and other animals, sitting and standing. It was suggested I try Hobby Builders Supply. Their catalogue #63246 features a 12-pc assorted dog set, hand painted resin 1" scale for $13.99, 800-926-6464 or www.miniatures.com I was also reminded of unpainted HO scale sitting figures, catalogue item #84075, 72 for $10.98 at Micromark. 800-225-1068 or www.micromark.com Lemax Halloween 30% off at Michael's in Duluth (is this August?). Like disaster? Arttista Accessories has some new figures for O Gauge railroaders. If that's your thing, they have an injured man on a stretcher (1547) with two paramedics $20.00, a stooping policeman (1548) $6.99, a hurt women (1549) $6.99 and hurt man (1550) $6.99. www.arttista.com or call 800-316-2493. Not a good addition for a Christmas display. Menard's in Hermantown (MN) is beginning to put out Lemax Halloween. They already have a very large selection other Halloween stuff on their shelves. The only new for 2011 Lemax I noticed were: the 'Haunted Hay Ride,' $16.99, 4 kids, with a dog(?) riding on a wagon. Not bad looking; 'Count-down to Halloween,' a copy of the Christmas version (that hasn't sold well in any store I've been in); the new 'Lit Ghosts' would look good in the right display, $7.99. BEEPeople Are Here! Set of 48 for $49.95. Made of O/O-27 Toy Trains, they are small for villages, but used as a crowd I think they'd be great. Available sitting (RMT-99417) or standing (RMT 99418). (973) 351-9800 www.aristocraft.com or (908) 479-1279 www.readymadetoys.com Just so you know! August 16, 2011 According to the flyer they gave me, the space currently occupied by Gordy's Gifts and the Fig Tree Garden & Home Decor will soon be the home of the new Family Fitness Center. The Fig Tree will be moving front and center of the Gordy's building and will be carrying many of Gordy's current lines. To quote the flyer, "Gordy's will be running sales that we have never run before to make space for the Family Fitness center. So, tell your friends and come save while the picking is good!!" I noticed that they still have new Dept. 56 village items coming in. Not sure what that means. In my opinion, they will be selling Dept. 56 through the end of December. I'm not sure if they've even decided what will happen after that. 'Farley's Family Restaurant' is now offering wine and beer. For Village North Collectors Club members, a reminder that Farley's (in Gordy's Plaza - the new name of the building) will be the location of our September dinner meeting. Just so you know! August 15, 2011 We bought the new Lemax 'Ghoul Clown' on a unicycle with two black cats, $6.49 at Michael's. Scary looking, not specially well done, but it is a clown and, well, I sort of collect village sized clowns. Might also buy the 'Creepy Cotton Candy' sales wagon (yes, it would go in our carnival). More dishwasher magnet art: 'Snowman,' 'Harvest,' 'Apples,' 23 x 17 inches, $7.95 each. Linda likes them, we already have the Snowman, Apples, and Coffee Cups. - Thomas Kindade Fiber-Optic Bannerettes: 'Night Before Christmas,' ' Cobblestone Christmas,' 'Victorian Christmas.' 17 5/8 x 12 1/2 inches, 100 fiber optic lights in each one (battery Operated). Scenes on tapestry style hangings that look like interesting backgrounds for displays. - 'Super Switch Pro,' three remote-controlled wall outlets plug into any outlet, controlled individually by one remote switch. 1250 watt capacity, $22.99. Sure look like naturals for controlling display lighting. LTD Commodities, www.ltdcommities.com 2800 Lakeside Drive, Bannock, IL 60015-0738, (847) 604-7600. Mr. Dave Erickson is safely back home in Las Vegas. He has finished his month long Harley Davidson round-trip that brought him to Minnesota and around the Great Lakes He visited friends and family has he traveled. Note: Dave is webmaster for the Minnesota 56 Clubs web site. Linda and I have made a bunch of purchases at CJ's of Cloquet (MN) retirement (closing) sale. We'll be back another time or two before the doors close for the final time at the end of August. Dept. 56, 50% off, plus an additional 30% off that price. Just so you know! . . . August 4, 2011 CJ's of Cloquet (MN). Beginning Friday morning, August 5, CJs' will begin taking 30% off the sale prices of everything in the store. Dept. 56, already 50% off, will now be an additional 30% off that price. The store will be open 9 to 6 on Friday. Linda and I plan to be there - just so you know! 2011 Lemax Halloween is in/out at Michael's in Duluth (MN). It is again in the center of an aisle, not on side shelve (easier to see, less product). We have very little Halloween of any kind so I guess you could say we look at the holiday differently. Some of the stuff: 'Octo-Swing,' animated, $99.99, at least eight 'kids' at the end of cables/chains in plastic balls. They go round and round. Big octopus on the top; 'Spookytown Shooting Range,' a carnival thing with a Halloween theme; they have a total of eight 'big pieces.' Table pieces/accessories: 'Broom Dealership,' animated, $49.99, four witches riding on brooms; 'Haunted Grove,' animated witch, $24.99, kinda cute. Figurines: the 'Trick or Dog Treats' are kinda cute, $3.99; I like the 'Creepy Cotton Candy' stand, it might be usable; The 'Ghoul Clown,' on a unicycle I'll add to our clown collection; we already have the 'Evil Sinister Clowns,' set of three, new for this year; Linda keeps mentioning the three piece 'Skeleton Mariachi Band.' I guess I don't like it as much as she does. I'm happy to say they are still selling 'Lighted Moon.' Not everyone has one, but they should. Linda and I will be on a houseboat in Northern Minnesota next week - no telephone, no computer. Woof, and his friend/handler, will be staying over while we're gone. Sure hope rain is good to our flowers. We will be with Village North Collectors Club members on Saturday for our annual club picnic. The day includes shopping, eating and friendship. Just so you know! August 7, 2011 You may remember my wish for additional flower boxes (primarily to use in our Chinatown). Today we ran across some Dept. 56 Seasons Bay 'Potted Flowers' on sale at CJ's of Cloquet (MN). They will fit our requirements quite nicely. And, they look pretty darn good with our flower boxes from Minithings. It shows if you keep looking you will find (and spend money!). I've been looking for a wooden puzzle, the 'Seattle Space Needle.' I saw one advertised in a Michael's ad. I was at our local store but found none. That evening I had a phone message from my friend Bill. He had received a call from Faye, his friend who works at the store (and had assisted me that afternoon). She didn't know my name, but with a 'village connection,' she thought he might know me. Seems she had found a couple of the puzzles and wanted to tell me. Bill passed along her number and I gave her a call. She explained that she and Jessie spotted the puzzles on the end of an aisle. She even volunteered to drive back to the store and show me where they were (if I couldn't find them). I drove to the store and Jessie was working and brought me to the puzzles. I gotta say this is customer service 'above and beyond!' This story would have a happier ending if I had my Space Needle, but unfortunately there was none to be had. Our friend Kandi was happy to shop for us and today we're very happy she did. The Dept. 56 Dickens' Village 'The China Trader' will now be part of our Chinatown. It's amazing to me that we frequently find the unusual pieces at the dealers in the smallest towns. This time it was RC Gifts in Spooner, WI. Our thanks to Kandi! Just so you know! July 12, 2011 I got a kick out of the description for the 'Irish Pub Table' from Minithings. It read, in part, "Colorful green shamrocks encircle the light yellow tablecloth. The mugs are of real glass and contain beer (not real)" Michael's in Duluth, MN has some very interesting wooden puzzles from Art Mind. 'Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower,' 19 inches tall; 'Leaning Tower of Pizza;' 'Empire State Building;' 4 x 3 x 12 inches - $3; 'Statue of Liberty,' $5; 'White House;' 'Seattle Tower' are a few of them. They are not very detailed, but Linda and I still liked several of them. The size and cost of several of the puzzles are listed. We tried to purchase the Seattle Tower but our store was out of them. We looked in the Twin Cities at a Michael's this past weekend. They didn't even sell them so we are still looking. This past Sunday Linda and I were fortunate to be part of the first 'club visit' to 'Two Village Place,' the new Dept 56 Headquarters. Our host was Kathy Balfanz, Minnesota Dept 56 representative. Tom Iacoviello did the 'arranging' to get us all there. If my memory is correct, members of the Northern Lights, 56 Homeowners and Village North (Mike, Lani, Adelaide, Linda and I) clubs were also in attendance. The new Dept HQ is very close to the former location. You could say within walking distance. Inside and out it's an attractive building. They have displays of: all current 'village' pieces, 'Possible Dreams,' 'Snowbabies,' 'The Grinch,' 'Disney Cars,' 'Peanuts Village,' 'A Christmas Village,' and 'Winters Frost' (plus the village midyear releases). We were treated to goodies and given a tour of the entire building. We could really only peak in the artists rooms, but we got the idea. We even saw what Kathy called the 'fulfillment center.' Not sure what that means, looked like a small warehouse to me. It was fun being part of the first group to tour the facility. We plan to add a few images of the visit to our Minnesota 56 Clubs web site of our visit. I'll let everyone know when that happens. Just so you know! June 30, 2011 The girls of the new 'Girl Scout Parade' from Lemax are a very nice size for our parade. By that I mean maybe a bit smaller that I expected. The faces aren't particularly well done. Still don't know why the sign they are carrying says 'Junior Trail Blazers Troop 6.' The '9 Inch Apple Tree,' new from Lemax, wasn't at all what I expected. Not only is it nine inches tall, but it is also four inches deep and eight inches wide. In case your wondering, that's big!! And the apples - very bright red and very large. So far we have no ideas for use. Did I mention that I bought three? The above purchases came from www.lemaxvillages.com The service is fast and they had all the items we ordered in stock. The September 21st Village North Collectors Club dinner meeting will held at Farleys Family Restaurant. They have a private meeting room and the food is good. The meeting time remains 6 P.M. Farleys is in the same building as Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles in Hermantown, MN. Note: C's in Superior, WI has closed it doors. Have a happy and safe 4th of July! 4 Just so you know! June 13, 2011 Gordy's Gifts & Collectibles in Hermantown, MN has some of the Department 56 2011 introductions. They are mostly Halloween and Snow Village, although I did notice several of the 'clock towers' and the new 'moon.' They also have the 2011 Village brochure! The June/July Village D-Lights has arrived, at least on Toledo Street in Duluth. Just so you know! May 30, 2011 Savers in Duluth (MN) still has a few 'used' Department 56 items on their shelves. I belive they are all Dickens' - just so you know! The Department 56 'Winter Twenty Eleven Village and Classic Brands' brochure is available at Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles in Hermantown (MN). I didn't see anything else new (from Dept 56). Linda and I were there to purchase a few plants. Just so you know! May 22, 2011 Thanks to Lottie from Minithings, we went looking for 'little grassy hills' to use in displays or vignettes. We found them at both of our local Dollar Tree stores. The largest is approximately two inches by three inches by an inch and a half - made of some sort of Styrofoam, covered in green 'grass.' Four additional 'hills' in each package are smaller. I have no idea what we'll do with them but at a dollar for the package of five, we bought several. Chicago Gathering, MY KIND OF TOWN! Chicago 2012 - September 21, 22, 23 2012 - Rosemont, Illinois. Just so you know! May 14, 2011 Details ??? I see they are beginning to talk about a Dept 56 gathering in Chicago. It's planned for the end of September 2012. Village North Collectors Club dinner meeting. C's in Superior, WI., Wednesday, May 18. Open to members and friends - see you there! Shoulder update on me. My recovery is three weeks ahead of schedule. Immobilizer pillow is gone but sling still must be worn when out of the house. Therapy visits will be evaluated on June 2 - therapy at home will continue. Still no lifting, pulling, or twisting. We found a Pagoda birdhouse at Michael's. Brand name ArtMinds. It's eleven and three quarters tall, octagonal - three inches per side. Made from pine. You get to decide your own colors/design and paint it yourself. Looks like a nice addition to our Chinatown/Oriental display. Collectibles sale, including Dept 56, continues at CJ's of Cloquet (MN). Lemax 'Mountain Pine' trees (#74175). They are originally green with snow - Linda changed the color to rose. They make great spring/summer trees Just so you know! May 6, 2011 I see they are beginning to talk about a Dept 56 gathering in Chicago. It's planned for the end of September 2012. May 18, Village North Collectors Club meeting. C's in Superior, WI. - Club picnic at Kandi and Rod's (on their new deck!). That will be Saturday, August 6th - details to follow. Twenty tombstones, one traditional mausoleum, an arched gateway, three different signs and 200 'scale feet' of fencing - $39.98 Big City Hobbies, Johnstown, PA, 814-255-1650. Smaller than 'normal' for our villages but the cemetery would fit nicely in a small space. In Classic Toy Trains they suggested using lids from empty food containers as the base for ponds. Pour 'Magic Water' (or other resin) into the lid to keep 'the pond' contained. First they painted the lid the color they wanted for the water. Resin likes to spread, and through things, so containing it is a good idea. I'm considering using a street car or two, instead of a train, in our displays. We should get the desired 'action' without the necessary 'circle' track for a train. September 29 - October 2, 2011, Litchfield Park, AZ - Happy Trails To Arizona, Dept 56 gathering - www.HappyTrailsAZ.com How about a lemon juice concentrate squeeze bottle as a lemonade stand in your carnival or fair? Saw another display containing a Disney World monorail. Like the idea, not sure I like the look (sort of plastic). Anyone using one have an opinion? Scenic Express has introduced a Cedar Fence - Old Split Rail Stake & Rider. Small, 6 inches long, 3/4 inches tall (the posts are taller). It looks good in the photos, $10.99. www.scenicexpress.com Note: the name is confusing to me, let's just call it a split rail fence. Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range (railroad), ore dock, Edmund Fitzgerald (ore boat), river channel, Lake Superior, iron lift bridge - all things we know about here in Duluth, MN. They are each mentioned in 'Night Scenes,' an article by Carl Soderstorm, in O Gauge Railroading, June/July 2011. The article features great night scenes of the model railroad setup by photographer Tim Fiss. Note: the article really says nothing about our fair city. O Scale Wooden Timber Trestle - $18.50 to $66.00, twenty-four inches long, eight inches tall. Not that expensive and it looks good in pictures. I've never seen one in person. www.OnTrackTrestle.com Duct Tape at WalMart, 10 yards x 1.88 inches. Nine with interesting patterns including 'checkered flag,' a digital camouflage look, a zebra and leopard look, and fourteen (mostly bright) colors. $3.47 per roll. Not sure what we'd do with any of them but you never know Just so you know! April 29, 2011 Images of Dept 56 Midyears releases are available at www.minnesota56clubs.com It shows the new Williamsburg 'Drum Major and Base Drummer' and 'Color Guard.' They will be added to my wish list that already includes the 'Fifes and Drums.' We have more for items our parade than we need, but . . . . Found out who one of the 'women shoppers' from the Twin Cities area that was at CJ's of Cloquet (MN) during their sale. Although his wife Jennifer says Chuck definitely isn't a lady. The ladies had mentioned finding sale information in 'Just so you know!' and I'm curious who they are/were. Dept 56 has announced 'Anglesey Cottage' and 'Fairytale Romance' to honor the Royal Wedding. The images appear as the 2011 Dickens' Midyear release (see at: www.minnesota56clubs.com ). Images not yet available on the Dept 56 or ENESCO web sites. Don't know why. From SuzyQ - "Did you notice: The same mistake was made in the (Dept 56) e-mail as was made in 1998 on the boxes that contained Kensington Palace. Anglesey is an island at the northwest point of "Wales"- not "Whales." . . . ." From Lottie at Ourminithings: "I thought of you the other day when I was in Wal-Mart. In the floral section of the store they have bags containing little grassy hills in various sizes and shapes." We couldn't find them in any local stores so we went back to Lottie for help. She went back to a Wal-Mart and "measured the largest hill. It is roughly 3 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches (LWH). The smaller ones are about 1.75 x 1 x 1 inches. Surprisingly, the box does not list the materials. They are very lightweight, so I would guess the base is floral foam. The moss is very much like the grassy cover D56 used to sell except that it is a darker green." Linda and I plan to keep looking locally for them. Again, thanks to Lottie. Jim Shore Heartwood Creek is now a Dept 56 'village.' The midyear release has images and says "Department 56 is proud to bring the traditions of Jim Shore into the heritage of our Village collections." I think that might be an O'boy. I recently received the following message from Barbara, twogood_2b@yahoo.com "I am selling my Large Collection of Lemax+ items. I did leave a post on the group site, but if you know of anyone who might be interested, feel free to forward this message. btw-I have pics/videos on my Facebook page, too." If anyone is interested, please contact her directly. Just so you know! April 23, 2011 Maybe additions for the new Dept 56 Colonial Williamsburg display?: 'John & Priscilla,' 'The Pilgrims,' 'Williamsburg Couple' $25 each and 'In The Candy Store' for $35.' Nicely done and about the correct size. Made by Sebastian Miniatures, Hudson, Mass. Found at the More Than Memories antique shop in West Duluth (MN). They also have a couple dozen Dept 56 North Pole and Dickens' house (and a few accessories). We purchased the Dept 56 North Pole Village 'Beard Barber Shop,' $27.50 for $12.00. Linda thought it was cute! See the 2011 Lemax Halloween offerings: eHobbytools Linda and I don't really 'do' the holiday but they are offering a set of clowns toooo. Evil Sinister Clowns Sinister Clowns, Set Of 3 Model: 12885 Lemax is now offering A More Convenient Village Electrical Source. The following information is from the lemaxcollection web site: "Updated power adaptors for Lemax Village Collection. - At Lemax we are always looking for ways to make our products better, and to enhance the “village experience” for our customers. Some of these improvements are not as easy to see as others, such as the changes we have made to the way we bring electrical power to our lighted and animated products for the 2011 season. - In the past, many of our exterior lighted buildings and animated pieces operated off one type of 4.5V power adaptor, while other items operated off different 3.5V power adaptor. But, starting with our 2011 Village Collection, we are consolidating all items to run off the 4.5V power adaptor. - This will make it easier for you by allowing you to run any Lemax lighted or animated building or accessory off a single type of adaptor. - We hope this change will help you enjoy your Lemax village even more!" Lemax A More Convenient Village Electrical Source My thanks to the two unnamed Twin Cities ladies that recently shopped the 50% off Dept 56 + sale at CJ's of Cloquet. They were kind enough to mention me as their information source for the sale. The sale continues 'til April 30th - just so you know Just so you know! April 9, 2011 Follow-up information on 'The Great Wall of China' from Lorna Freeze, Village Idiots Club. She found it for me on the Internet site The WirelessCatalog. Here is the link and description of the wall. The Wireless Catalog "Great Wall of China Garden Accent (Set of 4) - EXCLUSIVE! The Great Wall currently stretches over almost 4,000 miles and was built to protect the Chinese Empire from invaders. We can't guarantee that our more manageably sized version will keep the critters out -- but won't it be fun trying? The four detailed pieces line up to cover 44" of ground." - Thanks Lorna. Reminder to Village North Collectors Club members: Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles in Hermantown (MN) has a gift certificate for members on their web site: http://www.gordysduluth.com/giftscollectibles.htm Linda and I used one to purchase the Dept 56 Alpine Village 'Castle Wolfstein' and 'Hear Ye, Citizens' at 75% off. They have a decent amount of retired Dept 56 at that discount. I bet we return for more before the coupon expires at the end of April 2011. - Take a look in the new 'front shop' inside Gordy's. Beth has some interesting 'garden art,' including a maybe display usable pagoda (it would need to be painted). Linda found a pretty decent selection of early '90's Dept 56 New England Village at Saver's in Duluth (MN). There is approximately twenty houses and fourteen accessories left Saturday afternoon (after we made our purchases). The houses are $29.99 (with a few more and several less). Accessories are all under $20. We spent just under $100. I normally type 50 words per minute - now it's one minute per word. One handed just isn't my thing. Begin shoulder therapy next week. I understand I'll be in 'bad humor' for awhile. Thanks to those that sent me cards and Emails, I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Remember the silent auction for the Ronald McDonald House at the Village North meeting on April 20th. C and N Designs has some interesting looking clay buildings that might look good in a display (maybe a vignette). The one I noticed in the April/May 2011 issue of O Gauge Railroading was the Thatched Cottage. At $99.99 and up we'll probably not have many. 6 x 6 x 8 inches in size. O Gauge Railroading still has a selection of Dept 56 Heritage Village sized buildings available. I've always thought they'd make nice background structures for Christmas in The City. They have a 6 x 6 inch footprint. The cost is now up to $29.95 each. See them at www.ogaugerr.com Just so you know! March 22, 2011 Accessories we will almost certainly purchase from the Twenty Eleven Dept 56 brochure; Williamsburg - 'Fifes and Drums' four marchers, $35 (expensive, in my opinion) gotta have for our parade; 'Tavern Balladeers' we both like musicians 'Oriental Gift Shop' new for 2011 from Lemax. I saw it on an Australian Lemax site (available in August). Not real oriental looking but if you're after every Chinatown item, here's a new one. http://www.christmas4you.com.au/category/3841/ There are several nice Buddha's at a kiosk in the food court area of the Miller Hill Mall, Duluth (MN). It sells Himalayan clothing, hats, scarves etc. There is one nicely painted a variety of colors. It may not be as 'real' looking as the others, but it is pretty. Just so you know! March 14, 2011 Leaving an opening in a fence is a good way to get people to look inside. I did it to allow 'village people' to see activity as they walked by the carnival. Of course that worked because I placed the people looking in. What I noticed was visitors to our displays pointing out the opening (and even taking pictures). It's a 'stockade style picket fence' (made of popsicle sticks) with a two rail fence in the opening. New for 2011 from Dept 56 - Snow Village Halloween ( a couple opinions): 'Orange Bare Branch Trees,' maybe ugly? what would I use them for? - Pretty sure I don't appreciate the 'Retching Pumpkin,' enough said about that. Maybe if we 'did' Halloween I'd feel different. I do like the new 'TP Trees.' Lindas not sure she likes them, or the idea. Probably not part of her life as a youth. I've always liked flags and Dept 56 has two new sets. The 'International Flags' (Canada and Britain) and two U.S. flags, 'Long May She Wave,' ('76' and our present flag). Their 5.25 inch height is shorter than previous flag poles, not sure why. Yes, we'll buy them! I've never noticed that the Dept 56 (809352) 'Cypress Trees' have tan bases. There is no snow on the branches. I'll bet I'm supposed to use them in non-winter displays. There are no prices listed in the 2011 Dept 56 Village brochure for: 'A Christmas Story' (nothing new for 2011); 'Mickey's Christmas Village' (with a couple of new things); 'Peanuts' (new stuff - I'm going to have to buy 'Happy Holiday's Snoopy and Woodstock,' small and very cute); 'A Place to Remember' (everything is listed as new [?]. Do I know why some are almost white and some are colored?). It must be because they are mostly sold seasonally by non-Dept dealers - for some reason it still seems strange to me. Just so you know! March 12, 2011 We placed a train engine, tender and two passenger cars on a window sill just above a display. Most everyone noticed it, and it drew attention to the Old Queensbridge Station display immediately below. There was a down side, many folks did ask were our real (moving) train was this year. We had no room with the addition of a antique China closet made over 100 years ago by Linda's great grandfather. There will be a 'Pound Auction' following the Village North Collectors Club meeting Wednesday, March 16. The dinner meeting will begin at 6 P.M. at C's in Superior, WI. Members and friends are welcome. 2011 Lemax on the Barcourt Australian Lemax web site. - 'Swan Boat Rides' (set of 11), four swans with passengers/animated. - 'Sunshine Carousel' with people, the old one had none - I use Homies on our carousel - 'Regency Ballroom,' moving dancers under a very nice glass top on the rood of the building. Looks interesting in the picture. I just received the 2011 Dept 56 Village Brochure that I requested from Melinda Seegers (at Dept 56). Now I get to look through it and see what I 'need.' - Cece at CJ's of Cloquet (MN) expects to have them in the store shortly. She said she'd let me know when they arrive. - This is really early for the brochures to be available. Just so you know! March 9, 2011 Dept 56, Alpine Village, Christmas Market, The Nutcracker Booth/4016898, and Nutcracker Vendor & Cart/56183, Lemax Nutcrackers (set of 2) 62232, Nutcracker Show/9102773, Nutcracker/05071 (new Michael's) - the last two each have large animated stages. This is starting list of the 'parts' for our Nutcracker display. We also have Dept 56 North Pole elves making Nutcrackers. Any suggestions for additions. “There is absolutely no limit what a person can accomplish as long as they don't care who gets the credit.” - Robert Woodruff, former CEO of Coca Cola I couldn't wait any longer - I called (800) 548-8696 and ordered my 2011 Dept 56 Village brochure. I talked to Melinda Seegers, Dept 56 Consumer Services, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m (just like she asked). $4.50 plus shipping. Now I know Cece at CJ's of Cloquet (MN) will have the new brochure the next time I'm there. Just so you know! February 28, 2011 (and no, I don't have a "February XX" on my calendar either) eHobbyTool is making me mad. They have a statement saying "New Lemax for 2011 contains all items that are new for 2011." When you go there, it says "Coming soon. Thanks for your patience as I get our computer information up to speed. Receiving this means that you are back on our address list - Just so you know! My shoulder - I fell last week and did some rotator cuff damage - have an MRI next week to see how much. I can't lift my right arm above the shoulder and I've had to sleep in a chair for a week. All I was doing was taking out the garbage. I managed to step on the only ice on our driveway. No spillage from any of the three bags (if a paper bag hadn't torn). A very few Oriental pieces at a very small store in the Miller Hill Mall (across from Barnes and Noble). We bought a couple of three inch dragons but that's about it. They also had some Buddha's, but Linda brought back all we need from Thailand. We did purchase a group of stylized flying birds that Linda plans to use in our garden. The store is closing shortly so if you're interested you best hurry. The prices are now very low. Just so you know! February 27, 2011 Michael's in Duluth (MN) - Linda found, new from Safari Ltd, a set of seven working people, three females - a pilot, mail carrier, and veterinarian, and four men - a firefighter, police officer, baker and electrician. Rubber, decent detail, 2.5 inches tall. Seven in a tube for $6.99. They also have a rather large selection of plain wood (made for painting) birdhouses for $4.99 each. We saw an Oriental building (birdhouse) in their ad but none in the store. The do have castles, a small Eiffel Tower and some other interesting stuff. Maybe display worthy if properly finished? Had a few more things to say, but between the computer and I there seems to be a day or two of messages missing. I'm still looking. Just so you know! February 14, 2011 The display in our new bay window worked very well with a front and a back row. Being just above knee level, everyone would look down at our Chinatown. Two rows made it pretty interesting. The front row was very close to the edge, the back row almost against the window. That left space for a nice, busy street. Gordy's Gifts & Collectibles (Hermantown, MN) has made more changes in the Dept 56 area. Kathy now has only the back wall for displays. The side wall displays (Snow Village, Halloween, and CIC) are gone, replaced by other giftware. I think all the villages will be in smaller, much simpler displays along the back wall. Kathy said they ordered the new Dept 56 introductions last Friday. The Steve McQueen Bullitt 1968 Ford Mustang GT is available in 1:43 scale. Linda saw it in an ad in the newspaper. Die-cast metal with plastic parts. Four payments of $4.49. Not sure where to buy it sooo - maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. Did you know there is a town called 'Fifty Six' Nebraska? I just saw that in an old copy of the Dept 56 Quarterly. We purchased a new computer yesterday. If I disappear for a day or two, that may explain it. I will soon be attempting to move all my 'stuff' from this to that computer. Wish me luck. Just so you know! February 10, 2010 village North Collectors Club meeting Wednesday, February 16, 6 P.M. at C's in Superior, WI. This is part of a message that I received from Lottie at Mini Things. "Good to hear from you. Thanks for inquiring about new stuff. I've been wanting to do a Mexican kitchen for some time and lo and behold, D56 has come out with a new Snow Village piece, Our Lady of Guadalupe and a Quincenera accessory. There will be lots of food, some tables, candles and flowers. The celebration could be at Rosita's Cantina. Also in the works is a tea table for Dickens, a game room for NP, and a bucket of oysters for New England. Also for NP, a massage table and a cup cake table." "We sold out of the curling brooms and stones in MI, but I've made some more and will have them on the website soon." - Lottie Clinedinst, Mini Things, Gettysburg, PA, ourminithings@yahoo.com , www.ourminithings.com UPS just informed us that our recent order of Lemax is "On the truck for delivery in Duluth, MN." I believe the time said 4:38 A.M. We will be adding the 'Cherry Blossom Chinese Restaurant' and Oriental 'Subway Entrance' to our China/Oriental town. For the carnival/circus the 'Carnival Flags,' 'Unicycle Clown' and 'Carnival Amusements (set of six).' - Hey, the order showed up at 3:08 P.M. I have to say that the 'Subway Entrance' is very nice, a good size and will be a great addition to Chinatown. If you have an Americian/Oriental display, you want this one. - Linda really likes the 'Cherry Blossom Cherry Restaurant.' It's very colorful, small with lots of lanterns. - Our new 'Jolly Friar Singalong' is nice and better done that must Lemax (in my opinion). It's three Friars singing. - We also bought the 'Equestrian Flag Bearers (set of 3),' 'Nutcrackers (set of 3) and 'Photographers (set of 2).' Next time I hope to mention John's McGraws Bethlehem Walls and cars with lights, our snow angel and John T's trees - just so you know! Just so you know! February 5, 2011 We saw some Hummel children in a display at our friends Tom and Janines. Looking on the Internet I see that some of them are pretty darn expensive, but if cost is of no concern, there are real nice looking children available from Goebel Hummel. The ones we saw were just right for Heritage Village use - too small for Snow Village. The Dollar Store, by Best Buy in Duluth (MN), has more party supplies/decorations that I'm used to seeing there. Valentines Day of course, but also St. Patricks Day and even Easter. What makes this info noteworthy is the several rows of 'general' party things. A large selection of stuff like napkins, paper plates, candles, streamers, balloons, etc. They also still have a decent selection of the characters from 'Toy Story' and 'Winnie The Pooh.' Not all are 'village size,' but many of them are. I also have a note that says I liked the Irishman in a snow globe. For a dollar, I thought he would be a nice addition to a St. Pats display. Unfortunately I'm not sure how to get him out of the globe without breaking him. I'm going to have to think about that. Remodeling at Gordy's Gifts and Collectibles - again! The Hermantown (MN) store is dividing up a bit. There will now be a separate, rather good sized, garden ornament store (in front, within the same building). There is a door near the big sign in front to get you into the rest of the store. In that space, they will sell continue to sell gifts and collectibles (including Dept 56). For those of us locally, you should know that Kathy is currently redoing most of the Dept 56 displays. It appears the garden center (plants, etc.) will remain pretty much as it is although I did not confirm that. When I know more, so will you. Just so you know! February 1, 2011 I was given a bunch of static about my 'hiding' place for Snoopy in this years display - how could he be on a snowboard in Chinatown. I mentioned that he has previously been on the roof of a taxi and riding the 'Twirling Tea Cups,' on a snowboard. Besides, the village is a fantasy - our fantasy. They didn't seem to mind Woodstock sitting on top of the water in a tub of ducks in the carnival. The five new Dept 56 clock towers are all shown in Nancy's Hallmark ad on the back cover of the February/March Village D-Lights. I'll bet I'm the only one that had to ask why the clocks are all set at 'five fifty-five.' I've been informed that is also 'five to six.' The Feb/Mar Village D-Lights arrived at our house today - February 1! It contains my article, with some of Lindas photos, of the Snow Village display of Michigan's JD Anderson. Just so you know! January 29, 2011 World of Fish (218) 729-5161, www.aworldoffish.net We didn't find the 8 to 10 inch pagodas we were looking for, but there was other useable stuff. One was a small pagoda, 6 inches tall. It looks like aquarium piece but you could make it work on dry land. They also had ship wrecks of all sizes and lots and lots of (underwater) foliage that comes in many colors. There was many, many bridges, two larger ones I liked - they were maybe 10-12 tall x 6 inches wide. A whole bunch of underwater stuff looks like it was made for a Halloween display. Just so you know. January 26, 2011 At our open house another thing that someone asked us was "where were the nuns throwing snowballs?" We never know what folks are going to remember. Savers in Duluth, MN has a Lemax 'Crazy Cars,' $39.99. For those that don't know, it's really bumper cars. They also the Lemax/Vail 'Highway Patrol Headquarters,' $19.99 on the shelf. They also had several miscellaneous, off brand, small village houses. One or two were not bad if they're what you are looking for. (218) 722-1894. NOTE: I didn't take anything out of their boxes. Was the Joke Shop really in the movie, 'A Christmas Story?' I've only seen the movie once, but I don't remember it Just so you know! January 25, 2011 Dept 56 Village Sounds Cassette Tape - "A collection of nostalgic sounds from the past to make your village come to life." For many years we used them as 'background' with our displays. Now, with all the pieces we have providing music (and other sounds) the tapes don't get used. I really miss those peaceful sounds. A whole lot of people come to see our village displays because of Linda's homemade goodies - should I feel bad? "Little Tiny Town USA," with only kids allowed. It featured miniature houses, children and a small train. It was a small fenced in area in a very large Dept 56 display that belonged to our friends Mike and Lani. She called it a "village within a village." Have I mentioned the pagodas from PETCO? These aquarium pieces are now a bit harder to find, but I sure like several I've seen in Chinatown displays. We're shopping around and hope to find at least one for the next village season. It has ben suggested that we can use mustard seeds when we need grapes for our display. Yes, I know I'll have change the color (and glue them together in bunches). We're looking forward to trying it. Thanks to Kandi for the suggestion. Where is your junkyard? Repeat visitors to our village open house often look for 'this or that' that they remember from past visits. But a junkyard - who knew? And oh, it wasn't a guy that asked! Saw the new Dept 56 Colonial Williamsberg pieces in person. Liked them, especially the accessories/people. Gerry and John had them, thanks to SuzyQ. 'Christmas Market, The Nutcracker Booth' - I think this new Dept 56 Alpine Village accessory will make a great accent for our Lemax 'Nutcracker Suite.' The large, musical, animated, well lit stage was shown this year with: Dept 56 'The Finishing Touch' - Alpine; 'Nutcracker Delivery' - North Pole; and 'Wind Him Up, Watch Him Go' - Christmas in The City. The vignette was a hit with visitors to our house this winter. Just so you know January 17, 2011 I'm still using the Village Collectors of Michigan pen from the Seasons of Michigan Gathering - just so you know! Village North Collectors Club dinner meeting, Wednesday, January 19, 6 P.M. at C's in Superior, WI. Open to members and guests. A few of the things I noticed on the new for 2011, Dept 56 web site. "Fifes And Drums" $35 in the new Williamsburg collection (two of each); "Christmas In Carmel, Large" from A Place to Remember (facade), $69.00, only 6 x 6 inches with lights? Is it really the same as Holiday Cottages?; "International Flags," flags of England and Canada on poles - $5 2.5 inches tall - $7.50. I always seem to like flags. Our Village Open House is this Saturday, January 22, noon to 5 P.M. 105 E Toledo St., Duluth, MN - details, just ask. . . . Village North Collectors Club Tour of Homes is on Sunday, January, 23. Just so you know January 8, 2011 "You can't have too many trees!" How many times have I heard that. Not sure how many we have but I can tell you this - we have at least twenty-five sets of different trees from Dept 56. We have multiples of many. Then there are the 'one of those, three of these' that we found on the discount table or at rummage sales. Just looked at our Lemax tree list. There was at least twenty-five different kinds there as well, again with multiples of many. We do have a few odds and ends from different sources, but are biggest remaining collection is Linda's homemade trees. Not sure how many she has made, but there are a whole bunch of them in our displays - a whole bunch! - And yet we continue to buy trees. What angle you look at a display makes a big difference - from above, straight on or looking up. I seem to forget that when I'm taking it easy (sitting) to 'detail' a table level display. I think I've done great and then I stand up. When I look down it just isn't the same. Too crowded or empty spaces, or maybe just not interesting. Sometimes it's a simple fix but other times it ain't so easy. After the first time I do this each year I remember to check from up, down and far away. I can be trained. I really like the Joke Shop accessory, 'Good Finds At The Joke Shop.' It's three of the boys from the movie 'A Christmas Story.' What I like is they are all 'active,' very colorful and well done. I know they are resin but that doesn't seem to bother me. . . . We've noticed that younger folk, late teens, early twenties, seem to notice the characters from 'A Christmas Story' when they visit our displays. I don't know any of them. No bright green Dept 56 grass? How come I can't remember that Dept 56 did away with it several years ago. Probably 'cause until very recently our local dealers still had it on their shelves. What am I supposed to use for our golf course? Village North Collectors Club member Glenn Sutton died on Wednesday, January 5. Visitation will be at 10 A.M., with the memorial service at 11 A.M., on Monday, January 10 - Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Proctor, MN. The obituary will be in the Duluth News Tribune on Sunday, January 9. We have placed the Dept 56 sitting people 'Christmas In The Park,' 'Sitting In Camden Park,' and 'Have a Seat Elves' as the audience. They are sitting on wonderful, small, green, metal benches Linda found at a rummage sale. At the foot of the stage are two sets of 'Sing Along For Santa' elves. They are facing the stage. That way our guests can make up their own mind if they are a choir or audience members. The new animated/musical/lighted Lemax 'Nutcracker' is the centerpiece. We used the Dept 56 'Nutcracker Delivery' and 'The Finishing Touch' as accent pieces. It all makes a pretty neat vignette on top of a file cabinet. Publishers Clearing House is advertising a 1:32 scale '1913 Ford Model T Dog Pound Express.' It's a panel van, bright red with a cute dog painted on the side. It would cost about $16 plus shipping and handling. It includes three dogs. Might work with Snow Village. Truck looks decent, dogs not so much. Just so you know! January 3, 2011 Does anyone else remember seeing model train displays in store windows during the holiday season? I guess 'different' downtowns, and malls with fewer individual store display windows, that is a thing from the past. I think it would be fun to include a Dept 56 village with the trains. Twin City Model Railroad Museum has an addition. It's a 16 x 30 foot Milwaukee Road line donated to the museum. I've been to the museum several times and it looks like a return visit is needed. It's located in St. Paul, MN. Information: www.tcmrm.org It's always fun to go there just to see the trains run, but if you look around you'll see a bunch of things useable in building home displays. Lynette and Bob bought us a clown for our village. They found him during a vacation trip to Mexico. He is a bit scary looking - blue hair, thin arms and legs - but I kinda like him. He doesn't look like any of our other clowns so he should fit right in. Our thanks to them for the gift. Scenic Express continues to introduce fun ideas. This time it's 'leafy tufts' to be used in landscaping a display. They are sheets of 'tufts' available in four colors, $5.99 a sheet. Probably too expensive to cover a large space, but I can see them in a small area or vignette. In my view, they would be a great detail. www.scenicexpress.com (724) 468-3106. Just so you know! January 2, 2011 '123 Sesame Street' Christmas Village Collection at www.bradfordexchange.com Why it appeared after Christmas - I don't know, but there it was in newspaper ad insert in January. The four offerings are: '123 Sesame Street building' with Bert and Ernie; 'Oscar's Trash Can Area' and Cookie Monster; 'The Carriage House' with Grover and the Count; and 'Big Bird and His Christmas tree' with Elmo. Buildings are approximately 7 inches high, the figurines 2 to 4 inches tall. The cost is about $50 for each of the four offerings. Linda found me the Hallmark Keepsake 'Winter Fun With SNOOPY' ornament. It was on sale after Christmas. Paid $4 instead of $7.99. It's Snoopy carving an ice sculpture of Woodstock (as he poses). They are among my favorite people so she knew that I'd like it. I'm really hoping that the 'ice' doesn't discolor like some of our other ice sculptures have. I believe three of the four we have from Lemax have discolored. - Linda also bought 'Shrek's Purr-fect Friend.' That one must have been for her. Our village Open House will be on Saturday, January 22. The man with the huge Dept 56 Snow Village display, JD Anderson, will be featured in the next Village D-Lights. Linda and I visited his home in Michigan this past fall. I think a miniature 'Bentleyville Tour of Lights' would make a good addition to a village display. Not sure yet how to do it. If you don't know what I'm talking about go to www.bentleyvilleusa.org and take a look. Linda and I enjoyed our Bentleyville visit. We went with residents of Viewcrest Health Center on a beautiful, snowy evening. Dept 56 new releases will be on the ENESCO site on January 3rd - www.enesco.com/business. Information is from Kathy Balfanz, the sales rep for Dept 56 in Minnesota. She said the info will be on the Dept 56 site later in January. Thanks to her for sharing. - Tom I. also sent me the new releases - just so you know! Happy New Year!! |
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