Fans of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries will remember an episode set during Christmas in July. Many countries south of the Equator prefer celebrating Christmas at this time; it is colder and winter for them as it is hot and summer for us in July. There are also lots of marketing traditions that debut, e.g., The Hallmark Ornament Debut and Hobby Lobby Christmas decor debut are in July. Below is an encore post of some popular Christmas toys, and some pics of Christmas dolls. When little, I liked recreating Tasha Tudor's Dolls' Christmas; that was my tradition. Enjoy!
Christmas Picks:
As hard as it is to believe, Christmas and The Holidays are
nearly upon us. Windows shopping for
dolls and collectibles is one of my favorite things to do this time of year.
Below are some of the trends I’ve noticed and dolls and toys I find to be among
the best for this Holiday Season. I know
it gets here earlier and earlier; it is barely two weeks since Halloween, and
our local station is playing Christmas Music.
Everything is decorated, including many private residences. Here is my holiday potpourri of favorites,
just my opinion, mind you; I’m not a spokesperson for anyone, just a collector
with eclectic tastes.
Build a Bear: This
store is still active on the mall, with new stuffed figures and clothing for
The Peanuts Movie and Star Wars. Frozen
characters also are doing well. New to
me is LalaLoopsy as a “build a bear.”
The bear Darth Vader and Stormtrooper are adorable, at around 18 inches,
with very detailed outfits. They run
$35.00 each. Individual out fits are
$16.00. Outfits for the small,7 inch or
so animals run about $7.00, but many are now on sale for less. I like the outfits because they also work for
some kinds of dolls. Same goes for the
wigs and outfits. I think it would be
fun to have one animal with many outfits and accessories.
J.C. Penney’s:
I hadn’t been in Penney’s for around one year. I was dazzled by the new Christmas
sweaters, leggings, hats, and accessories.
Many of them light up and have real tinsel! But, I digress. Their ornaments and holiday décor are already
60% off, and their prices now begin at $1.80.
I saw very nice ballerina dolls, animals made of raffia and straw,
nutcrackers of all types, and angel. All
unusual and reasonable. Their collection
of Santa dolls is very nice, with 3 foot figures on sale for $72.00. These are very detailed and nicely done. Penney’s carries Hallmark cards and Disney
Princess Hallmark ornaments that are very detailed. The princesses now sell for $10.40 each. Not for sale, but interesting to look at are Penney’s
white, jointed manikins. They are large
half dolls, all white, jointed at the elbows and wrists, with jointed fingers.
Kohls:
Kohl’s always has a nice selection of stuffed characters for
$5.00 in support of various causes. They
have a decent toy selection, too, with lots of Barbie sets with outfits. Their ornaments are already 50% of, but they
are more pricey than other stores.
Still, little folk doll angels made of wine corks are on sale for
$3.50. These have wooden heads and
crocheted lace wings. There are also
cloth and felt dolls, including some very cute lumber jacks, straw animals,
licensed characters and blown glass figures.
Hallmark fans, take note; Kohl’s carries Hallmark Ornaments, too.
Deck the Walls:
These little kiosks open up in the center of the mall floor
all over the country. There are lots of
Jim Shore ornaments and statues, and some cute cloth Wizard of Oz ornament
dolls, about 6 inches long and jointed.
There are many theme and licensed characters for sale, and the deer with
antlers ornament would look great in a play scale doll house. I saw Victorian girls with red capes that
resembled Royal Doulton figurines for $8.00, and lots of mermaids and ocean
themed figures. Sometimes, Deck the
Walls will have super sales with last season’s ornaments selling for $1.00, and
ornaments on sale after Christmas. They
have been a tradition in my family for over 30 years.
Star Wars:
There is literally an explosion of Star Wars toys, dolls,
and plush. The latest I saw were Mylar
balloons for sale that were around 6 feet high or more representing Darth Vader
and other characters from the latest film.
I want one so badly I can’t stand it!
Look for these at local grocery stores and flower shops. I also see lots of ornaments and holiday
sweaters that are Star Wars themed.
Spencer’s Gifts:
I don’t think I want them on my tree, but doll and Christmas
ornament historians should take note.
Spencer’s is featuring naughty ornaments representing gingerbread people
and snow people. Enough said. But, if you are going to a grown-up party and
need a gag gift, well, use your best judgment!
This is just a partial listing of what I have observed. Amazon has a complete list of its favorite
toys, and American Girl, Madame Alexander, Florence and George and others have
wonderful doll related specials and products out. Also check out ads in “Doll
Castle News” and “Antique Doll Collector
Magazine” for more ideas for doll collecting gifts. Don’t forget upcoming Theriault’s auctions,
either, for those who are connoisseurs of antique dolls.
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