Good Career, Average Ornament: The 2017 Veterinarian Barbie Ornament!

The Good: Good balance, Good sculpt, Affordable
The Bad: Does not look at all like Barbie, Seems a little small for the price
The Basics: The 2017 Veterinarian Barbie Hallmark ornament is all right, but not spectacular.


The 2017 Veterinarian Barbie ornament is one of the last 2017 Barbie ornaments I had yet to review. The ornament is all right, but it is hardly one that will light the world on fire. The Veterinarian Barbie ornament is an ornament of a Barbie doll - this time, a brunette! - dressed in a traditional white lab coat, holding a tiny dog in one arm! This is a Barbie ornament intended to be Barbie at work and it is cool on that front, but it is not one that looks like the distinctive ornament from Mattel.

Basics

The 2017 Veterinarian Barbie ornament is an entirely unique ornament, featuring an incarnation of Barbie that is part of the Occupations line of full-sized Barbie dolls. The ornament was released with an original issue price of $17.95, which is on par with other ornaments in the Barbie line. The 2017 Veterinarian Barbie ornament is 4" tall by 2 5/8" wide by 1 1/4" deep and she is made entirely of hard plastic.

The 2017 Veterinarian Barbie ornament has a purple shirt, covered by a white lab coat, and blue pants. The flats that the Veterinarian Barbie wears are notable for the realism of their sculpt. Similarly, the dog in Barbie's arm is cute and surprisingly healthy-looking for a dog at the vet's. This Barbie's hair is long and black and back in a professional fashion. The sculpt is fairly simple, but the ornament has incredibly well-sculpted details like shoelaces!

The coloring of the Veterinarian Barbie might well be its only serious detraction. The 2017 Veterinarian Barbie is incredibly simple in its coloring. The coloring is done without any subtlety or depth of shading; instead the ornament is colored in decent, if solid, colors.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the Veterinarian 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 dog may not be removed and the doll ornament does not feature articulation.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake 2017 Veterinarian Barbie ornament is that the ornaments will be hung on a Christmas Tree. For those creating the ultimate Barbie Christmas Tree, the Veterinarian Barbie ornament is a cute addition, but the ornament does not quite look like a traditional Barbie. The Veterinarian Barbie has a steel hook loop at the top, center, of her head and from there she hangs with excellent 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 Veterinarian Barbie ornament was released at the October Ornament Celebration Weekend and it has sold out at most of the Hallmark stores I've been to before the end of the season. So far, though, this ornament has not appreciated at all in the secondary market and it seems like a tough sell for it to.

Overview

The 2017 Veterinarian Barbie ornament is all right, if simple and lacking in any iconic Barbie components.

For other Barbie ornament reviews, please check out:
2017 Lavender Luxe Barbie ornament (Limited Edition)
2017 Holiday Celebration (Black) Barbie ornament
2017 Holiday Celebration (White) Barbie ornament
2017 Dream Date Barbie ornament
2016 Ballet Wishes Barbie ornament
2016 Holiday Celebration Barbie ornament
2016 Soccer Player Barbie ornament
2016 Cherry Pie Picnic Barbie ornament
2016 Picnic Set Ornaments (Limited Edition)
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

6/10

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

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The 2017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter Ornament Rocks!

The Good: Great rendering, Cool sound effect, Very neat light effect, Amazing detailing
The Bad: Back-heavy
The Basics: The Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament is an impressive Storyteller Star Wars ornament that pops on the strand!


The Star Wars Storyteller ornament series is an intriguing concept and it will be interesting to see how Hallmark pulls off the idea. The Storyteller concept is that there are seven Star Wars ship ornaments that will fit on a single Hallmark Power Cord and interact. Hallmark, wisely, chose the Death Star attack sequence as the subject of the Storyteller line and for 2017 Hallmark released the Death Star, an X-Wing Fighter and Darth Vader's TIE Fighter. Hallmark has announced the Millennium Falcon for next year and one assumes there will be a regular TIE Fighter for the strand, leaving two wild card ornaments. Tonight, I find myself considering the 2017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament.

For those unfamiliar with the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, this is the fighter that Darth Vader used to participate in the defense of the Death Star in A New Hope (reviewed here!). Darth Vader only used his TIE Fighter in the one battle and Hallmark made an asweome ornament of it.

Hallmark has the ship alone as the subject of the 2017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament.

Basics

The "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornament faithfully recreates the Imperial attack ship in fine detail that is instantly recognizable! The ornament, released in 2017, is an impressive casting of the altered Imperial ship with an immaculate paint job and very cool light and sound feature. Measuring two and one-half inches tall, 4 1/8” wide and 3 8/8” deep, the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament is a re-imagining of the ornament that Hallmark made many years ago.

The Hallmark "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the ship on its own, as is typical for Hallmark's starship and vehicle line of Star Wars ornaments. Darth Vader's TIE Fighter is detailed incredibly, from the basic shape, which features the standard TIE cockpit section attached to two folded wings and an extended aft section. The cockpit is molded with the primary window in black translucent plastic, but wisely the coloring makes it impossible to see inside and thus critique Hallmark for not getting the pilot or cockpit right! The wings have different colors for the engine sections and they look incredibly accurate; Darth Vader's TIE Fighter looks identical to the model used in the film.

The coloring is as impressive as the molded details. This is essentially a black and gray fighter, with finely textured panels on the wings and panels molded into the aft section. This looks like a high-definition version of Darth Vader's TIE Fighter.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" has a light and sound function. The vehicle is powered by the special Keepsake Power Cord (which is not included). At the touch of a well-concealed button on the aft section, the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter lights up on the aft section in reaction to various sound effects. The subtle red and white light effects accent the ornament in very cool ways.

The Darth Vader's TIE Fighter plays various pieces of Darth Vader's dialogue from the final Death Star scene in A New Hope. As well, there are sounds of Darth Vader's TIE Fighter shooting its weapons and the engine noises from the vehicle that play when the ornament is powered!

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, one of the "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornaments is a great addition and for those collecting the Storyteller line, it is indispensible. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the ornament, right behind the cockpit section. From there, the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter hangs with a slight bias to the back. The ornament is just a little backheavy.

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 made ornament replicas from properties like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Tron. The "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornament seems to be appropriately produced and it sold out at all Hallmark Gold Crown stores. The Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament is already appreciating on the secondary market and one has to assume that as collectors try to finish the Storyteller line, it will continue to increase in value.

Overview

The Darth Vader's TIE Fighter is a perfectly molded, perfectly colored ornament with a great sound and light effect, even if it is a little off-balance.

This is an ornament I proudly sell on my website, please feel free to check out my 2017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter current inventory!

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars ships, please check out my reviews of:
2006 Imperial AT-AT
2009 Luke's Landspeeder
2010 Rebel Snowspeeder
2011 Slave I
2012 TIE Interceptor
2013 All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST)
2014 Sandcrawler
2015 Y-Wing Starfighter
2016 T-70 X-Wing Starfighter
2017 Death Star
2017 X-Wing Fighter

9.5/10

For other ornament reviews, please check out my index page!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Star Wars Gets A Perfect Starship Ornament With The 2017 X-Wing Starfighter!

The Good: Amazing sculpt, Impressive paint job, Cool light effect, Perfect balance, Good sound clips
The Bad: Seems a little expensive for an unnecessary ornament.
The Basics: The X-Wing Starfighter is an impressive Star Wars ornament that starts off the Storyteller ornament series incredibly well!


When it comes to Hallmark ornaments, there are few in the starship vehicles that have not been done already and several that have been done ad nauseum with resculpts and repaints that seem like they have been done to death. In the twenty-five years since Hallmark started making the Star Wars and Star Trek ornaments, consumers have gotten more than enough U.S.S. Enterprise ornaments, TIE Fighters and X-Wing fighters. Despite the flood of X-Wing Fighter ornaments, when Hallmark decided to make a whole strand of ship ornaments, the iconic scene the company chose to sell several ship ornaments over the next few years was the Death Star attack run. And to pull that idea off, Hallmark had another X-Wing fighter ornament made: the 2017 X-Wing Starfighter.

For those unfamiliar with the X-Wing Starfighter, this is the Rebel ship seen attacking the Death Star in A New Hope (reviewed here!). Luke Skywalker piloted an X-Wing Fighter on the Death Star attack and he launched the proton torpedoes using the Force needed to destroy the space station. The X-Wing Starfighter is the staple Rebel fighter for about forty years in the Star Wars universe.

Hallmark has the ship alone as the subject of the 2017 X-Wing Starfighter ornament, though it is intended to be connected to several others in the Storyteller line - most of which have not yet been released.

Basics

The "X-Wing Starfighter" ornament faithfully recreates the Rebel vessel in fine detail on such things as the X-Wing's laser cannons on the wings; the ornament is perfectly recognizable, arguably because the X-Wings were the most prevalent Rebel ship in the Star Wars Saga. The ornament, released in 2017, is an impressive casting of the standard Rebel attack ship with its exceptional paint job, light effect and a sound feature. Measuring five and one-half inches deep, 4 3/8” wide and 2” tall, the X-Wing Starfighter ornament fits the scale of the Star Wars ship ornament line.

The Hallmark "X-Wing Starfighter" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the ship on its own, as is typical for Hallmark's starship and vehicle line of Star Wars ornaments. The X-Wing Starfighter is detailed incredibly, from the basic shape, which features the standard cockpit section attached to a main section and four wings, spread open to look like an "X" when viewed from the front. The central cockpit section is long and Hallmark even molded the wing cannons on in an appropriate scale and thinness. The cockpit is molded with the primary window in opaque plastic, which allowed the company to cheat the detailing on the Rebel pilot inside. To its credit, Hallmark sculpted R2-D2 into the 2017 X-Wing Starfighter, which is pretty cool!

The coloring is quite accurate; this is a gray ship orange accents, with black markings to indicate wear, as if this X-Wing has been in many battles. This is easily the most detailed X-Wing fighter ornament Hallmark has ever produced on the coloring front. The crispness of the lines for the racing stripes are contrasted by the finer mottling on the hull of the ship.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "X-Wing Starfighter" has both a sound and light function. The 2017 X-Wing Starfighter is powered by a special Hallmark power cord, which activates the light and sound function. The light effect accents the hull when the sound function is activated. When the power cord is plugged properly into the 2017 X-Wing Starfighter and the button is pressed on any of the Storyteller ornaments, the X-Wing Starfighter lights up and sound clips from the X-Wing fighter are played. This ornament interacts with various clips from X-Wings from during the Death Star attack run.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "X-Wing Starfighter" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, the "X-Wing Starfighter" ornaments is a good addition, especially for those who want the whole Storyteller series to get all of the ornaments interacting. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the vehicle’s drive section, right behind R2-D2. From there, the X-Wing Starfighter is perfectly balanced. The 2017 X-Wing Starfighter 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!). Since then, they have made ornament replicas from properties like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Tron. The "X-Wing Starfighter" ornament seemed to be underproduced compared to the rest of the Storyteller ornaments and it has already appreciated quite a bit in the secondary market.

Overview

The X-Wing Starfighter is the definitive Star Wars X-Wing ornament, amid a pretty packed field.

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars ships, please check out my reviews of:
2006 Imperial AT-AT
2009 Luke's Landspeeder
2010 Rebel Snowspeeder
2011 Slave I
2012 TIE Interceptor
2013 All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST)
2014 Sandcrawler
2015 Y-Wing Starfighter
2016 T-70 X-Wing Starfighter
2017 Death Star

10/10

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

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Surprising Success: The 2017 Mario Super Mario Ornament Is A Winner!

The Good: Excellent sculpt, Perfectly accurate coloring, Collectible value
The Bad: Slight balance issue
The Basics: The 2017 "Super Mario" ornament is a near-perfect Hallmark ornament that is likely to please classic video game fans!


Every now and then, Hallmark takes a real risk on a new franchise for its ornaments. For the 2017 ornament season, Hallmark developed a relationship with Nintendo, which was an interesting departure for the card and ornament company; if it had made any video game-themed holiday ornaments before now, it seems like it might have been a while ago or they were not all that popular. For 2017, Hallmark released a line of Super Mario Hallmark ornaments and the first one I found (and that sold out!) was Mario himself.

Basics

The Mario Super Mario ornament is a character-based video game ornament, made of solid plastic by Hallmark. The 2017 Mario Super Mario ornament features Mario from the popular video game franchise in his distinctive plumber's outfit (with hat) in mid-jump. Mario, in the ornament form, is in the process of hitting his head on one of the coin boxes from the Super Mario video game, with a coin appearing to rise out of the top of the mystery box.

The 2017 Super Mario is 2 5/8" tall by 1 1/2" wide and deep. The sculpt is incredibly accurate, featuring a three-dimensional look to the character and the box - including texture for the border and question mark on the coin box. Mario is sculpted with his gloved hands, appropriately, in fists and a big smile on the character's face. The Mario ornament has impressive detailing for the character's ears and big buttons on the plumber's overalls. Details like the eyebrows and mustache are sculpted on, as opposed to just painted on.

The coloring for the 2017 Mario ornament is simple, but entirely accurate to the character. The colors are monotones and the bright red, blue and yellow look just like they do in the video game. The character's eyes are expertly painted on and the "M" logo on Mario's cap is wonderfully applied. This ornament looks great on both the sculpt and coloring front, especially for what is such a comparatively simple source material.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Mario" has neither a light, nor a sound effect. This is just the ornament on its own with no additional features. That's a little disappointing given how Hallmark could have made the coin box light up and/or included any number of sound effects (or music) from the Super Mario video game. Sadly, though, this is just Mario on his own without any additional features. Given how this is a new franchise for Hallmark, not taking the risk on a more expensive ornament, with features, right off the bat makes some sense.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Mario Super Mario ornament is to be hung on a Christmas tree. The 2017 Mario ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top of the coin that is atop the coin box. From that position, the 2017 Mario is just a touch front and right (when viewed from the front, looking at his face) heavy. The balance issue is noticeable because the box ought to be level and the coin should be coming out of it perpendicular to box. But, because of the character's shape, the balance is thrown just a touch off.

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. Mario is one of the first video game-themed ornaments from Hallmark and it sold out at every Hallmark Gold Crown store that I could find where it was stocked. It has already appreciated on the secondary market, almost doubling in price, so it seems like it's a great investment piece for those who were able to find it!

Overview

The 2017 Mario Super Mario is a near-perfect Hallmark ornament and it stars off Hallmark's relationship with Nintendo right!

For other Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2017 Lavender Luxe Barbie ornament
2017 He's Mr. Snow Miser The Year Without A Santa Claus ornament
2017 P-5000 Powered Work Loader Aliens ornament

9.5/10

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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Merry Christmas! "He's Mr. Snow Miser!" Is An Interesting Ornament!

The Good: Amazing sculpt, Great coloring, Fun glitter effect
The Bad: No sound chip, Disappointing light function, Balance issue - backheavy
The Basics: The 2017 "He's Mr. Snow Miser!" ornament from The Year Without A Santa Claus is a neat idea with a middling execution.


For those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! My wife is a big fan of Christmas and while I am a fan of genre-themed ornaments, my wife enjoys actual Christmas ornaments. So, for today, I picked her up the 2017 He's Mr. Snow Miser! Hallmark ornament to augment her tree. And, it's a fun ornament, though it is a little more mediocre than I hoped for her.

For those unfamiliar with The Year Without A Santa Claus, Snow Miser was one of two weather-controlling brothers who struck bargains with Mrs. Claus to get Vixen out of the pound to save Christmas. An impassioned plea from Mrs. Claus gets Snow Miser to happily open up the floodgates of snow to a southern town under the control of Heat Miser. It is Snow Miser, seated on his throne of ice that is the subject of this year’s The Year Without A Santa Claus ornament!

Ken Crow did an impressive and accurate sculpt of the Snow Miser, though Hallmark cheaped out on the light function, which made the $17.95 original issue price a little harder to swallow.

Basics

The "He's Mr. Snow Miser!" ornament recreates Snow Miser as he appeared in The Year Without A Santa Claus, when Mrs. Claus visits to try to strike a bargain with him. The ornament, released in 2017, is an entirely accurate sculpt of Snow Miser as he leans forward on his ice throne. This version of Snow Miser features fine detailing on the hands, nose with icicles hanging from it and pointed fingers and shows. The subject of the ornament was an animated (or Claymation-style stop animation) one and Ken Crow captured the enthusiasm and energy of the character’s design. Measuring three and seven-eighths inches tall by 2 1/16” wide by 2 1/8" deep, the "He's Mr. Snow Miser!" ornament is on-scale with most of the other character ornaments Hallmark offers.

The Hallmark "He's Mr. Snow Miser!" ornament is made of durable, mostly translucent, plastic and has the character Snow Miser sitting on a clear plastic throne intended to look like ice. The Snow Miser is sculpted to look just like the character from the Christmas special. The sleeves on the Snow Miser's jacket are cut to look like icicles and the character's "hair" is a clear plastic dome made to look like ice. The character's nose is made to look like an icicle as well and the sculpt nails that perfectly. The character's scarf and throne are well-textured to match the character from the show.

The He's Mr. Snow Miser! ornament is colored in simplistic, but solid colors, which is entirely accurate for the character. The character's jacket is augmented by sparkles, which is very cool (and, turns out to be, accurate from the source material!). The throne is clear for the back and arms and translucent for the actual chair. The coloring around the character's eyes actually has subtle gradations of blue, which is impressive and cute.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "He's Mr. Snow Miser!" could have a sound or light function, but it only has an option for a light function. The back features a hole with a rubber clamp which allows the consumer to stick a light from a light strand into the ornament. This vaguely lights the clear throne, but the effect is inconsistent and entirely underwhelming. For those who are fans of The Year Without A Santa Claus, it might be disappointing that He's Mr. Snow Miser! does not feature an electronic function that would allow him to play a sound clip from one of his distinctive songs or a more consistent and well-rendered light effect.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "He's Mr. Snow Miser!" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Christmas Tree, the "He's Mr. Snow Miser!" ornament is a nice addition. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top, back, of Snow Miser's head. From that position, the He's Mr. Snow Miser! ornament hangs with a noticeable back bias. Because the throne is supposed to be level, the fact that it is heavier and leans with the feet, then, up a little, it is an unfortunately obvious flaw in the ornament.

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's Mr. Snow Miser!" is part of the The Year Without Santa Claus ornament line and the only one from that franchise in 2017. This ornament has sold out at about half of the Hallmark Keepsake stores I have been to since their release in October. As a result, I suspect that the He's Mr. Snow Miser! ornament is likely to at least retain its value for the foreseeable future!

Overview

Fans of The Year Without A Santa Claus, Snow Miser, Hallmark ornaments and Christmas in general will discover a lot to like about the Hallmark He's Mr. Snow Miser! ornament, though it is not the flawless one I would have hoped it could have been.

For other non-genre Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2017 Celebration Barbie ornament
2017 O Play-Doh Tree
2017 Sweet Snowman ornament

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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The 2017 Aliens Ornament Is The P-5000 Powered Work Loader And It's Pretty Cool!

The Good: Great sculpt, Amazing coloring for the loader and costume, Perfect balance
The Bad: Light on coloring details for the character/light, Expensive
The Basics: The Aliens P-5000 Powered Work Loader is a pretty impressive Hallmark ornament that keeps this franchise's quality pretty high!


It's always interesting to me to see what aspects of a quality ornament Hallmark pays attention to versus what goes by the wayside in order to make ornaments affordable. For the third year in a row, Hallmark is producing an ornament from the Alien franchise and the prior high-quality of the ornaments from that franchise foreshadowed a high potential for this year's ornament: the 2017 P-5000 Powered Work Loader. The 2017 P-5000 Powered Work Loader is a departure from the prior Alien franchise ornaments in that its subject is a human, not a xenomorph. Hallmark went with a logical choice for the franchise's first human character ornament, as Ripley in the P-5000 Powered Work Loader is the subject of the ornament. Hallmark made a high-quality ornament for the 2017 P-5000 Powered Work Loader, but the detailing on the character is not as impressive as the detailing on the exo-suit and the work loader itself features one minor issue with its execution; the light on the top of the suit is simply a molded and painted cone, as opposed to a light or even a translucent plastic piece that was used to enhance the ornament and mimic a light.

For those not familiar with Aliens (reviewed here!), during the climactic battle between the few surviving Marines and the xenomorph queen, when Newt is menaced, Ripley gets into a P-5000 Powered Work Loader to fight the Queen. Foreshadowed earlier in the film, Ripley was competent to operate the P-5000 Powered Work Loader and in the final battle she certainly holds her own against the Queen on the Sulaco!

The P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament recreates Ripley and the power loaded in plastic and rubber and it is painted to look surprisingly good, even if it is not perfect.

Basics

The P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament faithfully recreates the P-5000 Powered Work Loader, with a more mediocre rendition of Ellen Ripley in it, operating the giant, clawed loader. This is the P-5000 Powered Work Loader with its clawed hands open, with one arm raised, with Ellen Ripley operating it. The sculpt is quite well-detailed, though the character sculpt within the Work Loader is recognizable more by context than sculpt. Despite that, the ornament is completely recognizable for anyone who has seen Aliens. The ornament, released in 2017, is an incredible representation of the powered work loader, if not a magnificent rendition of Ripley within it. The P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament came with an original retail price of $19.95 and that seems a bit expensive given its lack of a light and/or sound function.

The Hallmark P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament is made of durable plastic and flexible rubber tubing. The ornament measures four and one-quarter inches tall by three and a half inches wide by three inches deep. The P-5000 Powered Work Loader is well-sculpted; Hallmark got it entirely right for the big, stable feet, the loader claws, and the framework that protects Ripley. The Ripley portion of the sculpt is clearly a woman, wearing jeans with short, curly hair, but there is nothing distinctive in the sculpt that makes it clear that the character is Sigourney Weaver's iconic character. The sculpt is also marginally hampered by an assembled look on Ripley; the shoulders on the arms, especially, have an assembled quality to them, looking like they are stuck on in an unfortunate way. Ironically, the portion of the ornament that is - by necessity - truly assembled (the rubber tubes) looks amazing! Where the rubber tubes join the plastic portions is seamless and it looks like the P-5000 Powered Work Loader could actually move using hydraulics from the way it is put together!

The P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament is amazingly colored for every part, save Ripley. It is amazing that Hallmark can get every scorch mark, piece of rust and even make Ripley's shirt and jeans looks dirty, but they cannot seem to get her skin tones to look anywhere near as realistic as the rest of the ornament. The rest of the ornament is flawlessly colored, from the warning decals (which are painted onto the loader) to the rust and weathered appearance all over the back of the power loader, outside the skin tones, this is an immaculately colored ornament!

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the P-5000 Powered Work Loader could have a sound chip or light function, but it has neither. Given how the P-5000 Powered Work Loader has a place where there is a noticeable light (atop the loader's cage) and one of Ripley's most memorable lines comes from when she is in the power loader, the ornament could have been augmented by both. For the price, it is unfortunate that Hallmark did not go with that type of function.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate science fiction Christmas Tree, the P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament is a very cool addition. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top of P-5000 Powered Work Loader’s light at a pretty obvious, though necessary, position. From there, the ornament, when affixed to a tree with a hook, swings very easily and is 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 P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament is the fourth ornament from the Alien franchise and given every other ornament from the franchise has appreciated in value, it is hard not to argue that this should be a good investment piece.

Overview

Fans of Ellen Ripley, Aliens, Sigourney Weaver, the Alien franchise, and science fiction in general are likely to be excited enough by the P-5000 Powered Work Loader ornament to want to add it to their collections!

For other science fiction-themed ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2017 Hulk Thor: Ragnarok ornament
2017 U.S.S. Franklin Star Trek: Beyond ornament
2017 Praetorian Guard Star Wars: The Last Jedi Ornament

8/10

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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The New Generic Soldier, Generally Cool Ornament: The 2017 Praetorian Guard!

The Good: Good sculpt, Decent balance, Collectible value
The Bad: Expensive, Light on coloring details
The Basics: The Praetorian Guard Hallmark ornament is better than The Last Jedi in which the characters appear!


The Last Jedi has arrived! The latest installment in the Star Wars franchise was, as all of the films in the franchise since The Phantom Menace have been, preceded by a massive merchandising push. One of the first characters - or style of villain - to be a part of the merchandising of The Last Jedi was the First Order's Praetorian Guard. Nothing was actually known about the bright red First Order soldiers until they appeared in The Last Jedi, but they were well-represented in the advertising campaign.

For those who might not have noticed them in their one big scene in The Last Jedi (reviewed here!) the Praetorian Guards are standing defense in Supreme Leader Snoke's throne chamber on his command ship when Rey and Kylo Ren encounter him. The command ship appears to be the only place the Praetorian Guards were present and they are basically a more agile, better-equipped version of The Emperor's red-clad Royal Guards from Return Of The Jedi.

Hallmark made the Praetorian Guard, with its double-bladed staff in its hands, in a defensive pose, looking utterly inscrutable and surprisingly clean.

Basics

The Praetorian Guard ornament recreates the villainous soldier in the red armor and skirts in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2017 as late-release ornament, is the inscrutable adversary in its segmented armor, with the staff weapon in a two-handed grip! The Praetorian Guard in ornament form is 4 3/4" tall and wide and 2 1/4" deep, making it one of the biggest Star Wars character ornaments Hallmark has ever made. Hallmark charged $17.95 for the ornament originally and, despite the size and sculpt, that seems just a little on the pricey side for an ornament that is just a little under-detailed on the coloring front.

The Hallmark Praetorian Guard ornament is made of a durable plastic and it is exceptionally well-sculpted. The Praetorian Guard is basically a new-style of Royal Guard from the villainous First Order. These guards are designed to prioritize flexibility as well as armor. The Praetorian Guard's armor is expertly sculpted and the ornament includes decent detailing on the arms to include the segments that make it more of a flexible, ninja-like guard than the stagnant Royal Guards of eras past. Hallmark did an exceptional job with the sculpted details on the Praetorian Guard; the helmet has segments and is cut with precisely the right shape, the gloves are closed around the staff, with decent detailing for the finer lines on the back of the hands and for the fingers. The boots and staff have tiny nooks and crannies that look incredible for their accuracy.

Despite the quality of the sculpted detailing, the Praetorian Guard is very light on any coloring details. The armor is colored in monotones; red, black on the legs and the soles of the boots, highlights of silver-gray on the staff's blades. The red of the Praetorian Guard's armor is exceptionally clean, like these guards have not been in any battles or shown any wear to them. The armored segments do not have any depth or shading to them that makes them look like they are quite as segmented as they actually are. The armor has no additional coloring accents to them, which makes the Guard seem just a little more plastic than it ought to.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the Praetorian Guard could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but does not. This is just an ornament, a comparatively high-priced ornament compared to other Star Wars character ornaments. This is Praetorian Guard and it simply hangs on the tree.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Praetorian Guard ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, Praetorian Guard is very much an unnecessary luxury. The Praetorian Guard is pretty forgettable to those who are not part of Star Wars fandom and merchandising. Die-hard collectors and fans will definitely want one, but this is a limited edition ornament with limited appeal to more casual fans. The ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top back of the character's helmeted head. From that position, the Praetorian Guard ornament hangs perfectly level, which would be obvious if the balance was off given the staff's 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 Praetorian Guard ornament is limited and has the potential to quickly appreciate, despite its pretty steep original release price, if fans glom onto the Praetorian Guards after the film's hype dies down. Given the late-season release of the Praetorian Guard, many fans are likely to miss the ornament's release and have to try to find it on the secondary market after the season ends.

Overview

The 2017 Praetorian Guard ornament is one that, despite its minor coloring issues and its original expense is one of the best Star Wars ornaments released this year!

This is an ornament I happily sell in my online store! Check out my current inventory at: Hallmark Ornament Inventory!

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars characters, please check out my reviews of:
2017 Rey The Last Jedi
2017 Luke Skywalker The Force Awakens
2017 First Order Stormtrooper FN-2199
2016 Death Trooper Rogue One
2016 Imperial Stormtrooper
2016 BB-8
2016 Han Solo The Force Awakens
2015 Captain Phasma The Force Awakens
2015 Kylo Ren The Force Awakens
2015 C-3PO and R2-D2
2015 Admiral Ackbar (Limited Edition)
2014 Yoda Peekbuster Ornament
2014 Imperial Scout Trooper
2013 Jango Fett
2013 Wicket And Teebo
2013 Lego Yoda
2013 Boushh Limited Edition
2012 Lego Imperial Stormtrooper
2012 Sith Apprentice Darth Maul
2012 General Grievous
2012 Momaw Nadon Limited Edition
2011/2012 Lego Darth Vader
2011 Jedi Master Yoda
2011 Bossk Limited Edition ornament
2010 Lando Calrissian Limited Edition ornament
2010 Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot
2010 Boba Fett and Han Solo in Carbonite mini-ornament set
2009 Greedo Limited Edition ornament
2009 Han Solo As Stormtrooper
2008 Emperor Palpatine ornament
2005 Slave Leia ornament
2000 Darth Maul
1999 Max Rebo Band mini-ornament set
1998 Princess Leia

9/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The 2017 Black Holiday Celebration Barbie Is A Little Off!

The Good: General details for the sculpt, Good balance, Cool sparkles on the fabric element
The Bad: Expensive, Noticeable seams, Plastic look, Odd leg placement, Coloring of the star behind her head
The Basics: The 2017 Black Celebration Barbie Hallmark ornament tries to adapt to the character's coloring, but the result is a less-impressive ornament than the other one.


Every year, Hallmark makes two versions of their Holiday Celebration Barbie ornament. There is the caucasian version of Barbie based on the literal, original, traditional Barbie and there is the black Barbie, which is one of the few versions of Barbie that - in the source doll material - is rendered as a black Barbie, as opposed to a character of a different name. Most years, when Hallmark makes the Holiday Barbie ornaments, all that changes is the coloring for the hair, eyes and skin. For 2017, though, the black version of the Holiday Barbie also had to change the star ornament that was molded into Barbie's back. Unfortunately, this makes for worse coloring for the ornament and the ornament ends up looking sickly, as opposed to impressive or interesting.

Basics

The 2017 Celebration Barbie ornament recreates this year's limited edition black 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 $19.95, which is a fair bit pricier than other ornaments in the Barbie line and it feels more expensive given the relative quality of the ornament. The 2017 Celebration Barbie ornament is 5" tall by 3 1/4" wide by 2 3/4" deep.

The 2017 Celebration Barbie ornament has a red dress with an enhanced sequin/cloth element for the dress on Barbie's bust. Barbie's hair cascades to her shoulders and looks generally good, save that the hair has a bit of a seam around the character's head, so it looks like a stuck-on wig. On the back of Barbie's neck is a big Christmas star that looms behind her head. The Holiday Barbie ornament looks all right, though the open skirts force the legs into a very odd, detached look from the rest of the ornament.

On the plus side, the 2017 Holiday Barbie ornament has skin, hair, and eye coloring that looks beautiful. The character's skin tones are fairly solid, but somehow Hallmark manages to make Barbie's face look anything but plastic. This is a Barbie ornament where the character looks good and the sequin sparkles on the top really pop, but the star behind Barbie looks terrible. The star coloring is more of an olive bronze, as opposed to the gold of the caucasian Holiday Celebration Barbie and that looks truly off.

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 a decent fabric element accenting it. I've long thought that it was disappointing that the Celebration Barbie ornaments do not have any articulation to her limbs. The Barbie ornament is an ornament that does not emulate the doll for articulation at all.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake 2017 Celebration Barbie ornament is that the ornaments will be hung on a Christmas Tree. For those creating the ultimate Barbie Christmas Tree, the Holiday Barbie ornaments become necessary for the die-hard collectors. Barbie has a steel hook loop at the top of her head and from there she 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!). Since then, they have branched out into every major franchise from Barbie to Gone With The Wind to The Hunger Games. The Holiday 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. Already the 2017 Holiday Barbie ornament has begun to appreciate in the secondary market, despite its high original release price. The Holiday Barbie ornament often seems to peak quickly in the secondary market before leveling out or even dropping, so it makes little sense to buy it in the secondary market now when some Hallmark's might still be able to get it in.

Overview

The 2017 Black Barbie Celebration ornament is faithful to the source material, but the star truly looks ugly in this rendition, which drives it down a bit.

For other Barbie ornament reviews, please check out:
2017 Lavender Luxe Barbie ornament (Limited Edition)
2017 Holiday Celebration (White) Barbie ornament
2017 Dream Date Barbie ornament
2016 Ballet Wishes Barbie ornament
2016 Holiday Celebration Barbie ornament
2016 Soccer Player Barbie ornament
2016 Cherry Pie Picnic Barbie ornament
2016 Picnic Set Ornaments (Limited Edition)
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

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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The 2017 Hulk Thor: Ragnarok Is Cool!

The Good: Excellent sculpt, Good skin coloring, Good balance
The Bad: Helm coloring, A little expensive
The Basics: The 2017 Hulk from Thor: Ragnarok Hallmark ornament is pretty awesome, but it is a little light on some of the coloring detailing needed to make it perfect.


Hallmark does a pretty good job of rendering ornaments pretty fast from the year's current blockbusters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This year, Hallmark focused on the autumn film release from the MCU: Thor: Ragnarok and produced two ornaments from the film. The second of the two Thor: Ragnarok ornaments is the Hulk, in his gladiator costume!

For those unfamiliar with it, in Thor: Ragnarok (reviewed here!), Hulk is found by Thor fighting as a champion for the Game Master on a distant world. Having been hulked out for years, Hulk fights as a gladiator until he is stopped by Thor.

It is Hulk, with his helmet on, in mid-leap, which is the subject of the Hulk Thor: Ragnarok ornament.

Basics

The Hulk ornament recreates the gladiator version of the mutated Bruce Banner in solid plastic, with his plumed gladiator helmet. The ornament, released in 2017, is a decent recreation of the violent, insensate, character as he appears in the cinematic rendition of Hulk from Thor: Ragnarok. The Hulk ornament looks just like the crazed version of Bruce Banner from mid-fight with Thor.

The Hallmark 2017 Hulk ornament is made of a durable plastic and has him in an action pose. This Thor: Ragnarok ornament measures out at 4 1/4" tall, 3 1/4" wide and 2 1/2" deep. Hulk is sculpted with bulging muscles, with his arms raised as if he is about to pound the crap out of Thor. His legs, chest, and arms are all well-muscled and Hallmark even made strain lines in the character's neck. Hulk's mouth is open as if in a roar and the rest of his head is covered in a helm. The plumage on the helm is one of the ornament's weak spots, but to be fair it is very hard to make something based on something that fine look like it is realistic.

The coloring for the Hulk ornament is generally good. The paint job includes the handprint - like war paint - that Hulk has on his chest. The helmet's plumage is not colored with a realistic sense of depth and shading, so instead of looking like hair or feathers, it looks like a solid block, which is not at all realistic. The Hulk ornament features skin coloring that is generally accurate, though.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Hulk 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 those who might not want to shell out for the more expensive Marvel ornaments. This Hulk simply hangs on a tree.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Hulk ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Marvel Universe Christmas Tree, Hulk is essential, but the gladiator Hulk version is really only for those who love that incarnation or Thor: Ragnarok. The ornament has a steel hook loop embedded in the top center of the character's back. From that hook, the Hulk ornament hangs perfectly level. This is a well-balanced ornament!

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. This Hulk ornament was not at all limited. I would not bet, given how late in the season it was released and how it has not sold out at any of my local Hallmark stores, that it will not be an ideal investment piece.

Overview

The 2017 Thor: Ragnarok Hulk ornament is cool and a neat rendition of the Hulk, but not a flawless ornament for fans who truly want the depth of the rendition of the Hulk from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For other Marvel Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2017 Deadpool
2017 Thor Thor: Ragnarok ornament
2017 Spider-Man: A New Kind Of Hero Spider-Man: Homecoming ornament
2016 Team Captain America ornament
2011 Thor ornament
2010 Defender Of Justice Iron Man 2 ornament

7/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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If It Weren't For The Sound Function . . . The 2017 Death Star Ornament Would Be An Abject Failure!

The Good: Accurate sculpt, Good sound clips, Balance is fine
The Bad: Somewhat silly light effect, Tremendously expensive, Bland coloring
The Basics: The 2017 Death Star from the Star Wars Storyteller ornament line is a redundant ornament with little "wow" factor.


Star Wars fans are, if Hallmark is to believed, where the money is at. It might help that the source material for Star Wars is fairly conservatively doled out (a film a year of late, after decades with a film every several years), that other major franchises are comparatively untested in the merchandising (Marvel Cinematic Universe) or seem to be spiraling entirely out of control (the Star Trek franchise). Whatever the reason, Hallmark is betting big on Star Wars in 2017 and that bet is carrying over into 2018 and, most likely, 2019 with their expensive, connected ornaments in the Storyteller line. The first of the Storyteller ornaments I've picked to review from the Star Wars line is the 2017 Death Star ornament.

For those unfamiliar with the Death Star, this is the massive Imperial weapon of mass destruction in A New Hope (reviewed here!) and the subject of the more recent Star Wars spinoff film Rogue One (reviewed here!). The giant sphere, that is no small moon, is responsible for the destruction of Jedda City, an Imperial records facility, and the entire planet of Alderaan before it is destroyed by Rebel pilots.

Hallmark has the station alone as the subject of the 2017 Death Star ornament.

Basics

The "Death Star" ornament faithfully recreates the Imperial planet killer in its general detailing. The ornament, released in 2017, is a larger casting of the previously-released Death Star ornament with new light and sound features. Measuring four inches in diameter, the Death Star ornament is a touch larger than most other Star Wars ship ornaments, which is probably why it comes with the hefty $39.95 price tag. Given the simplicity of the ornament, despite the amazing sound feature, the price is certainly a dealbreaker for more casual Star Wars ornament collectors.

The Hallmark "Death Star" ornament is made of a durable plastic and is an accurate sculpt of the spherical war machine. The Death Star ornament features the dish embedded into the surface of the sphere from which the Death Star's weapon fires and it has the molded hemisphere that is made to look like a trench. As well, the paneling on the different hemispheres is well-rendered for the ornament, though not so finely that it actually appears to be trenches, crannies and towers all along the surface. But for the broad strokes, Hallmark made the Death Star instantly recognizable.

The coloring for the Death Star is very simplistic. The two tones of gray hardly capture the realistic depth and shading of the monstrous sphere.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "Death Star" has both a light and sound function, as part of the new Storyteller line. Unfortunately, to power the light and sound function, one must connect the Death Star ornament to a Magic strand - a specifically-engineered light strand from Hallmark that allows chips in the various ornaments on the strand to interact with one another. When properly attached to a Magic cord, the Death Star may be activated.

When the button on the Death Star is pressed (or the button on any connected Storyteller ornaments that interact with the Death Star), the ornament gets around to playing various sound clips and ship noises from the Battle near Yavin 4. The sound clips are cool, loud and clear. When the Death Star is the ship in the strand that is active, it lights up from within, most notably when the Death Star sound effect indicates it is being blown up. The sound effect is cool, but hardly enough to justify the ornament's inflated price.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Death Star" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, the "Death Star" ornaments is an important addition, though it was produced twice before in ornament form. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the station's top. From there, the ornament hangs perfectly well-balanced.

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 made ornament replicas from properties like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Tron. The "Death Star" ornament seems to be overproduced relative to the demand and the fact that many collectors seemed to hit their budgetary limits by the time this ornament hit the shelves. The comparative quality of the ornament seems to be offset in the minds of those who buy it by the fact that it is a necessary addition to the full Storyteller sequence. As such, while the Death Star might sell out, it is unlikely to be a good investment piece for the foreseeable future.

Overview

The Death Star is a necessary piece for those committed to completing the Storyteller line of Star Wars Hallmark ornaments, but for those not so inclined, it is a surprisingly easy ornament to pass by.

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars ships, please check out my reviews of:
2006 Imperial AT-AT
2009 Luke's Landspeeder
2010 Rebel Snowspeeder
2011 Slave I
2012 TIE Interceptor
2013 All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST)
2014 Sandcrawler
2015 Y-Wing Starfighter
2016 T-70 X-Wing Starfighter

4/10

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

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