Near Perfect, The 2015 The Joker Ornament Is Still Worth Tracking Down!

The Good: Amazing and accurate sculpt, Generally good and accurate coloring, Great balance, Initial pricing
The Bad: Tiny paint detailing issue
The Basics: The 2015 Limited Edition Hallmark Batman television series ornament of The Joker started out the new line incredibly well and is enough for anyone who is a fan of DC Comics to want to hunt down!


Last year, I was overwhelmed with Hallmark ornaments and this year is turning out to be no different. But I'm still catching up on reviews of ornaments from 2015 and this morning, I am finally getting around to reviewing the Batman television show version of The Joker. The Joker was a limited edition ornament that was produced by Hallmark Keepsake and began a whole new line of DC Comics (or DC Television!) themed ornaments.

For the first ornament out of the gate in this new limited edition line, Hallmark got almost everything completely right. The 2015 The Joker ornament is one of the ornaments that remains hunting down even now, especially now that Hallmark is continuing the line!

Basics

The Joker ornament faithfully presents The Joker in his purple suit, which was the television show character’s costume. This is The Joker in his suit, which is layered enough to include the green shirt below the purple vest and a bolo style tie underneath the bright purple suit coat and pants. The sculpt is truly accurate and includes tails on the suit coat and a facial sculpt that is reminiscent of Cesar Romero. The ornament, released in 2015, is almost perfect for an ornament based upon the costume used in the 1960’s Batman television show. Measuring four and one-quarter inches tall, 2 5/8" wide and one inch thick, the Joker ornament is one of four DC super hero-based ornaments released by Hallmark in stores in 2015 and does not have any serious issues with it. The limited edition The Joker ornament came with an original retail price of $14.95 and it sold out everywhere I know of in, long before the season came to an end.

The Hallmark The Joker ornament is made of durable plastic. The Joker’s suit costume is colored in right purple and crisp white for The Joker's head. As one might guess, The Joker ornament features very bright green hair and the skin tones are appropriately monolithically white and only visible on the character's face; this version of The Joker has gloves on. The coloring is the only portion of the ornament that has any minuscule flaw to it. The hair for The Joker is accented with brown highlights, but the highlights are absent from the character's temples. Also, the pinstripes for The Joker's pants are molded in, but not colored the way they were on the show!

The Joker ornament features a version of The Joker who looks virtually identical to Cesar Romero as The Joker. The detailing for the facial sculpt is matched by incredible detailing on the cuffs of the sleeves and the buttons on the jacket and vest! This is an immaculately sculpted and near-flawlessly colored ornament.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, The Joker could have a sound feature, but this does not. Instead, it trades on the realistic sculpt and coloring and limited quantity for its production more than any gimmick. Instead, this version of The Joker is simply the ornament without any additional features or gimmicks.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake The Joker ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate superhero Christmas Tree, the Joker ornament is one of the indispensable villains in ornament form. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top of The Joker’s head at a pretty obvious position. From there, the ornament, when affixed to a tree with a hook is perfectly balanced. The feet look like they are in a stable position and the shoulders are nicely level, so The Joker looks perfectly appropriate for the position in which he is cast.

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Since then, they have made ornament replicas of almost all major franchises like DC comics, The Wizard Of Oz and Harry Potter. The The Joker ornament was a limited edition ornament that started the collection of Batman (1960's television show) villain ornaments and given that it was a limited edition ornament, it was unsurprising that it appreciated in value. For as long as Hallmark continues to produce limited edition ornaments based on Batman villains, one suspects The Joker will continue to appreciate, though the increments are likely to be much smaller than it already has.

Overview

Fans of The Joker, the 1960s version of Batman, Cesar Romero, and DC comics characters are likely to find the limited edition The Joker ornament to be one of the essential comic book-themed ornaments to hunt down and add to one's collection!

For other DC Universe Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Supergirl DC SuperHero Girls ornament
2016 Wonder Woman Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice ornament
2016 Batmobile Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice ornament
2015 Lynda Carter As Wonder Woman
2014 Bane The Dark Knight Rises (Limited Edition)
2014 1989 Batmobile
2014 Defender Of Mankind Superman
2013 Man Of Steel
2013 Descending Upon Gotham City Batman ornament
2012 The Bat The Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition Ornament
2012 Catwoman ornament
2012 "Beware My Power" Green Lantern ornament
2012 The Dark Knight Rises
2011 Batman Takes Flight
2011 Green Lantern
2010 Limited Edition Harley Quinn
2009 Wonder Woman ornament

9.5/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Finally! Princess Anna Is An Impressive, If Overpriced Ornament!

The Good: Great sculpted details, Coloring details, Balance
The Bad: No sound chip/feature, No collectible value
The Basics: The 2015 "Princess Anna" ornament from Frozen is a nice addition to the Hallmark ornament line, even if it was vastly overpriced.


Last year, the year that I reviewed the most Hallmark ornaments yet, I made a number of predictions. One such prediction was that the 2015 Princess Anna ornament would be the dud of the Disney Hallmark ornament line. I found some that had poor paint jobs and it was put on sale at a couple of local Hallmark shops well in advance of the end of the season. And the Princess Anna ornament did not have a sound function like the "Let It Go" Frozen ornament (reviewed here!). I, sadly, bet on the "Let It Go" ornament even though the 2015 Princess Anna ornament was the first ornament of that character, while the "Let It Go" ornament was the second Elsa ornament. Given that my local Hallmark store still has a pile of "Let It Go" ornaments accompanying the 2016 releases, I am forced to admit that I was wrong. Despite that, though, the year has born out my belief that the Princess Anna ornament was vastly overpriced originally, as it can easily be found for 1/3 its original price even now!

For those unfamiliar with Frozen (reviewed here!), Princess Anna was the sister of the magically-endowed Queen Elsa. When Elsa flees, the princess went in search of her. It is Princess Anna, looking whimsical, on her own, that is the subject of the 2015 Princess Anna ornament.

The ornament was one of the very few ornaments produced for the October release and had an original release price of $14.95.

Basics

The "Princess Anna" ornament recreates Princess Anna as she appeared in Frozen, though not from a specific scene or iconic moment. The ornament, released in 2015, is a pretty wonderful sculpt of Princess Anna. Princess Anna is instantly recognizable as a Disney princess in her dark blue skirt and magenta wrap with big eyes and a huge smile.

Measuring three and one-half inches tall, one and one-half inches wide and one inch deep, the "Princess Anna" ornament is more petite than most of the other Disney Princess character ornaments. Given that she is smaller, but had an original release price on par with other, slightly larger Disney ornaments, it feels very overpriced and is no surprise that more sold on clearance or sale than at its regular, full, price.

The Hallmark "Princess Anna" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Princess Anna, arms behind her back looking anything but like a royal, with a full smile on her face. The ornament is sculpted accurately and gets the look of Princess Anna perfectly right! She has her braided hair draped over her shoulders and her head is turned so she is looking over that shoulder. The Princess Anna ornament has the character with her feet turned out and a little nose. The sculpt is further accented by detailing on the dress bottom in the form of etched in flower and berry patterns, which are then accented by painted detailing.

The paint job on Princess Anna is generally good. Elsa’s skin tones are rendered in monotones and her hair is similarly solid-colored. That said, Hallmark included painted detailing on her eyebrows and they look good. As well, the ornament includes the one white lock of hair that Princess Anna had after Elsa accidentally hurt her as a child. Unfortunately, the paint job on the Princess Anna ornaments is not overly vibrant. The flowers on Princess Anna's skirts have very little contrast to the dark blue of the skirt. Princess Anna’s eyes, however, are perfectly rendered with bright blue irises and black pupils on the white eyeballs, so clearly Hallmark had the ability to do this ornament’s coloring right!

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Princess Anna" could have a sound or light function, but it does not. Given Princess Anna sings in Frozen, it is disappointing that one of her big songs is not included as a sound clip the ornament can play!

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Princess Anna" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "Princess Anna" ornament is essential! The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of Princess Anna’s head. From that position, the Princess Anna ornament hangs perfectly level.

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. "Princess Anna" was the fifth Frozen ornament the company has released and one of several Disney ornaments on the market for 2015. This ornament was the only Princess Anna ornament released, but it never achieved popularity or market success. As a result, its value plummeted and even now in the secondary market it may be found easily for less than its original retail price.

Overview

Fans of Frozen, Disney, Princess Anna, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to forgive the lack of "pop" on the coloring for the 2015 Princess Anna ornament as long as they can find it inexpensively, making it a better-than-average ornament when found affordably.

For other Frozen Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Olaf In Summer ornament
2014 Queen Elsa ornament
2014 Olaf Frozen ornament

7/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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3-D Enhanced Nostalgia: The 2015 The Poky Little Puppy Ornament Is Neat!

The Good: Good balance, Neat rendition
The Bad: Seems pricy, Binding color
The Basics: A pretty neat sculpt, the 2015 "The Poky Little Puppy" ornament is a cute callback to childhood.


As I look at my body of reviews, I was pretty psyched to realize that for my reviews of Hallmark holiday ornaments, 2015 was my peak year! Part of the reason I have evaluated more Hallmark ornaments from last year than any prior year was that I have branched out from the genre ornaments I love and personally collect and have gotten into more general ornaments because of interests my wife has. I was surprised when she exhibited a strong desire for one of the late-season ornaments. As it turns out, she was a big fan of the Little Golden Book The Poky Little Puppy and when Hallmark released The Poky Little Puppy ornament, she put a big circle around that in the Hallmark ornament dreambook. The real surprise for us was that when the ornament was released, it was not simply a two-dimensional ornament; the ornament is like a little sculpture, attached to a backdrop of the book.

The 2015 The Poky Little Puppy ornament is a cute ornament that brings the cover of The Poky Little Puppy to life by creating a little sculpture of the titular character greeting a lizard and a caterpiller in the field he is exploring.

Basics

The The Poky Little Puppy ornament is an ornament that features the book The Poky Littlle Puppy with the character from the cover bursting out of the ornament into the third dimension. The ornament is similar to the book, but the spine of the book on the ornament is yellow, not gold. The ornament, released in 2015, is a standard-release ornament, though it was one of the final ornaments released for the season, so many stores did not even display it!

Hallmark made a creative reinterpretation of the protagonist from the book for the The Poky Little Puppy ornament. The medium-sized Hallmark ornament that is very light and features the curious little puppy looking at the lizard, which is attached to the right side of the hill the puppy is standing on. On the left side is a pink caterpiller. The Puppy is sculpted with finer detailing like etching for the puppy's fur, while the Puppy's nails are smooth. The book backdrop is smooth as well.

The Hallmark "The Poky Little Puppy" ornament is colored in monotones, which is perfectly appropriate for an ornament based on artwork from a children's book. The only real issue with the ornament's coloring is that the spine of the Little Golden Books is usually a gold foil and the ornament has a yellow spine. Getting the coloring right is well within the ability of Hallmark; that they didn't is disappointment, though not a severe one.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "The Poky Little Puppy" could have a sound or even a light effect, but it does not. Given that there is not an iconic reading (like an essential audiobook version) of the book The Poky Little Puppy, consumers have no real expectation for an additional feature.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "The Poky Little Puppy" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas tree. And the "The Poky Little Puppy" ornament is an exceptional option for anyone who has fond memories of childhood associated with the book upon which the ornament is based. The ornament has the brass hook loop embedded into the center of the book backdrop. From that point, the The Poky Little Puppy is very well-balanced, allowing the ornament to hang perfectly level.

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. "The Poky Little Puppy" is a non-genre ornament that is not part of an annual series, but seemed to come to Hallmark from their licensing with Dreamworks. Given that it was one of the final releases of the season, many fans never even saw it in real life and several of the Hallmark stores I visited only got in one of the ornament! While the original issue price was $14.95 and that seemed a little high, its relative rarity seemed to allow it to hold its value and it might actually appreciate in value if it is not re-issued in 2016.

Overview

Fans of cute ornaments, children's books, Hallmark ornaments, and generic Christmas ornaments are likely to find the The Poky Little Puppy ornament an awesome addition to their collections, even if the spine is not perfectly rendered!

For other non-genre Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Big Box Of 64! Crayola Crayons ornament
2015 Misfit Friends ornament
2015 Seasons Treatings ornament

8/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Fun And Cute, The 2015 Misfit Friends Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Ornament Delights!

The Good: Sculpt, Accurate coloring, Surprisingly light, Good balance
The Bad: Paint job
The Basics: More average than exceptional, the 2015 Misfit Friends Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer ornament is cool, but not overly collectible.


Since getting married, I have had more reason to buy and review a number of Hallmark ornaments that are not genre-related than before. My wife is a fan of a number of Christmas movies and television shows, like Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Following on the heels of the 75th Anniversary tribute ornament (reviewed here!), Hallmark released a Misfit Friends ornament from the popular television special.

For those unfamiliar with The Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, the abominable snowman known as the Bumble befriends Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer while Rudolph is on his journey to save Christmas. It is the Bumble holding Rudolph protectively above the snow that is the subject of the 2015 Misfit Friends ornament.

The Misfit Friends Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer ornament was originally issued at $14.95 and is not in the same scale as the prior year's ornament.

Basics

The "Misfit Friends" ornament recreates the Bumble with Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer as they appeared in the stop-motion animation special The Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. The ornament, released in 2015, is an accurate sculpt of both the Bumble and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. The subjects of the ornament were animated and Nello Williams captured the contours of the characters very well. Measuring just over three inches tall and over two inches wide, the "Misfit Friends" ornament does not play to any specific scale and it does not capture the idea of how massive the Bumble is supposed to be.

The Hallmark "Misfit Friends" ornament is made of durable plastic and has the Bumble carrying Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer in the crook of his left arm. The Bumble has his toothless mouth open and the ornament features such details as Rudolph's scarf and the mats of hair that help define the shaggy look of the abominable snowman creature. The sculpt of the Bumble includes such impressive details as the character's toe- and finger-nails.

The Misfit Friends is colored in simplistic, but solid colors, which are entirely accurate for the characters. The character's fur is white over a gray base that makes it appear deep and shaded. However, on most of the ornaments I found, there were noticeable painting issues; black dots in random places that do not fit the character. As well, the nails are not colored. That said, the eyes on both the Bumble and Rudolph are accurately detailed and painted.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Misfit Friends" could have a light or sound function, but it does not. The ornament does not have any special function, which makes it troubling that it bears the same price as the prior year's ornament - which had a light function.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Misfit Friends" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Christmas Tree, the "Misfit Friends" ornament is a good addition. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top of the Bumble's head. From that position, the Misfit Friends ornament hangs nicely level. Unfortunately, the hook loop is in a pretty obvious and obtrusive position, but the result is a perfectly-balanced ornament and there is no better spot for the hook loop to be placed, so it is hard to complain!

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. "Misfit Friends" is part of the The Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer ornament line and the only one from that franchise in 2015. As with many of the ornaments based on Christmas specials, the Misfit Friends Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer ornament has not retained its value; after the holidays, many of these were clearanced and the price has not bounced back to even the initial release price yet.

Overview

Fans of the stop-motion animation special Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Hallmark ornaments and Christmas in general might enjoy the Misfit Friends ornament, but most are going to be happy that it is available less-expensively now.

For other Christmas ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Heat Miser The Year Without Santa Claus ornament
2015 Big Box Of 64 Crayola Crayons ornament
2015 Building Buddies Snoopy ornament

6/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Happy Star Wars Weekend! The 2015 Holiday Darth Vader Ornament Is FUN!

The Good: Good sculpt, Fun sound clips, Most of the coloring.
The Bad: Contrasts in detailing levels
The Basics: The 2015 Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster knows how to turn a phrase, which makes for an enjoyable novelty ornament!


As the weekend, quite predictably, explodes with enthusiasm for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (reviewed here!), I'm getting in the last of my holiday shopping and reviews done. For Hallmark, that means taking some time to whip off a few ornament reviews and, because I'm feeling the Force around my home, I figured I'd check out the Holiday Darth Vader, which is another Hallmark Peekbuster ornament. The ornament is a fun little concept ornament that uses turns of phrase from Darth Vader to chide those who pass in front of the ornament.

Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster is a late-release Star Wars Hallmark character ornament that features a motion sensor and a series of unique sound clips designed to startle and delight those who come near it and it has some fundamental differences from the Darth Vader Peekbuster ornament that was released a few years ago. Given the plethora of bounty hunters and other popular characters from the Star Wars franchise, it is weird that Hallmark went back to the Darth Vader well so soon, but the result is whimsical and fun, even if the purists might be irked by it.

Basics

The Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster ornament recreates the instantly recognizable Sith in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2015, features Darth Vader with a Santa hat and a holiday sweater over his familiar black armor, standing on a little patch of snow. Unlike the earlier version of Darth Vader in peekbuster form, this Holiday Darth Vader does not have his lightsaber drawn. The Holiday Darth Vader ornament is just over 5" tall, 3" wide and 2" deep. Hallmark charged $19.95 for the ornament originally and it is still readily available at my local Hallmark stores.

The Hallmark Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster ornament is made of a durable plastic and has him with his hands at his waist, with his helmet looking slightly up. The ornament is molded with a decent amount of detailing, at least for the helmet, base, and sweater. The helmet is finely detailed with the air vents on the fronts of the helmet and the sweater - which features AT-ATs and other Imperial icons on it - similarly looks textured like an actual sweater. However, the Santa hat has poor detailing. The fringe lacks texture and the lines on it lack the flow of the rest of the ornament, like the cape and the base. So, it looks like Darth Vader (a practical version) with a poor CG-Santa hat stuck on it.

The coloring detail on Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster is similarly erratic. Holiday Darth Vader himself looks good, which is easy given that most of the finer details on Darth Vader are covered by the sweater. As a result, the black armor is easy to do right and Hallmark does it well. Similarly, the base looks amazing with the white textured and faint glitter. The Santa hat, though, looks bright and monotonal. It's weird, but given the depth and shading to the base, the hat seems incongruent. And yet, the sweater looks fine.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster has a sound chip but no light effect. When turned on, the Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster is a motion-activated ornament. When it senses movement in the field before it, the Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster speaks one of (at least!) five admonishments to the person making the movement. Holiday Darth Vader calls out about the lack of holiday decorations and turns of phrase with lines from A New Hope including lines about the holidays, decorations, and presents! The voice from the sound chip sounds just like James Earl Jones as Darth Vader, which is very cool!

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, the Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster is very much a luxury which is likely to appeal only to the die-hard collectors or those who want to freak out their geeky children! This ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the back of Holiday Darth Vader’s hat. From that hook, the Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster ornament hangs fairly level. The ornament sways when rocked, but otherwise is level and faces straight ahead well.

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!). Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster ornament is not as limited as many other Star Wars ornaments and has not appreciated in the secondary market yet, which makes sense because many Hallmark stores still have him on their shelves. At this point in the Star Wars ornament collections, fans are either sticking with what they know or accepting concept ornaments like the Peekbuster and LEGO Star Wars ornaments. I suspect that the novelty of this ornament will wear thin, especially considering that there already is a Darth Vader Peekbuster ornament.

Overview

Unlike most Star Wars ornaments, the Holiday Darth Vader Peekbuster has a lot to do with the Christmas holiday, but it is a novelty ornament. It is fun, for sure, but Star Wars fans have mixed reactions to "fun" as opposed to faithful representations of characters and things from their beloved film franchise. For me, though, the ornament is certainly cute enough to recommend.

For other 2015 Hallmark ornaments from the Star Wars franchise, please check out my reviews of:
There Is No Try Ornament
The Force Awakens Captain Phasma
Y-Wing Starfighter Ornament
The Force Awakens Kylo Ren
C-3PO & R2-D2
Limited Edition Admiral Ackbar

6.5/10

For other holiday ornaments, please check out my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Sure, It's An Advertisement, But . . . The 2015 Holiday Shopping Barbie Ornament Delivers!

The Good: Perfect balance, Good sculpt, Affordable
The Bad: Coloring - problematic color contrast
The Basics: The 2015 Hallmark Shopping Barbie Hallmark ornament is a neat tribute to Hallmark and Barbie's return to it!


2015 marks the return of the Barbie franchise to Hallmark Keepsake stores and many of the shops banked big on Barbie. My local Hallmark shop featured personnel who dressed up in outfits that mirrored the new Barbie ornaments for each of the three big ornament-centered Hallmark release events this year! Perhaps the most self-serving on the new Barbie ornaments is the Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament.

The Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament is, as the name suggests, an ornament of a Barbie doll - this time, a redhead! - dressed in a pink skirt and coat, holding a distinctive purple Hallmark shopping bag! This is a Barbie ornament intended to be Barbie after her day of shopping at Hallmark stores!

Basics

The 2015 Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament is an entirely unique ornament, featuring an incarnation of Barbie that is not indicative of any of the Barbie dolls sold as full-sized dolls. Instead, this is a not-so-subtle advertisement of Hallmark and Hallmark ornaments. The ornament was released with an original issue price of $17.95, which is on par with other ornaments in the Barbie line. The 2015 Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament is 4 1/2" tall by 1 1/2" wide by 1" deep and she is made entirely of hard plastic.

The 2015 Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament has pink tweed-like coat, pink skirt and pink high heels. The heels are notable for the realism of their sculpt. Similarly, the Hallmark bag in her hand is distinctive and iconic. This Barbie's hair is short and she had very large eyes. The sculpt is fairly simple; she does not have sculpted-on fingernails and the finest detail (outside the heels) might well be the buttons on Barbie's jacket.

The coloring of the Hallmark Shopping Barbie might well be its only serious detraction. While the purple bag is great contrast, the rest of the ornament has unfortunately muted and similar colors. The skin, hair and peach colored dress do not offer a distinctive enough contrast on the actual ornament to make it truly pop. Instead, the ornament bleeds into the background on a tree and the bag stands out. This has the unfortunate effect of not so much celebrating Barbie's return to Hallmark as making one's Christmas tree into a Hallmark advertisement.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but it does not. This is just the ornament, simple and direct. The bag may not be removed and the doll ornament does not feature articulation.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake 2015 Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament is that the ornaments will be hung on a Christmas Tree. For those creating the ultimate Barbie Christmas Tree, the Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornaments is a cute addition and one that Hallmark fans are likely to truly geek out for more than just Barbie fans. The Hallmark Shopping Barbie has a brass hook loop at the top, center, of her head and from there she hangs with perfect balance.

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!). Since then, they have branched out into every major franchise from Barbie to Gone With The Wind to The Hunger Games. The Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament was released at the November Ornament Celebration Weekend and it has sold out at about half of the Hallmark stores I've been to. Given the enthusiasm I've witnessed at this year's ornament events for the new Barbie ornaments, it would not surprise me that it would sell out this year and appreciate in value in the future!

Overview

The 2015 Hallmark Shopping Barbie ornament might lack the contast in person that made the ornament pop in the promotional materials from Hallmark, but the ornament is still a worthy addition to the Hallmark line of Barbie ornaments. It is worth picking up.

For other Barbie ornament reviews, please check out:
2015 Holiday Celebration Barbie (Black)
2015 Holiday Celebration Barbie (Caucasian)
2015 Hallmark Shopping Barbie Set (2013/2014 Hallmark Shopping Barbie)
2012 Barbie Provencale
2012 Brava, Ballerina! Barbie
2012 Holiday Celebration Barbie (Black)
2012 Holiday Celebration Barbie (Caucasian)
2012 Matinee Fashion Barbie - Final In The Series!
2012 Tweed Indeed Barbie
2011 Celebration Barbie (Black)
2011 Campus Sweetheart Barbie
2011 Prima Ballerina Barbie ornament
1996 Enchanted Evening Barbie ornament
1995 Barbie Debut (Brunette) - Club Exclusive
1994 Barbie Debut ornament

7.5/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The 2015 The Sorcerer's Apprentice Hallmark Ornament Is A Proper Mickey Mouse Ornament!

The Good: Decent sculpted details, Appropriate coloring details, Collectible value
The Bad: No sound chip/feature, Slightly backheavy/obtrusive hook loop placement
The Basics: The 2015 "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament from Fantasia is a decent Mickey's Movie Mouseterpieces ornament, even if it is not perfect!


Ever since I got my wife an artificial Christmas tree, we've worked pretty diligently on filling it with ornaments she might love. She is a fan of Disney movies and the Disney ornament lines from Hallmark have garnered a lot of interest whenever the ornament preview begins. This year was the first time there was an ornament focused on Mickey Mouse that she wanted for her collection. That initially surprised me, but upon giving her and looking over the 2015 The Sorcerer's Apprentice ornament, it is pretty clear why she would want it to augment her collection and tree!

For those unfamiliar with him, The Sorcerer's Apprentice was the assistant to the Sorcerer in the ultimate piece from Fantasia (reviewed here!). The Sorcerer's Apprentice is one of the most iconic single iterations of Mickey Mouse and the troublemaking character is presented on his own, without any creepy magically-endowed brooms following him!

Ken Crow did an amazing sculpt for the ornament and the ornament was fairly priced at the original issue price of $12.95, even if it did not have any sort of sound or light function to augment it (which, given that the character is from the musical Fantasia, would have been appropriate).

Basics

The "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament recreates Mickey Mouse As The Sorcerer's Apprentice as he appeared in Fantasia, from the moment he first puts on the Sorcerer's blue, magical, hat. The ornament, released in 2015, is an entirely accurate sculpt of The Sorcerer's Apprentice the robed apprentice with fine detailing like the bow tied on the front of the robe, the character's smile and the distinctive Mickey Mouse lines on his gloved hands. The subject of the ornament was the animated mouse and sculptor Ken Crow did an exceptional job of capturing the enthusiastic look of Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer's Apprentice!

Measuring three and one-half inches tall to the top of the magic hat, one and five-eighths inches wide and one and a half inches deep, the "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament is on-scale with most of the other Disney character ornaments. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is the fourth in the Mickey's Movie Mouseterpieces series.

The Hallmark "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has The Sorcerer's Apprentice, arms raised to place the magic hat on his head. His eyes are looking up with anticipation at the hat. The ornament is sculpted accurately and gets the look of Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer's Apprentice perfectly right! This ornament is augmented by a glossy sheen on Mickey's pupils when the rest of the ornament has a matte finish. The only other real coloring accents are the magic symbols - moon, stars - on the character's hat.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" could have a sound or light function, but it does not. While fans of Fantasia might want a clip of the musical piece that The Sorcerer's Apprentice is featured in, the ornament does not have a bonus function like that. For the price, the ornament is fine without any additional functions.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament is one of the most worthwhile Mickey Mouse ornaments! The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of The Sorcerer's Apprentice’s hat. From that position, the The Sorcerer's Apprentice ornament hangs with a slight back bias. The balance for this ornament is only slightly off, but it is not a severe defect by any means.

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. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is not the fourth Mickey's Movie Mouseterpieces ornament and the line has done well in past years. Given how The Sorcerer's Apprentice is one of the more iconic and recognizable variations of Mickey Mouse there is no reason not to expect this ornament will not appreciate in the secondary market. Collectors have been responding to it well already and it has sold out at many Hallmark shops.

Overview

Fans of Fantasia, Disney, Mickey Mouse, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Hallmark ornaments might find the ornament based upon The Sorcerer's Apprentice to be simplistic, but worthwhile. Given its source is a classic animated work, one suspects most fans will be thrilled by the 2015 The Sorcerer's Apprentice ornament!

For other Disney-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 "Let It Go" Frozen ornament
2015 "Yo, Rugman!" Aladdin ornament
2015 Olaf In Summer Frozen Ornament
2015 Jiminy Cricket Pinocchio Limited Edition ornament
2015 WALL-E
2015 Rapunzel And Pascal Tangled ornament
2015 Tiana Ballerina The Princess And The Frog
2015 Ariel's Thingamabobs The Little Mermaid ornament
2014 Queen Elsa Frozen Limited Edition
2014 Bank On Hamm Toy Story ornament
2014 Jack's Peculiar Pet The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2014 The Daring Princess The Princess And The Frog ornament
2014 Rapunzel's Long Locks Tangled ornament
2014 The Little Mermaid 25th Anniversary ornament
2014 "This Is Halloween" The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2014 All Eyes On Belle Beauty And The Beast ornament
2014 Olaf Frozen ornament
2013 Under The Sea The Little Mermaid
2013 The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack’s Sleigh O’Scares
2013 Tiana's Party Dress The Princess And The Frog ornament
2013 Beautiful Belle Beauty And The Beast
2013 Fierce With A Frying Pan Tangled ornament
2013 Ariel's Big Dream The Little Mermaid ornament
2013 Merida The Archer Brave ornament
2012 The Circle Of Life The Lion King ornament
2012 Jack Sneaks A Peek The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2012 Monsters, Inc. ornament
2012 Merida Brave ornament
2012 It's All About The Hair Tangled ornament
2011 Rapunzel Tangled ornament
2011 CLU’s Light Cycle from Tron: Legacy ornament
2011 Up ornament
2011 A Snowy Surprise The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2011 Captain Jack Sparrow Pirates Of The Caribbean ornament
2010 Tron: Legacy Light Cycle ornament
2009 Welcome To Christmastown The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament

9/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Wonderful Foil To Last Year's Ornament, The 2015 Heat Miser Ornament Succeeds!

The Good: Decent sculpted details, Glitter, Coloring details, Decent balance
The Bad: No sound chip/feature, Noticeable seams
The Basics: The 2015 "Heat Miser" ornament from The Year Without Santa Claus is decent, even though it looks like it was assembled.


Last year, one of the surprises to hit my wife's Hallmark ornament want list was the Snow Miser (reviewed here!) from The Year Without Santa Claus. In our six years together, she had never expressed a desire to watch any holiday programs with me, but apparently, she has a strong attraction to that particular holiday special. Her enthusiasm with last year's ornament from the special extended to this year and the new Heat Miser ornament.

For those unfamiliar with The Year Without Santa Claus, Heat Miser was one of two weather-controlling brothers who was part of manipulating Christmas. Mother Nature convinces the Heat Miser to stop ruining Christmas. It is Heat Miser, flamelike hair and fire in the palm of his hand, that is the subject of this year’s The Year Without Santa Claus ornament!

Ken Crow did a detailed and accurate sculpt of the Heat Miser and the ornament was affordable and cute at the original issue price of $14.95, even without any sort of sound or light function!

Basics

The "Heat Miser" ornament recreates Heat Miser as he appeared in The Year Without Santa Claus, though not in any iconic moment I recognize. The ornament, released in 2015, is an entirely accurate sculpt of Heat Miser with fine detailing on the hair, teeth peeking out from his cockeyed smile and pointed toed shoes, reminiscent of an elf's. The subject of the ornament was an animated (or Claymation-style stop animation) one and Ken Crow captured the whimsy and originality of the character’s design. Measuring two and three-quarters inches tall by 1 1/2” wide by 1 1/2" deep, the "Heat Miser" ornament is on-scale with most of the other character ornaments Hallmark offers, though it is smaller than the Snow Miser. As well, it is one of the more affordable Hallmark Keepsake ornaments at only $14.95.

The Hallmark "Heat Miser" ornament is made of durable, opaque plastic and has the character Heat Miser, standing with a scowl on his face and a little flame in his right palm. The Heat Miser’s nose is right red and a monotone color that lacks any depth and shading. This ornament is augmented by glitter on the pants and shirt that might suggest he is sparking. All other elements of the Heat Miser ornament are clean and clearly rendered in simple plastic. Unfortunately, Heat Miser’s arms and head have strong seams, making it clear that they were attached to each other after the initial sculpting.

The Heat Miser is colored in simplistic, but solid colors, which is entirely accurate for the character.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Heat Miser" could have a sound or light function, but it does not. The closest it actually possesses is the glitter. For those who are fans of The Year Without Santa Claus, it might be disappointing that Heat Miser does not feature an electronic function that would allow him to play a sound clip from one of his distinctive songs.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Heat Miser" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Christmas Tree, the "Heat Miser" ornament is very much a worthwhile addition. The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top back of Heat Miser’s flaming hair. From that position, the Heat Miser ornament hangs with great positioning, stability and balance.

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. "Heat Miser" is part of the The Year Without Santa Claus ornament line and the only one from that franchise in 2015. This ornament has sold out at more than half of the Hallmark Keepsake stores I have been to since their release in October. As a result, I suspect that the Heat Miser ornament will at least retain its value, if not appreciate rapidly in the secondary market.

Overview

Fans of The Year Without Santa Claus, Heat Miser, Hallmark ornaments and Christmas in general are likely to enjoy the Heat Miser ornament!

For other Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Crayola Crayons Big Box Of 64! ornament
2015 Celebration Barbie ornament
2015 Season's Treatings ornament

8.5/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Today We Are Thankful "There Is No Try!" (And Hallmark Made An Ornament Of It . . .)

The Good: Good balance, Aspects of the sound clip, coloring and sculpt
The Bad: Aspects of the sound clip, coloring and sculpt
The Basics: The last major Star Wars ornament to get reviewed is this year's diorama ornament: "There Is No Try" . . . . and it's all right . . . sort of.


The internet site I used to write reviews for ultimately asked reviewer to give an absolute "recommend" or "not recommend" in addition to a rating on a star-based scale. Many an hour was spent by many of the most prolific writers on that site belaboring that "recommend" or "not recommend" on a mediocre product. I often found the happy medium in the contradictions: the highly-rated product that I would not recommend or the lowly rated one that I would. The 2015 "There Is No Try" Star Wars ornament almost got me to create such a split decision here. The reason for that conflict within me is that so much of the ornament is done wrong . . . but, for a change, there is so much evidence of the effort that went into trying to make the ornament right!

There Is No Try is the standard-release Star Wars diorama Hallmark ornament. Released in 2015, it is a good bet it will be sold out by Christmas with the release of the new Star Wars film renewing the fan base.

Hallmark Keepsake has a line of collectible ornaments from major franchises, like Star Wars and Star Trek. From the Star Wars line comes the There Is No Try ornament. Fans of the Star Wars Trilogy will easily recall There Is No Try. For those unfamiliar with There Is No Try, it is a moment on Dagobah when Luke is training in the swamp and he gives up on trying to lift the X-wing fighter out of the muck with only the power of his mind in The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here !). Oddly, the ornament uses the name and sound clip from several moments after the handstand pose that Luke is rendered performing!

Basics

The There Is No Try ornament recreates the Yoda and Luke on the Dagobah surface in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2015, is Luke Skywalker in his Dagobah fatigues, performing a handstand while Yoda balances on one of his feet. The rocks molded into the ground nearby suggest that Luke is using the power of his mind to set the small one atop the larger one. This Dagobah diorama ornament is one of the largest yet made, measuring 5 3/4" tall, 2 1/4" wide and 1 5/8" deep. Hallmark charged $17.95 for the ornament originally and it seems to be an excellent price point for the potentially complicated or rich ornament. Sadly, it is neither.

The Hallmark There Is No Try ornament is made of a durable plastic and Luke upside down, his hands on the dirt ground, back straight. He is not yet performing the one-handed handstand that he does in the film and Hallmark did not make an effort to have the smaller rock actually appear suspended. The detailing - sculpted and colored - is excellent on Luke's pants and shirt and the ground. Luke's clothing is colored to look wet from sweat and the ground looks realistically textured.

Unfortunately, the rest of the There Is No Try ornament is colored in monotones. Yoda looks like an animated character - not a puppet or CG version of the character. Luke's face is hardly distinctive of replicating Mark Hamill's appearance.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, There Is No Try has a sound chip but no light effect. When a button on the base is pressed, Yoda and Luke speak back and forth to one another with lines from The Empire Strikes Back. Unfortunately, the target audience of this ornament will recognize it for exactly what it is; it is dialogue cobbled together from the scene after Yoda falls and tries to convince Luke to get the X-Wing out of the swamp using only his mental powers. Sadly, much had to be cut to get the sound clip down under thirty seconds and the edit is hardly stirring or even relevant to the sculpt.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake There Is No Try ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, There Is No Try is a luxury and fits poorly with other Hallmark Star Wars ornaments.

This ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top of the ornament. From that hook, the There Is No Try ornament hangs balanced. It is perfectly level when hung there and the ornament sways when rocked, but otherwise sits stable in the right position!

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!). Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The There Is No Try ornament is not at all limited and has not appreciated in the secondary market yet, which makes sense because many Hallmark stores still have it on their shelves. One suspects as soon as The Force Awakens hits theaters, the shelves will be cleared of this ornament. Despite the serious issues with it, I'd bet on it appreciating in the long term.

Overview

Like most Star Wars ornaments, the There Is No Try has nothing to do with the Christmas holiday and ultimately, I recommend it to those who have friends who customize figures and ornaments. Buy it, take it to them and have them do what Hallmark should have done in the first place as far as enhancing the details (through paint or a painting/plastic shaving combination) and then the ornament would be truly worthwhile!

For other Star Wars diorama ornaments, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
2014 Cantina Band
2013 At Jabba's Mercy
2012 Han Solo To The Rescue
2011 Showdown At The Cantina
2010 His Master's Bidding
2009 A Deadly Duel

6.5/10

For other holiday ornaments, please check out the Ornaments Review Index Page!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Awesome, But Not Indispensible, The 2015 Potted Groot Ornament Is Still Awesome!

The Good: Great sculpt, Collectibility, Awesome sound clip
The Bad: Frontheavy, Light on coloring details
The Basics: The first of the Guardians Of The Galaxy ornaments, the Potted Groot is adorable, but not as awesome as one might hope.


When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, arguably the biggest surprise for the merchandisers had to be the success of Guardians Of The Galaxy. A relatively obscure corner of the Marvel Universe, Guardians Of The Galaxy became a blockbuster and most merchandisers had to play catch-up given they did not plan for characters like Groot and Rocket to become coveted by collectors. Hallmark was one such company caught off guard and in the October ornament release, they caught up with the Potted Groot ornament.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “Potted Groot” is a holiday ornament that features the dancing, twig reincarnation of Groot from the post-credit scene of Guardians Of The Galaxy (reviewed here!). In the post-credit scene, the potted Groot begins rocking out to the Jackson 5 song "I Want You Back" whenever Drax the Destroyer is not looking in his direction. The Potted Groot ornament is made entirely of plastic and is an amazing sculpt, even if the coloring is nowhere near as vibrant as in the promotional materials or the digital reference.

Basics

“Potted Groot” recreates Groot in his Potted form from Guardians Of The Galaxy as he stretches out in a dance pose. The ornament, released in 2015, is a pretty remarkable ornament that is perfect in the detailing, but not its coloring. Potted Groot in this incarnation looks just like the CG version of Potted Groot with the Potted Groot with impressive detailing for the arms, soil and pot, but not the coloring. Measuring four inches tall, two and a half inches wide and two inches deep, this “Potted Groot” seems to be selling exceptionally well, at least at the Hallmark stores I've visited, at the original issue price of $17.95.

The Hallmark “Potted Groot” ornament is made of a durable plastic, which is impressive for the thin arms of the tree alien. He is cast in a simple brown, gray and off-white plastic. The proportions are all wonderful and this Potted Groot sculpt looks like it may have come from a digital model of the character, save on the coloriong front. The “Potted Groot” ornament has no visible seams and the rocks he is rooted in look neat and accurate.

Unfortunately, while the Potted Groot has glossy black eyes and that looks accurate. The pot, soil and brown of groot are all matte finish. The green for the vines and leaves on Potted Groot are not dark, rich or contrasting enough to pop against the brown of Groot's bark skin. Groot's smile is a good sculpted detail that is not matched by any depth of coloring detailing.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, “Potted Groot” could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but it only has a sound clip. Pressing a very noticeable white button in the soil begins playing a thirty second clip of the Jackson 5 song from a speaker embedded in the soil. The sound clip is loud and powered by two watch batteries that are included. The sound clip is an awesome touch that enhances the value of this ornament and is very cool.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “Potted Groot” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate superhero Christmas Tree, the “Potted Groot” ornament is very much a "luxury" ornament given how obscure the Guardians Of The Galaxy are to most geeks. That said, it's still pretty neat.

The ornament has a steel hook loop that comes out of the top center of Potted Groot’s head. Unfortunately, from that position, Potted Groot hangs with a noticeable and heavy front biased. This is a frontheavy ornament that looks like Groot is in a pot that is tipping forward.

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!). Since then, they have delved into virtually every other collectible franchise in an attempt to cash in on every major license. The Potted Groot series is part of the Marvel Comics ornament collection that has been growing since the buyout of Marvel by Disney. Hallmark seems happy to produce both DC and Marvel Comics-related ornaments and currently fans seem to be responding exceptionally well to the “Potted Groot” ornament. Given how popular the character is it is likely that this ornament will hold its value and probably appreciate in value.

Overview

Despite the frontheavy nature of the ornament and its coloring issues, the Potted Groot ornament is worth the fans tracking down and picking up!

For other Marvel Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Iron Man The Avengers: Age Of Ultron
2015 The Hulk Vs. Ultron The Avengers: Age Of Ultron
2014 War Machine Iron Man 3 ornament
2014 Hulk Smash! ornament
2014 Captain America from Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014 Web-Slinging Wonder The Amazing Spider-Man 2
2013 Iron Patriot Iron Man 3 ornament
2012 Captain America The Avengers ornament
2012 Iron Man The Avengers ornament
2012 Thor The Avengers ornament
2012 The Amazing Spider-Man ornament
2011 Spider-Man ornament
2011 Thor ornament
2010 Defender Of Justice Iron Man 2 ornament

6.5/10

For other ornament reviews, please check out my Ornament Review Index Page!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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She Might Be Iconic, But The 2015 Celebration Barbie Ornament Isn't One Of Hallmark's Winners!

The Good: Generally good sculpt, Neat sparkles, Good balance
The Bad: Very obvious seams, Seems expensive, Lack of detailing, Poor fabric elements.
The Basics: The 2015 Celebration Barbie Hallmark ornament does not hold up against its variant!


Every year when I set to reviewing Hallmark Keepsake ornaments, I find myself debating whether or not to review prime ornaments and their variants. Usually, I only review the prime ornament, especially if the ornament is essentially identical to its variant. In the case of Barbie ornaments, I seldom review both the caucasian and black variants of the ornaments. In the case of the 2015 Celebration Barbie ornament, I found it was worthwhile to review both. After all, the classic, caucasian, Celebration Barbie ornament this year seems to be substantively less-than its black counterpart (reviewed here!).

Somehow, the black Celebration Barbie ornament manages to hide its assembled quality better than its blonde counterpart and the differences make all the difference. The 2015 blonde Celebration Barbie ornament is distinctly inferior compared to its black variant.

Basics

The 2015 Celebration Barbie ornament recreates this year's limited edition caucasian Celebration Barbie doll in ornament form, which allows collectors to get a more affordable version of the popular doll in ornament form. The ornament was released with an original issue price of $17.95, which is on par with other ornaments in the Barbie line, at least from the prior years when Hallmark had the license to produce Barbie holiday ornaments. The 2015 Celebration Barbie ornament is 4 1/2" tall by 3" wide by 2 3/4" deep.

The 2015 Celebration Barbie ornament has a silver dress with a dark red bustier and the cloth element is a weird mesh that descends flatly from Barbie's waist. The mesh is very thin and much of the silver of the skirt is visible through the cloth element. Barbie's hair cascades over her shoulders and the hair leaves Barbie's ear exposed. On the ornament's ear is a tiny piece of glitter, which embodies an in-scale earring. Barbie's red lips stand out in a gaudy way, contrasting her pale skin with the bright red. The Celebration Barbie ornament does not have fingernails, either sculpted into the hands or painted on. The glitter on the Celebration Barbie's bustier is obvious, but does not pop the way it does against the black Celebration Barbie's skin tones. The arms, hair and other parts have deep seams, which make it look like the 2015 Celebration Barbie ornament was assembled . . . and not with pieces that entirely fit!

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the Celebration Barbie ornament could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but it does not. This is just the ornament, with its off fabric elements accenting it. I've long thought that it was disappointing that the Celebration Barbie ornaments do not have any articulation to her limbs. With rebooting the line, fans are given consistency and fidelity to the past Barbie ornaments, rather than improvements with the new additions.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake 2015 Celebration Barbie ornament is that the ornaments will be hung on a Christmas Tree. For those creating the ultimate Barbie Christmas Tree, the Celebration Barbie ornaments become necessary for the die-hard collectors. Barbie has a steel hook loop at the top, back, of her head and from there she hangs fairly level!

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!). Since then, they have branched out into every major franchise from Barbie to Gone With The Wind to The Hunger Games. The Celebration Barbie ornament was released at the October Ornament Release Weekend and it has sold out at several of the Hallmark stores I've been to. Despite my thoughts on the ornament, given that this is the first year Hallmark is once again producing the Celebration Barbie ornaments, one suspects that Hallmark will sell most of them and the rest will be bought up by dealers banking on them as an investment. Whether that pans out seems like it would depend upon how subsequent years manage to keep the enthusiasm for Barbie at Hallmark. That makes this ornament an investment crapshoot and it seems like it would be produced in great enough quantity to meet demand and thus could be unlikely to gain value fast.

Overview

The 2015 Barbie Celebration ornament looks simple and assembled, which undermines the return of the iconic doll in ornament form!

For other Barbie ornament reviews, please check out:
2015 Barbie Celebration Set (2013/2014 Celebration Barbie)
2012 Barbie Provencale
2012 Brava, Ballerina! Barbie
2012 Holiday Celebration Barbie (Black)
2012 Holiday Celebration Barbie (Caucasian)
2012 Matinee Fashion Barbie - Final In The Series!
2012 Tweed Indeed Barbie
2011 Celebration Barbie (Black)
2011 Campus Sweetheart Barbie
2011 Prima Ballerina Barbie ornament
1996 Enchanted Evening Barbie ornament
1995 Barbie Debut (Brunette) - Club Exclusive
1994 Barbie Debut ornament

4/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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