I Finally Get Around To The Delightful 2016 A Girl's Best Friend Tangled Ornament!

The Good: Excellent sculpt, Good balance, Good detailing
The Bad: Comparatively expensive for its size, No function
The Basics: The 2016 "A Girl's Best Friend" from Tangled ornament is a fun Disney ornament, even if it does not quite fit the scale of other Disney ornaments.


2016 was a huge year for me with Hallmark ornament reviews. In fact, it was such a big year that I ended up with a number of reviews that took a while to get around to actually processing. Finally, though, I have ended up at the end of my reviews of Hallmark ornaments from the 2016 season. The last ornament I had to review was the 2016 A Girl's Best Friend Tangled ornament and it is definitely going out on a high note.

For those unfamiliar with Tangled (reviewed here!), it is the musical story of Rapunzel and on her journey out into the larger world, Maximus is one of the guard's horses that is hunting Flynn Rider. Maximus, more diligent and competent than the human guards, is vigilant but ultimately comes to the aid of Rapunzel.

It is Rapunzel, hugging Maximus, that is the subject of the 2016 A Girl's Best Friend Tangled ornament.

Basics

The "A Girl's Best Friend" ornament recreates Rapunzel, as she appeared in Tangled with her long hair cascading all around her as and into a coil under her feet as she hugs a seated Maximus, who is nuzzling her back. The ornament, released in 2016, is a well-executed and accurate sculpt of Maximus with his saddle and Rapunzel in her iconic purple dress, with the character and hair looking instantly recognizable. Both characters look recognizable and accurate for the sculpt, which allowed Hallmark to not make it incredibly detailed. Despite that, Hallmark paid attention to such details as the rivets on Maximus's saddle and the buckle on his saddle bag.

Hallmark made a significant effort on A Girl's Best Friend as Rapunzel's hair is sculpted with texture to make it look more realistic - despite its supernatural length. Measuring two and a half inches tall and wide and one and one-quarter inches deep, the "A Girl's Best Friend" ornament is one of the smaller-scale Disney character ornaments from 2016 and it was comparatively expensive at its initial release price of $17.95.

The Hallmark "A Girl's Best Friend" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Rapunzel hugging the seated horse. A Girl's Best Friend escapes the usual critique about the lack of realism to the skin tones, because Maximus and Rapunzel are both animated characters. Rapunzel's eyes are bright green and wonderfully detailed; she looks truly joyful as she smiles while looking away from Maximus. The paint job on things like the stirrups are incredibly well-executed. Despite the smaller scale, the A Girl's Best Friend was immaculately painted!

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "A Girl's Best Friend" could have a sound or light effect, but it does not. Instead, this is a less-expensive option that is just the two characters in a smaller scale.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "A Girl's Best Friend" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "A Girl's Best Friend" ornament is a decent Tangled option that can enhance the tree of those who love Disney. The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top center of Maximus's arched back. The placement of the hook loop is fairly obvious and necessary for the ornament. A Girl's Best Friend hangs perpendicular to the ground when properly hung from that hook point and while the ornament has a very minor bias in favor of Rapunzel, the ornament has generally good balance. For the scale, the balance is actually quite good.

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 (click here for that review!). Within a few years, every major franchise from Star Wars to A Nightmare Before Christmas to Indiana Jones started making Hallmark ornaments. "A Girl's Best Friend" is one of only a few Tangled ornaments on the market and at least the sixth to feature Rapunzel. This ornament is long sold out at every Hallmark, but it has not really appreciated in the secondary market, which suggests that the initial release price was exactly right - or a little high - for the ornament.

Overview

Fans of Tangled, Disney, Rapunzel, horses, Mandy Moore, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to be thrilled with the “A Girl's Best Friend” ornament, despite its size; the quality of the sculpt and coloring more than make up for its initial price!

For other Tangled Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Rapunzel And Pascal ornament
2014 Rapunzel's Long Locks ornament
2013 Fierce With A Frying Pan ornament
2012 It's All About The Hair ornament
2011 Rapunzel ornament

8.5/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Simple Fun Saturday: The 2016 Santa's Sweet Reindeer Ornament Stacks Up Well!

The Good: Cute, Good sculpt, Decent balance
The Bad: Very basic coloring, some sloppy painting
The Basics: The 2016 "Santa's Sweet Reindeer" limited edition ornament is fun, cute, but not nearly as collectible as Hallmark might have hoped.


A few years ago, as my wife got into collecting Hallmark ornaments of her own, I was forced to look into the non-genre ornaments that Hallmark produces. This might seem like an ironic reversal, but the truth is, since 1990, the only reason I have gone to Hallmark stores are for their genre-themed holiday ornaments; the more traditional Christmas ornaments they produce and sell had been a pretty massive blind spot to me, not to mention the greeting card portion of their stores. But, a few years back, I was dragging my wife around with me on Ornament Preview Weekend as I was hunting exclusive ornaments and she saw the Mint Chocolate Chipmunk ornament (reviewed here!) declared it adorable and I "paid" her for letting me drag her to several Hallmark Gold Crown stores by buying her the ornament. Shortly thereafter, she went through the Dreambook and found other cute, pun-based ornaments that she fell for. 2016 and 2017 have been pretty fallow for that style of ornament, but late last year, I saw one that I thought was cute. Right before this year's ornament preview weekend, one of my local Hallmark stores dug out their remaining ornaments from last year and clearanced them on a pretty deep discount. I was pleasantly surprised to see they had one copy of the ornament that had lingered in my mind in that discounted stock. That ornament was the Santa's Sweet Reindeer ornament.

Santa's Sweet Reindeer is cute and a good basic ornament, but it did not seem to resonate with collectors and the simplistic and sometimes sloppy paintjob on the ornament makes it look unfortunately cheap.

Basics

The Santa's Sweet Reindeer ornament is a Reindeer, made of a chocolate jelly roll (like a Ho-Ho), with candy cane antlers, gumdrop feet and what appears to be mint leaves for the ears! The ornament, released in 2016, is a limited edition ornament that was released during Ornament Debut Weekend and was intended to be a companion ornament to the Santa's Sweet Ride ornament. Either people did not find or did not care for the 2016 Santa's Sweet Reindeer ornament, because it did not seem to sell out anywhere I could find during its initial release.

Hallmark made a decent effort to make a good ornament with the Santa's Sweet Reindeer ornament, but the ornament is very simple in both sculpt and coloring, though it is well balanced. Measuring three and one-half inches tall, one and one-eighths inches wide and two and one-quarter inches deep, the "Santa's Sweet Reindeer" ornament is a decent-sized Hallmark ornament. Despite its size, the 2016 Santa's Sweet Reindeer ornament seemed expensive with its initial release price of $15.95, which might be why there were so many left even after the ornament was put on clearance after the season last year.

The Hallmark "Santa's Sweet Reindeer" ornament is made of a durable plastic, but the coloring is done entirely in monotones, which is simplistic but fair for the ornament's subject. Most of the Reindeer is a glossy brown with glossy white to represent the frosting filling. The candy canes are white and red and there is a purple-striped blanket on the reindeer's back, which seems to imply a blanket made of gum! The best coloring aspect of the 2016 Santa's Sweet Reindeer ornament is the inclusion of sparkles on the feet to represent the sugar of the gumdrops.

Unfortunately, several of the Santa's Sweet Reindeer ornaments I looked at had imprecise paintjobs. The lines between the white frosting filling and the brown cake body were blurred and the green from the ears ofted overlapped the brown of the reindeer's head.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Santa's Sweet Reindeer" could have a sound effect, but it does not. Instead, this is a less-expensive option that is just the cute animated character.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Santa's Sweet Reindeer" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas tree. And the "Santa's Sweet Reindeer" ornament would be a good option for anyone who wants a family tree, enjoys food, thinks puns are funny or who loves animals, despite the less-precise paintjob. The ornament has the brass hook loop embedded into the top center of the back of the Reindeer’s body. From there, the ornament hangs perfectly level, with its feet looking like they would stand flat on the ground, like it is supposed to.

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. "Santa's Sweet Reindeer" is a non-genre ornament that is limited edition, which leads buyers to hope it has an inherent collectible value. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a terrible investment piece; its value tanked and it can still be found dirt cheap in the secondary market.

Overview

Fans of cute food, reindeer, Hallmark ornaments, and generic Christmas ornaments are likely to find the Santa's Sweet Reindeer ornament cute, but a tough sell at its full price.

For other non-genre Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2017 Lavender Luxe Barbie Limited Edition ornament
2016 Green Thumb Snoopy ornament
2015 Misfit Friends ornament

7.5/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Joyful Perfection Makes For A Wonderful Anniversary Tribute! (My 300th Ornament Review!)

The Good: Surprisingly good balance, Excellent sculpt and coloring, Great size for the price, Impressive audio clip (for duration, volume, and quality!)
The Bad: None that I can find (though it is magnetized)
The Basics: The 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament is a perfect ornament, much to my surprise!


As I make preparations for the whole new season of Hallmark ornament releases, I am finishing up the last of last year's ornament evaluations. 2016 was my biggest year for Hallmark ornament reviews and I was very excited by the width and breadth of the Hallmark ornament line. As I began to recognize just how many ornament reviews I had done and how many I had left, I decided that for my 300th ornament review, I wanted to review a truly special ornament. So, when I pulled out my wife's 2016 Disney's Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament today for review, I was prepared for special; I was pleasantly surprised by perfection. The 25th Anniversary "Beauty And The Beast" ornament is wonderful and, perhaps unsurprisingly, perfect.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “Beauty And The Beast” is a holiday ornament that features the the title characters dancing in front of the castle's somewhat expository stain glass window. Those who love the Disney animated film Beauty And The Beast (reviewed here!) will instantly recognize the scene and characters depicted in the ornament. The protagonists, a portion of the floor and the windowframe backdrop are all effectively incorporated into the 2016 Beauty And The Beast ornament.

Basics

“Beauty And The Beast” recreates dance scene between Belle and the Beast on a piece of the castle floor right in front of the stain glassed window that shows Belle dancing with the Prince. The sculpt is incredible, with all of the characters looking incredible and accurate. Measuring 5 1/2" tall, 4 1/8" wide and 2 1/8" deep, the “Beauty And The Beast” is comparatively huge and sold out fast from most Hallmark Gold Crown stores at the original issue price of $24.95. Despite 2016 being pretty well flooded with Disney ornaments, the 25th Anniversary Beauty And The Beast ornament was a pretty fast sell-out.

The Hallmark “Beauty And The Beast” ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the floor, windowframe and characters incredibly well-sculpted and then attached to one another. One of the instantly impressive aspects of the 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament is that there are no noticeable seams on the ornament. The 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament features instantly recognizable characters for Belle, with even the most subtle smile molded into her face, and the Beast. The castle floor and windowframe are molded with deep lines between the stones, which makes it look real, like it was constructed. The 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament is molded precisely and accurately, making for one of the highest-quality Disney ornaments Hallmark ever produced.

On the coloring front, the Beauty And The Beast ornament is incredible. The window would seem to be the weak spot of the 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament as it is a sticker instead of a translucent plastic insert (which other ornaments have done in the past). Rather incredibly, the sticker matches the tone and coloring of the characters on the ornament and the castle portion frame looks incredible with the coloring. The shading and depth of the rocks plays beautifully off the pearlescent quality to Belle's yellow dress. Every line of the colors for the Beast's outfit is crisp and clean; this is an immaculately colored ornament, down to the pin on the Beast's front ruffles.

The sculpt and coloring of the 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament is incredible.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, “Beauty And The Beast” has a battery-powered sound effect and it comes with two watch batteries to activate the sound effect. The sound effect is simple: pressing a button concealed that is fairly well-concealed in the rocks on the front right of the ornament causes the main song "Beauty And The Beast" to play from a speaker on the bottom of the ornament. This is Angela Lansbury singing the main song from the line "Tale as old as time . . ." through one chorus of the song. Despite the fact that Lansbury's character is not on the ornament, the sound clip works! The sound is clear and instantly recognizable to the fans.

Hallmark includes the batteries needed to operate the ornament. There is no light effect to the 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament, but it is wonderful on its own without one.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “Beauty And The Beast” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney Christmas Tree, the “Beauty And The Beast” ornament is an incredible ornament. The ornament has a steel hook loop that comes out of the top of the windowframe backdrop. From that position, the ornament hangs perfectly level. This is an exceptionally stable ornament that only sways when it (or the tree) is bumped or the button on the base is pressed.

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 Disney line-up has had a ton of ornaments made for it, with Beauty And The Beast being incredibly well-represented long before the 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament. Despite that, the 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament has exploded in value, arguably because of its quality. This ornament was one of the few non-limited edition Disney ornaments that was a sell-out in 2016 and fans seem to have responded to that. This was an incredibly pricy ornament initially, though it appreciated in value already. While the 2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament might seem expensive even at collectible prices, it is worth it!

Overview

2016 Beauty And The Beast 25th Anniversary ornament has a great sound clip, incredible balance and looks good in both sculpt and coloring, making it one of the best Disney - and best Hallmark - ornaments ever!

For other Disney Beauty And The Beast Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Lumiere Beauty And The Beast (Limited Edition)
2014 All Eyes On Belle Beauty And The Beast ornament
2013 Beautiful Belle Beauty And The Beast

10/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page, there you will find an organized listing of all the ornaments I've reviewed!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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One Of The Coolest Spider-Man Ornaments: The 2016 Slinging And Swinging Ornament Delivers For Fans!

The Good: Neat gimmick, Good sculpts, Generally good coloring
The Bad: Off-balance, Assembled look for Spider-Man, Simplistic coloring for Green Goblin
The Basics: The 2016 Slinging And Swinging Hallmark ornament is a really cool idea for a Spider-Man ornament, which is executed incredibly well!


I am not, traditionally, a Spider-Man fan. I know the story and most of the essential characters, but he's never been one of my favorites. Indeed, it took Andrew Garfield and Martin Sheen to make me bother with the latest cinematic incarnation of Spider-Man with any real enthusiasm. So, when I find a Spider-Man ornament that actually impresses me, it is based on the substance of the ornament, not because I am inherently biased toward the subject. That is why I was pretty psyched by the 2016 Slinging And Swinging Spider-Man ornament.

The 2016 Slinging And Swinging ornament is the most complex Marvel Comics-themed Hallmark ornament to be released in 2016 and it was, therefor, the most expensive. The ornament, which features a neat light gimmick to reveal a villain on a diorama ornament, is a cool ornament which features Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, set on what is essentially a shadowbox.

Basics

The Slinging And Swinging ornament recreates both Spider-Man and Green Goblin in solid plastic, framed by a window that makes it look like Spider-Man is leaping off a brick building. The ornament, released in 2016, is a decent recreation of the popular characters as they appears in the comic books, not the cinematic rendition of Spider-Man or the Green Goblin. That said, because the ornament features no fleshtones, the Slinging And Swinging ornament is colored very basically; the bricks that frame the window are colored as if for a comic book, not for realism like for a movie-based ornament.

The 2016 Slinging And Swinging ornament came with a $24.95 original issue price, which is reasonable for an ornament of this size with such an effective and cool gimmick. The Hallmark Slinging And Swinging ornament is made of a durable plastic and features Spider-Man in an action pose, with Spider-Man leaping forward, out of the window frame. The 2016 Slinging And Swinging ornament measures out at 4 1/2" tall, 2 3/4" wide and 4" deep. Both Spider-Man and the Green Goblin are molded to look entirely accurate and instantly recognizable. Unfortunately, Spider-Man has a very assembled look, with deep and noticeable seams to get the figure attached to the window frame.

On the coloring front, Spider-Man is absolutely immaculate. Each piece of webbing on the costume is crisp and clear, the colors are sharp and distinctly separated. Spider-Man on the Slinging And Swinging ornament looks great. Unfortunately, the Green Goblin is very simply colored and by comparison to the Spider-Man and brick frame, he looks cartoonish. Given the pose of the Green Goblin - about to launch a pumpkin bomb - Green Goblin looks a little more silly than he does menacing given the simplistic color-scheme.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the 2016 Slinging And Swinging ornament features a very cool light function. The window out of which Spider-Man is leaping is a mirror. With the press of a button, the box behind the mirror lights up and that illuminates and reveals the Green Goblin inside, behind Spider-Man. The lights are strong enough to be clear in revealing Green Goblin and creating the illusion of a building inside the shadowbox. It's a clever idea and after a full season's use, the light effect in the Slinging And Swinging ornament did not noticeably fade.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Slinging And Swinging ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Marvel Universe Christmas Tree, a Slinging And Swinging ornament is a very cool addition. The ornament has a steel hook loop embedded in the top, center of the shadowbox frame. From that point, the Slinging And Swinging ornament hangs with a noticeable right bias. Given how Spider-Man is leaping out of the ornament on the front, right of the ornament, it is somewhat unsurprising that the ornament is so off-balance. The ornament is intended to hang level, so the right-heavy nature of the ornament is unfortunately noticeable.

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 (click here for my review of that!). Since then, Hallmark has gotten into every major franchise from Disney to Twilight to the Marvel Comics universe. The Slinging And Swinging ornament was not at all limited, but it sold fairly well during the 2016 ornament season. It is one of the few Marvel Comics ornaments in recent years that appears to have appreciated fairly well in the secondary market.

Overview

The 2016 Slinging And Swinging ornament is a pretty cool idea with a neat, if imperfect, execution. It is enough to make Marvel Comics fans who are even neutral to Spider-Man want to add it to their collection!

For other Spider-Man-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Venom ornament
2014 Web-Slinging Wonder ornament
2012 Spider-Man The Amazing Spider-Man ornament
2011 Spider-Man ornament

6.5/10

For other ornament and toy reviews, please check out my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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One Of The Best Snoopy Ornaments Ever, The 2016 Green Thumb Snoopy Ornament Is Good!

The Good: Good sculpt, Decent coloring, Reasonable price
The Bad: Frontheavy
The Basics: The 2016 Green Thumb Snoopy ornament might well be the best Spotlight On Snoopy Hallmark ornament yet!


Unlike a lot of Hallmark ornament fans, I am not a big fan of the Snoopy Hallmark ornament line. I'm not a huge Peanuts fan and while I like Snoopy just fine, there are so many Snoopy ornaments that it is hard for me to care about them. Like many of the popular franchises, it sometimes seems like Hallmark is just churning out ornaments each year without actually caring about the quality of them. In 2016, though, Hallmark produced one of their most impressive Snoopy ornaments in year. The Snoopy ornament that finally turned me around on the franchise was the Green Thumb Snoopy ornament.

The Green Thumb Snoopy Hallmark ornament is arguably the most-detailed, best-sculpted Snoopy Hallmark ornament yet produced.

Basics

The Green Thumb Snoopy ornament features Snoopy from Peanuts wearing overalls and a straw hat and holding a surprisingly-detailed hoe in his right hand. Snoopy stands on a little patch of earth with Woodstock beside him and a tomato between them. The Green Thumb Snoopy features incredible coloring detail for the grass, overalls, straw hat and the wood on the hoe's handle.

Measuring two and one-quarter inches tall, one and one quarter inches wide and deep, the Green Thumb Snoopy ornament is a pretty average-sized Peanuts ornament. At $15.95, it is an average priced Peanuts ornaments produced for the 2016 holiday season and it is the 19th in the Spotlight On Snoopy Ornament line.

The Hallmark Green Thumb Snoopy ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the characters cast in very bright plastic. The sculpting is very simple, save for the base and the fine etching on the outfit and hoe and most of the coloring is done in monotones. This is a decently-sculpted and colored Snoopy ornament!

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Green Thumb Snoopy could have a sound or light function, but it does not. This is a very basic ornament intended to be one of the more affordable options without flair. In that regard, it is fine; it does not need a light or sound function.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Green Thumb Snoopy ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Peanuts Christmas Tree, the Green Thumb Snoopy ornament might have been perfect were it not for the balance. Hallmark has the standard steel hook affixed to the front of Snoopy's Green Thumb’s hat. This is a very obtrusive placement for the hook loop and it does not solve the balance problem caused by Snoopy's nose and the other elements that make this ornament noticeably frontheavy.

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 (click here for that review!). Since then, they have made ornament replicas of virtually everything that has ever had collectibles associated with it (and some that Hallmark has pioneered). The Green Thumb Snoopy ornament seems like it would appeal well to Peanuts fans, and it continues the Spotlight On Snoopy line, but I have yet to see any of the recent Snoopy ornaments appreciate significantly in value. It is unlikely this will be a great investment piece.

Overview

Despite the balance issue, the Green Thumb Snoopy Hallmark ornament is surprisingly wonderful and affordable, even for those who have only a casual interest in Peanuts ornaments!

For other Peanuts holiday ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Paratrooper Snoopy
2015 Building Buddies Snoopy
2013 Bird-Watcher Snoopy
2012 In The Spirit
2012 Onstage Antics
2012 Fisherman Snoopy
2011 Snoopy Claus
2011 Ho! Ho! Ho! Tasty Snow!
2010 "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"
2009 Just The Right Tree

9/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my index page!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Not A Great Tribute To The Good Dinosaur, The 2016 Arlo And Spot Ornament Flops.

The Good: Generally good sculpt, Good balance
The Bad: Detailing on Spot, Assembled appearance, Seems expensive, Coloring on Arlo
The Basics: The 2016 "Arlo And Spot" ornament from The Good Dinosaur is a good idea with a mediocre execution.


When it comes to Disney-themed Hallmark ornaments, it is interesting to see how the newer films are actually represented. While some of the older Disney films have been over-represented, many of the new films lack iconic characters or moments needed to make interesting ornaments. Unfortunately, one of the problems with some of the ornaments made for some of the newer films is that they are rushed to market. That is what happened, arguably, with the 2016 Arlo And Spot ornament.

For those unfamiliar with The Good Dinosaur (reviewed here!), Arlo and Spot are a boy and a dinosaur who team up for a journey home. Basically, The Good Dinosaur is a buddy comedy that teams up a neanderthal boy and an apatosaurus.

Basics

The "Arlo And Spot" ornament recreates Arlo the apatosaurus and Spot the child as they appeared in The Good Dinosaur, though not from a distinct moment and not nearly as much detailing. The ornament, released in 2016, is a fairly accurate sculpt of Spot riding Arlo.

Measuring four inches long, two inches deep and three and a half inches tall, the "Arlo And Spot" ornament is a larger than normal-sized Disney character ornament, but about on scale with the other Pixar Legends ornament. Arlo And Spot is a standalone Disney Pixar ornament. Unfortunately, Arlo And Spot feels a bit more expensive than its quality with an original release price of $15.95.

The Hallmark "Arlo And Spot" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Spot riding Arlo. The sculpt of Arlo looks very assembled with noticeable seams at the legs. Similarly, the sculpt of Spot looks more like a caricature of the character than a version based upon the digital model of the character. Spot looks unfortunately simplistic in ornament form.

The coloring on the Arlo And Spot ornament is very simple as well. One of the impressive aspects of The Good Dinosaur is that the textures for Arlo were incredible. On the 2016 Arlo And Spot ornament, the coloring is simplistic and the dinosaur looks very plastic. The coloring on the entire 2016 Arlo And Spot is very basic, lacking in the sophisticated depth and shading of the characters in the film.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Arlo And Spot" could have a sound or light function, but this ornament has neither. The lack of a sound clip for the ornament seems comparatively expensive and less ambitious than Hallmark could have done.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Arlo And Spot" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Pixar movie Christmas Tree, the "Arlo And Spot" ornament is very average, but not at all essential (the film is not exactly a timeless masterpiece). The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top, back, of Spot's head. From there, the ornament 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!). Within a few years, every major franchise from Star Wars to A Nightmare Before Christmas to Indiana Jones started making Hallmark ornaments. "Arlo And Spot" is one of several Disney ornaments on the market for 2016. This ornament did not seem to be a big seller, arguably because of the quality issues, and it has not appreciated in the secondary market yet.

Overview

Fans of The Good Dinosaur, Disney, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to be largely unimpressed by the 2016 Arlo And Spot ornament. Hallmark ornament fans have, generally, come to expect more from the ornaments than something so simple and unremarkable as the 2016 Arlo And Spot ornament.

For other Pixar-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Inside Out ornament
2015 WALL-E
2014 Bank On Hamm Toy Story ornament
2012 Monsters, Inc. ornament
2011 Up ornament

4/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Impressively Cute, The 2016 Soccer Player Barbie Ornament Is Cool!

The Good: Good sculpt, Great coloring, Wonderful balance.
The Bad: Seems expensive
The Basics: The 2016 Hallmark Keepsake Soccer Player Barbie ornament is cute and a good alternative to the standard "beauty queen" Barbie ornaments.


Every year, Hallmark does a fairly wide array of ornaments centered around the Barbie doll line. In fact, Hallmark is so committed to the line that after losing the license, two years later, Hallmark fought to get it back and started producing Barbie ornaments again en masse. The Barbie ornaments are largely the standard blonde Barbie doll in ornament form, with only a few variations in costume and pose. One of the delightful variations in the Barbie ornament line came in 2016 with the Soccer Player Barbie Hallmark ornament.

For those unfamiliar with them, Barbie dolls have been a leading trademarked doll from Mattel for over sixty years. Hallmark Keepsake picked up the Barbie license in order to produce Christmas ornaments and Soccer Player Barbie is one of several Barbie and Barbie-themed ornaments produced for 2016!

Basics

The Soccer Player Barbie ornament recreates the Soccer Player Barbie doll with Barbie looking fun and holding a pink and black soccer ball. The ornament features the recognizable visage of Barbie, though as a brunette, wearing a very simple soccer uniform. This Barbie is uncharacteristically wearing minimal make-up and the coloring for this ornament is a very bright paint job that features incredible contrast between the neon pink and black of the uniform. The ornament has Barbie wearing a simple pink t-shirt, black shorts, and pink sneakers with white knee socks. This Barbie ornament is 4" tall by 1 3/4" wide and 1" deep.

The Hallmark Soccer Player Barbie ornament is made entirely of durable plastic and has the feminine icon standing alone, holding her soccer ball in her left arm. The pose for the Soccer Player Barbie is very different from other Barbie ornaments and it looks like Barbie is coming off the field after a good win . . . that somehow managed to not mess up her hair. The sculpted detailing on Barbie's face, socks and soccer ball are incredibly good. Hallmark even included what appears to be seams on the soccer ball!

The coloring for the Soccer Player Barbie is incredibly good. The Soccer Player Barbie features bright pink for the shoes, t-shirt and what would be the white on the soccer ball. The Soccer Player Barbie looks distinctive and fun, if over-the-top feminine. The bright pink of the outfit contrasts well with the black on the costume, the brown of Barbie's hair and the simple skin tones of the character. This is a good-looking Barbie ornament.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Soccer Player Barbie could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but does not. This is just an ornament, a low-cost (comparatively) option for fans of Barbie. I think it's disappointing that Soccer Player Barbie does not have any articulation to her limbs. It was well within the abilities of Hallmark to make the ornament articulated at least at the shoulders or neck, but they opted for a statue look for the ornament, without any limb articulation.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Soccer Player Barbie ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Barbie Christmas Tree, the Soccer Player Barbie ornament is a fantastic addition. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the character's head. The hook loop is fairly obvious from its necessary position on the top of Barbie's head. From there, one hangs the ornament and the Soccer Player Barbie ornament is perfectly balanced! Unlike the doll itself, which is almost impossible to get to stand up, the Soccer Player Barbie ornament has great balance and hangs perfectly!

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 Twilight. The Soccer Player Barbie ornament sold well and seemed to meet customer demand. I could not find any of the Soccer Player Barbie ornaments on clearance after the end of the season, so this one might well appreciate in value as it does not appear to be overproduced.

Overview

The Soccer Player Barbie ornament is very cute and well-balanced, but even at its original release price, it seemed a little expensive for an ornament without a sound or light function. Despite that, it is an excellent addition to anyone's Barbie ornament collection.

For other Barbie ornament reviews, please check out:
2016 Barbie Picnic Set (Limited Edition)
2016 Holiday Barbie
2016 Cherry Pie Picnic Barbie
2015 Celebration Barbie (Black)
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

8.5/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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By The Power Of Grayskull! Hallmark Makes A Decent He-Man Ornament!

The Good: Decent sculpted details, Good balance, Accurate coloring
The Bad: No feature, Seems expensive, Assembled appearance
The Basics: The 2016 "He-Man" ornament from Hallmark's new retro toy ornament line reminds collectors how awesome He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe is . . . even if it is not quite perfect!


There are a few aspects of my childhood that I have rediscovered as an adult that truly hold up. I was a big fan, in my youth, of He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe - both of the television series and the massive toy line. So, when Hallmark announced that He-Man was part of their 2016 Hallmark ornament line, I was actually pretty psyched. Fortunately, the 2016 He-Man ornament manages to be a pretty fitting tribute to the toy line and the classic television show.

For those unfamiliar with He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (season 1 is reviewed here!), He-Man is the most powerful man in the universe . . . when he is equipped with his magic sword and imbued with the power of Greyskull. It is He-Man, after his transformation, with his sword held in both hands, that is the subject of the 2016 He-Man Hallmark ornament!

Basics

The "He-Man" ornament recreates the super hero He-Man as he appeared in He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe, though not in any particular or iconic moment. The ornament, released in 2016, is an incredibly accurate sculpt of He-Man with an incredible amount of sculpted and pretty basic coloring detail, befitting the action figure. Hallmark smartly presented He-Man in a non-violent, not-aggressive pose.

Measuring four and a quarter inches tall by two and three-quarter inches wide by two inches deep, the "He-Man" ornament is a fairly regular-sized Hallmark character ornament. The 2016 He-Man ornament seems a bit pricy at an original release price of $17.95, which seemed expensive for an ornament without any feature.

The Hallmark "He-Man" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has He-Man holding botthe blade itself. The ornament is posed in a such a way that the action figure never could, though it looks like He-Man from the show! He-Man is appropriately muscled and is wearing his very minimal clothes. Hallmark sculpted perfectly He-Man's corny retro haircut, chest place and briefs perfectly accurately. Unfortunately, to get the arms right, Hallmark clearly had to sculpt the arms and sword separately and attach them to the body of the ornament. The result is a noticeable seam and fissure at the juncture where the arms connect to the torso section.

The coloring for the 2016 He-Man ornament is simplistic, but accurate for the action figure source material.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "He-Man" could be accented by a sound chip, but is not. Sadly lacking in any dialogue from the show, the 2016 He-Man ornament does not have a sound or light function, which makes it seem overpriced at the original retail price of $15.95.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "He-Man" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate nostalgia television Christmas Tree, the "He-Man" ornament is the essential He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe ornament. The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top center of He-Man's head. This is fairly obvious and necessary for the ornament. From that position, the He-Man ornament hangs perfectly level. The balance for this ornament is incredible, with the sword appearing perfectly perpendicular to the branch upon which the ornament is 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. "He-Man" is one of a handful of several nostalgia television show ornaments and the only He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe ornament produced by Hallmark for 2016. This ornament did not yet sell out at any of my local Hallmark Gold Crown stores I frequented. That made it fairly easy to find on discount after the holiday season. The value of the ornament in the secondary market is already deflated -more likely a result of being initially overpriced, as opposed to any inherent quality issues with the ornament itself. It may end up as a decent investment piece for those who are able to pick it up after the holiday season, but not at its original release price.

Overview

Fans of He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe, He-Man, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to get a kick out of the 2016 He-Man ornament for its nostalgia value!

For other 2016 genre-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
Batman Batman V. Superman ornament
Grimlock Transformers ornament
Death Trooper Rogue One ornament

7.5/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Still Trying To Market Inside Out, Hallmark Finds A Way!

The Good: Awesome sculpted details, Accurate coloring
The Bad: Expensive, Balance issue
The Basics: The 2016 "Inside Out" ornament from the Pixar Legends Hallmark ornament line is a fair, but not exceptional, ornament.


As 2016 moves to eclipse 2015 for sheer volume of Hallmark Keepsake ornaments I've reviewed, I realized I have been neglecting the many, many Disney ornaments I have to review. Today, I am righting that by checking out the 2016 Inside Out ornament. The Inside Out ornament is only the second ornament from Hallmark Keepsake to try to capitalize on the popularity of Inside Out and the ornament producer opted again for the safety of Joy for the subject of the ornament (much like they produce Olaf ornaments from Frozen fairly frequently).

For those unfamiliar with Inside Out (reviewed here!), Joy and Sadness are two of the four personality aspects within residing in Riley's head, directing the emotions she feels. Through their adventure in Riley's conflicted emotions in the film, Joy and Sadness have to work together. It is Joy and Sadness sitting back to back in a non-film inspired concept shot that is the subject of the 2016 Inside Out ornament.

Basics

The "Inside Out" ornament recreates Joy and Sadness as they appeared in Inside Out, though not from a distinct moment. The ornament, released in 2016, is an incredibly accurate sculpt of Joy and Sorrow with an incredible amount of sculpted and surface coloring detail, entirely accurate to the computer animated subjects of Inside Out.

Measuring two and three-quarter inches tall and wide by one and a half inches deep, the "Inside Out" ornament is a larger than normal-sized Disney character ornament, but about on scale with the other Pixar Legends ornament. Inside Out is the sixth ornament in the Pixar Legends ornament line. Unfortunately, Inside Out is one of the more expensive ornaments with an original issue price of $17.95 (which is pretty hefty for an ornament that does not have a sound chip).

The Hallmark "Inside Out" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Joy and Sorrow sitting back to back. Joy is, predictably, smiling, while Sorrow frowns deeply. Sorrow's hair is beautifully sculpted with fairly incredible detailing, as are her glasses. On Joy, Hallmark got the physics of her dress absolutely perfect with the slope of the fabric looking amazingly realistic.

The coloring on the Inside Out ornanent is accurate, which is predictably simple and monotonal for the skin of both characters and the dress Joy wears. Sorrow's sweater looks decently colored with layers of coloring to it that enhance its textured appearance and both characters have good hair coloring to them.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Inside Out" could have a sound or light function, but this ornament has neither. Given that it is the same price as some of the Disney/Pixar ornaments that do have a sound clip, this seems comparatively expensive and less ambitious than Hallmark could have done.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Inside Out" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "Inside Out" ornament is all right, but hardly essential (the film is not exactly considered a timeless masterpiece yet, even if it has been merchandised like one!). The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top, back, of Joy's head. From there, the ornament hangs with a right bias; clearly Sadness was a bit heavier than Joy!

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. "Inside Out" is one of several Disney ornaments on the market for 2016. This ornament actually seemed to sell out during its primary release, though it has not appreciated noticeably on the secondary market. This might have been a Hallmark ornament with ideal production numbers as I could not find any at my local Hallmark stores after the holidays, but the demand for it has not driven the price of it up. As a result, it might only be a worthwhile investment piece for those who are able to find it still at their Hallmarks at discount prices.

Overview

Fans of Inside Out, Disney, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to have mixed feeling about the 2016 Inside Out ornament. It is generally well-sculpted and colored, but it is balanced awkwardly and is expensive. That makes for a pretty average ornament in my book!

For other Pixar-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 WALL-E
2014 Bank On Hamm Toy Story ornament
2012 Monsters, Inc. ornament
2011 Up ornament

5.5/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Ben Affleck Should Be Proud: The 2016 Batman Ornament Is Cool!

The Good: Good facial sculpt, Decent coloring accents, Good balance, Cool base
The Bad: Light on coloring detail
The Basics: A surprisingly decent Batman ornament, the 2016 Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament is pretty cool, if not perfect.


Hallmark bet big in 2016 on Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice (reviewed here!), which was unsurprising considering that the other big DC Cinematic Universe film in 2016, Suicide Squad, was a bit more of a risk on most fronts (though it would have been hard for the company to go wrong with a limited edition Harley Quinn ornament!). So, Hallmark pretty reasonably released three Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice character ornaments in 2016, plus one vehicle and a convention exclusive character ornament. The release of the 2016 Batman Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice ornament was timed to play off the anticipated popularity of the DVD/Blu-Ray release of the film and it seems to have been the most popular of the triumvirate, despite the Wonder Woman ornament being more original.

The 2016 Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice is a decent sculpt and works well with the two accompanying Hallmark ornaments . . . even if there are already a ton of Batman ornaments on the market.

Basics

The Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Superman ornament faithfully presents Batman in his fairly traditional black and gray film costume. This is Batman in his smooth gray and black suit, with a solid black cape flowing up and to the left of the character (when he is facing the viewer). The ornament, released in 2016, is good for an ornament based upon the costume used in Zack Snyder’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice film. With such a decent three-dimensional model, Hallmark was able to create an ornament that features a decent facial sculpt, good muscling for the character and surface details for things like the gloves and belt. Measuring four and a half inches tall and wide and two inches deep, the Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament is one of six DC super hero-based ornaments released by Hallmark in stores in 2016 and it was intended to be paired with the Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Superman ornament and accented with the Wonder Woman ornament sculpted from the same source material. The Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament came with an original retail price of $15.95 and there were surprisingly few left over at the end of the season.

The Hallmark Batman ornament is made of durable plastic. Batman’s costume is colored in very muted gray and black, with fairly monotonal coloring for most of the costume. This version of Bruce Wayne is incredibly ripped with well-defined arm and thigh muscles visible underneath his smooth costume. The Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament has the traditional Batman symbol on his chest and it is painted on in just the right spot with no distortion. The facial sculpt for the Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman looks just like Ben Affleck . . . as much as it can. This version of Batman has Affleck's strong jawline, but lacks the coloring detail for the stubble Bruce Wayne had through most of the film while in his Batman costume.

The very basic coloring of the Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament is accented by cool gold paint bits on the gloves and boots, which is very cool. The skin tones are monotonal as opposed to having rich coloring, which undermines the realism some, especially in the lack of stubble on the face. Fortunately, most of the character's skin is obscured by the cowl, negating this issue.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the 2016 Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament could have a sound chip or a light-up function. He has neither, but honestly it would have been a hard sell to make a gimmick for this ornament.

The Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament does include a stand, which is a typical for most ornaments. The stand is a 3" wide, 2" deep, 1/4" tall silver-gray stand that is designed to appear like the Superman/Batman symbol . . . save that it is only half of the symbol. The ornament includes a little stand that plugs into the back of Batman's foot and from there, the Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament stands perfectly stable. The thing is, the stand looks fairly ridiculous without its other half and if it is even a little warped, it throws off the balance for both the Superman and Batman ornaments. After exploring seven pairs of these ornaments, I found all but one were thick enough to have no issues with warping (some earlier Marvel ornaments had thinner bases, which did warp!).

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake 2016 Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. For those creating the ultimate superhero Christmas Tree, this Batman ornament is not a bad choice. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top, back of Batman's cowl. From there, the ornament looks well-balanced and hangs nicely level.

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 Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Batman ornament was slightly overproduced, but sold out at most places before the end of the season. As a result, the Batman ornament from the triumvirate seems to have held its value (which cannot be said of the other two in the collection). Given how many Batman Hallmark ornaments are available, though, it is hard to imagine that this one would appreciate any time soon on the secondary market.

Overview

Fans of Batman, Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Batman, Ben Affleck, and DC comics characters are likely to find the newest Batman ornament to be worth picking up, though time will tell if Affleck's version of the character is truly essential.

For other Batman-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Batmobile Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice ornament
2016 Catwoman Batman television series (Limited Edition)
2015 The Joker Batman television series (Limited Edition)
2014 Bane The Dark Knight Rises (Limited Edition)
2014 1989 Batmobile
2013 The Joker The Dark Knight Rises
2013 Descending Upon Gotham City Batman ornament
2012 The Bat The Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition Ornament
2012 Catwoman ornament
2012 The Dark Knight Rises
2011 Batman Takes Flight
2010 Limited Edition Harley Quinn

6/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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