The Good: Generally decent sculpt, Well-painted, Neat sparkles on the snowflake
The Bad: Odd balance, Low collectible value, breakable/fragile
The Basics: The 2014 "Sound The Trumpet!" limited edition ornament is a cute reward for Hallmark shoppers . . . but not an ornament worth going out of one’s way to track down.
It is worth noting right at the top of my review of the Sound The Trumpet! Hallmark ornament that I am always thrilled to get anything for free at any place that I regularly shop. As an avid collector and reviewer of Hallmark ornaments, I have done quite a bit of shopping at Hallmark Keepsake stores this year. As a result, I was one of many people who was rewarded with a free ornament this year. That is a cool thing, getting something for nothing (save the cost of the trip . . . and buying things I would have bought anyway at set times!).
All that said, reviewing an ornament objectively, there is something unsurprising about Hallmark using the Sound The Trumpet! ornament as a freebie; the ornament is fragile and I’m not sure who the market is that the ornament is trying to appeal to. In other words, I’m not sure who would have paid for the Sound The Trumpet! ornament.
Basics
The Sound The Trumpet! ornament is a marching band member, dressed almost like a nutcracker, carrying a disproportionately large trumpet! Emerging from the trumpet is an even bigger snowflake. The ornament, released in 2014, is a limited edition ornament that was released in November as a reward to customers who bought ornaments during Ornament Preview and Release weekends.
Hallmark made a very simple ornament with an odd sense of balance for the Sound The Trumpet! ornament. Measuring two and three-quarters inches from back to front, two and three-eighths inches tall and one and a quarter inches wide (thanks to the trumpet’s bell), the "Sound The Trumpet!" ornament is a small Hallmark ornament.
The Hallmark "Sound The Trumpet!" ornament is made of plastic and because it has very thin pieces for the legs, arms and feet, it is a bit more fragile than many other Hallmark ornaments. As well, my local Hallmark had taken to opening the Sound The Trumpet ornaments they received up because the snowflake inside, apparently, had broken out of the trumpet’s horn on some! Potential breakage aside, the Sound The Trumpet! ornament is constructed recognizably-enough. The coloring is done entirely in monotones, which is fine. Most of the musician is red and brown with bronze accents. The painted details are rendered fairly well on this with nice detailing for things like the rosy cheeks and tiny eyes. Like so many Hallmark ornaments this year, the snowflake has glitter accents. The sparkle effect is neat.
Features
As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Sound The Trumpet!" could have a sound effect, but it does not. Instead, this is a less-expensive option that is just the very basic, animated-looking character.
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Sound The Trumpet!" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas tree. And the "Sound The Trumpet!" ornament is all right, though the balance is weird. The ornament has the brass hook loop embedded firmly into the body of the trumpet’s horn. From there, the Sound The Trumpet! ornament hangs with the trumpet bell ascending at a decent angle upward. The thing is, the placement of the feet make the ornament look like it is off-balance because neither foot hangs in a way that makes it look like a realistic step; one foot is descending, the other is kicking up! Despite that, the ornament looks good when hung.
Collectibility
Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition original U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Within a few years, every major franchise from Star Wars to A Nightmare Before Christmas to Indiana Jones started making Hallmark ornaments. "Sound The Trumpet!" is a non-genre ornament that is limited edition, which leads buyers to hope it has an inherent collectible value. Honestly, given how many my local Hallmark said were broken in the initial release and the otherwise unremarkable nature of it, it seems like it would be a tough ornament to want to invest in . . . if it could even be bought!
Overview
Fans of Christmas in general and generic Christmas ornaments are likely to find the Sound The Trumpet! ornament a safe buy, but even for them, it is unremarkable.
For other non-genre Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2014 White Chocolate Moose Limited Edition ornament
2014 Mice Cream Sundae Limited Edition ornament
2014 Kissed For Kaycee Limited Edition ornament
4/10
For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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