Gringotts Wizarding Bank Is A Tough Ornament For Hallmark To Pull Off!

The Good: Good sculpt, Most of the coloring details
The Bad: Cheaps out on the light effect, Expensive, Assembled look on the dragon
The Basics: The 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank Harry Potter ornament is an essential ornament for fans, but objectively, it's a problematic rendition of the iconic building.


Sometimes, Hallmark pays decent fidelity to the material upon which it bases its ornaments, but that makes for an ornament that is tough to execute well. For Harry Potter ornaments, some of the buildings fall into that category. Hallmark made exceptionally good use of the reference pictures and computer models when making the building ornaments in prior years. For 2017, Hallmark appeared to do the same thing for their Gringotts Wizarding Bank ornament and that includes the dragon on top of the building. As a result, the building for the 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank is pretty well-made, but the dragon and its placement make for a tragically lopsided ornament.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “Gringotts Wizarding Bank” is a holiday ornament that features the distinctive building seen in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (reviewed here!). The magical bank with its lamps on the side and the dragon on the roof is the subject of the 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank ornament.

Basics

“Gringotts Wizarding Bank” recreates the distinctive bank in London in both opaque plastic and clear plastic for some of the windows and lights. Measuring 7" tall, 3" wide and 4 1/4" deep, the “Gringotts Wizarding Bank” has been selling very slowly since the Preview Weekend at the original issue price of $24.95, at least at Hallmark Gold Crown Stores near me. The 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank Hallmark Ornament is one of two Harry Potter ornament for 2017, the other being a character diorama ornament.

The Hallmark “Gringotts Wizarding Bank” ornament is made of a durable plastic, which is somewhat surprising given the fine work on the lamps near the windows that protrude from the sides of the ornament. All of the pieces are molded together, so there is nothing that will fall off on this ornament, unless one drops the ornament from a height onto a very hard floor, which could fracture hollow ornament. The lamps on the sides of the building and the dragon's wings are not particularly fragile, though they are susceptible to breakage if the ornament falls. The sculpt for the 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank ornament is actually quite good, from the building's shudders, door and the dragon. The dragon, unfortunately, has a very assembled quality to it. The wings, tail and head all have very noticeable seams where the dragon was put together on top of the rest of the ornament. The construction is sturdy, but it is clearly assembled and the seams are unfortunately obvious.

On the coloring front, Gringotts Wizarding Bank is decent. Gringotts Wizarding Bank features enough detailing to make the lines between the bricks clear so the building looks like a practical building with bricks, wood framed windows and shutters. The coloring on the dragon is a little more simplistic; the basic plastic is light, but the painted accents are not consistently applied to make the dragon look like a living being atop a practical building. The plastic appearance of the dragon is an unfortunate contrast to the coloring of the rest of the building.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, “Gringotts Wizarding Bank” has a light effect that requires an external light source, which is atypical for Hallmark ornaments. Instead of having an internal light of its own and batteries or requiring a hook up to a light strand for power, the 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank ornament sits over a light on a light strand to light up. Unfortunately, the ornament is very under-powered for the size, so the light from the strand is unable to illuminate the windows and lights from the 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank ornament in a satisfactory or compelling way.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “Gringotts Wizarding Bank” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, the “Gringotts Wizarding Bank” ornament is a fair addition, especially compared with other Harry Potter ornaments. The ornament is completely out of scale with the other building ornaments and to use the feature, one has to have it directly over a light on a light strand, plugged into it. Even the light strand needed to activate the feature cannot stabilize the Gringotts Wizarding Bank ornament.

The “Gringotts Wizarding Bank” ornament features a brass hook loop attached to the top, hidden right behind the dragon on the roof. From that position, the 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank ornament is incredibly left-heavy. The off-balance nature of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank makes it impossible to make it level when hung from the tree.

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 Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it, a few of which have started to really explode in value because of the end of the cinematic franchise. With Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them failing to truly revitalize the merchandising of Harry Potter, it is unlikely that the 2017 Gringotts Wizarding Bank Hallmark Ornament will appreciate in value significantly or any time soon.

Overview

"Gringotts Wizarding Bank" is a somewhat problematic ornament for Harry Potter fans and it works much better for those trying to create a little Harry Potter table village as opposed to hanging it on a Christmas tree.

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2017 A Dangerous Game
2016 Ornament Collection Set
2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop
2015 Platform 9 3/4
2014 The Sorting Hat
2013 Hogwarts Castle
2012 The Final Battle
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"
2001 Hogwarts School Crests mini-ornament set

4/10

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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Almost Incredible, The 2017 A Dangerous Game Ornament Delights Harry Potter Fans!

The Good: Excellent sculpted details, Sound clip is neat, Interesting concept, Excellent balance
The Bad: Pricey, Animated coloring
The Basics: An excellent sculpt with mediocre coloring, the Harry Potter "A Dangerous Game" ornament is one that might well reinvigorate the Hallmark Harry Potter ornament franchise!


As the Harry Potter franchise rebounds from the usual post-film franchise lull - thanks to the novels being released as e-books and the success of the first Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them film - Hallmark has been very conservative in developing ornaments based upon the new material. Instead, Hallmark has been cashing in on the nostalgia surrounding the early Harry Potter works with ornaments primarily from Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone. This year, the primary Harry Potter ornament is A Dangerous Game.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “A Dangerous Game” is a holiday ornament that features a moment from Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (reviewed here!) when Ron Weasley makes a noble sacrifice while playing a dangerous game of life-sized chess with Harry Potter under Hogwart's.

It is Harry Potter, crouched next to Ron riding the Knight (armored horse piece) on a square of the chess board, that is the subject of the A Dangerous Game ornament.

Basics

“A Dangerous Game” recreates the moment from Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by featuring Harry, Ron on the Knight, and the ground. The ornament, released in 2017, is a mediocre rendition of the characters, at least if they are supposed to look like Daniel Radcliff as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley. The characters, like many of the ornaments for Harry Potter look more like the artwork associated with the novels. In other words, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter look animated, much like Harry appears on the covers of the books. Measuring 5" tall, 3" wide and 3 3/8" deep, the “A Dangerous Game” did not sell out during the Preview Weekend at the original issue price of $24.95, despite being one of the best Harry Potter ornaments released in recent years.

The Hallmark “A Dangerous Game” ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Ron Weasley riding the life-sized Knight piece for the life-sized chess with Harry Potter crouching down next to him as Ron prepares to make the move which will sacrifice him in the game of chess needed to get Harry where he needs to be. Harry Potter's glasses are finely made, as is the detailing on the armor on the Knight. As well, Ron and Harry Potter are generally sculpted (their hair is sculpted without any texturing) and their shirts are very smooth in an unrealistic way. The sculpt is exceptionally accurate to make all of the major elements of the ornament be instantly recognizable.

The ornament is very light on detailing for Harry and Ron. The coloring details on Ron and Harry are very light. Both lack realistic fleshtones and their pants and shoes are monotonal. The skin and hair look more cartoonish than accurate, but the Knight looks rather mottled in an appropriate way, like a marble statue, which is very cool.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the “A Dangerous Game” ornament could have a function like a light effect, but it only has a sound clip. The pressing of a button on the ornament's base allows a sound clip to be played out of the speaker in the base of the A Dangerous Game ornament. The sound clip is an excellent touch and, for the expense, pretty much required. The sound clips for the A Dangerous Game ornament are pretty awesome. There are four clips from the scene in the film Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone and all four use Ron and Harry - only characters who appear on the ornament. The clips are exceptional and allow collector's to essentially play out the entire moment the ornament embodies!

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “A Dangerous Game” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, the “A Dangerous Game” ornament is a good concept, with a fair execution, both in scale and detail, especially compared with other Harry Potter ornaments. The ornament has a steel hook loop that comes out of the side of the horse's head. Rather impressively, the ornament is perfectly balanced from that position. Because the A Dangerous Game ornament features a base that is a piece of the chess board that is flat, any balance issue would be very clear. This ornament is exceptionally 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 delved into virtually every other collectible franchise in an attempt to cash in on every major license. The Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it, a few of which have started to really explode in value. Objectively, the A Dangerous Game ornament is one of the better Harry Potter ornaments and ought to appreciate in value, but it is not a limited edition ornament. The truth is, the Harry Potter franchise is one that I have consistently been wrong about as far as investment pieces go; the mediocre ornaments that have sound features have almost universally increased in value, even when they are not of such a high quality as the A Dangerous Game ornament. As a result, despite its lack of a limited edition rarity, the past precedent is that the ornament ought to double in value on the secondary market within three years. That makes it a decent investment piece for collectors in the mid-term.

Overview

The "A Dangerous Game" is quite good, despite some of the characters looking more animated than realistic.

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set (Limited Edition!)
2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop
2015 Platform 9 3/4
2014 The Sorting Hat
2013 Hogwarts Castle
2012 The Final Battle
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"
2001 Hogwarts School Crests mini-ornament set

7/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Less Defined Than They Could Be, The 2016 Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set Is Mediocre!

The Good: Some of the detailing, Sculpts are not bad
The Bad: Vastly overpriced for the size, Lack of coloring detail, Crowded bar
The Basics: Harry Potter fans have a lot to be excited about this holiday season, but the Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set is a tougher sell than it ought to be.


With the cinematic release of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, there is renewed worldwide interest in the Harry Potter franchise (I'm not part of that fandom, so it it being called the Rowlingverse yet?!). Hallmark seemed to anticipate that that could be a factor this year and they released the Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set during the Ornament Preview Weekend back in July. The mini-ornament set of three tiny ornaments is a recreation of three prior Hallmark ornament releases in miniaturized forms. They are a nice way for fans to finally get the highly collectible ornaments that they might have missed . . . without diminishing the value of the original releases, which are - admittedly - higher quality releases.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, the Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set contains miniaturized replica ornaments of three of the most important and distinct objects and familiars from the Harry Potter film series (reviewed here!): Hedwig, the Sorting Hat and the Golden Snitch. All three of the subjects of the 2016 Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set have been released as full-sized ornaments, but some - most notably the Golden Snitch ornament - were limited edition ornaments that sold out quickly and exploded in value in the secondary market.

In 2016, Hallmark released a limited edition set of three mini-ornaments of three distinct icons from the Harry Potter franchise with mixed results.

Basics

The "Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set" ornament set is a very simple ornament set, made of solid plastic, with a metal bar that connects the three mini-ornaments. The bar becomes crowded with the three mini-ornaments on it.

The Sorting Hat in the 2016 Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set is a 1 1/4" deep, wide, and tall ornament that is an excellent sculpt of the Sorting Hat that places every child at Hogwart's into their House. The Sorting Hat mini-ornament is a faithful sculpt of the old hat - though it does not have any threadbare aspect to its fringe to make it appear weathered. The face for the Sorting Hat is vaguely molded into its folds, but the eyes and mouth are not colored to highlight them, which makes it unimpressive.

The Golden Snitch looks like the Quiddich "ball" with very light surface detailing. Colored in monotones - a non-metallic gold and silver/gray plastic - the Golden Snitch is 1/2" tall, 7/8" wide and 1 3/8" deep. The Golden Snitch looks just liked the winged ball that Harry Potter caught and houses one of the Deathly Hallows, even though the wings are not as fine or in scale as they would need to be to perfectly replicate the enchanted object. Obviously, it does not open at the close.

The Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set version of Hedwig the owl is decent. The owl has her wings spread wide, with a vague recreation of Harry Potter's Hogwart's acceptance envelope in her talons. Hedwig is 2 1/2" wide, 7/8" tall and 1 1/4" deep. Hedwig's wings are a masterwork of fine detailing that show just how well Hallmark can make its small-scale ornaments.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set" subjects could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but they do not. Given how they have such simple subjects, Hallmark did well without any bonus features. Though fans might have wanted a sound clip from the Sorting Hat used again, Hallmark opted for a less expensive, less sophisticated ornament. Far more problematic is the smaller nature of the bar upon which the three ornaments hang.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set" ornaments are to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, the "Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set" ornaments are an intriguing addition, but not at all an essential one. Each ornament has a hook loop at the top of the character or artifact and they hang on a little metal bow that is balanced, but very crowded with the three mini-ornaments on it.

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 delved into virtually every other collectible franchise in an attempt to cash in on every major license. The Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it and the "Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set" ornaments is an inexpensive way to get in some of the more expensive subjects from the Harry Potter Hallmark ornament line.

There are very few limited edition Hallmark ornaments that have remained available the way the 2016 Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set has, but if Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them actually reaches its audience and reinvigorates the merchandising surrounding Harry Potter, odds are excellent that this ornament set will appreciate in value.

Overview

The 2016 Harry Potter Ornament Collection Set is a mixed execution of previously-released Hallmark ornaments that are marginally interesting, but somewhat unnecessary even for die-hard collectors. While they might have enduring collectible value, that value is based more on their rarity than their inherent quality.

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop
2015 Platform 9 3/4
2014 The Sorting Hat
2013 Hogwarts Castle
2012 The Final Battle
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"
2001 Hogwarts School Crests mini-ornament set

4.5/10

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

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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HAPPY ORNAMENT RELEASE WEEKEND! A Mediocre Gimmick Sinks The 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop Harry Potter Hallmark Ornament!

The Good: Good sculpt, Decent coloring, Good balance, Neat window
The Bad: Cheaps out on the light effect, Seems expensive, Window thing is a very limited gimmick
The Basics: The 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop Harry Potter ornament is a fair idea with a mediocre execution for its bonus features.


In advance of the cinematic release of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, the Harry Potter franchise is experiencing a phase that very few genre works successfully navigate. Spin-offs are fraught with problems and there is no one who suffers more than licensees of merchandise. Licensees have to invest early in order to capitalize on the opportunity presented by a spin-off before the interest organically wanes (the window for movie-themed merchandise is very short) and handicap the odds that the spin-off will manage to recapture the interest of the original audience and fans. The Harry Potter movie franchise was huge for a lot of merchandisers and Hallmark produced many successful and wonderful ornaments while the film franchise was at its peak. Now, in advance of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Hallmark is playing it safe as much as it can by producing one of the last major non-character locations from the Harry Potter franchise that could be made into an ornament (the Ministry Of Magic would be impossible to make an ornament of and only Weasley house remains as a practical alternative), in the form of Ollivanders Wand Shop.

"Ollivanders Wand Shop" has good balance and a fair concept, but uses an ineffective technique to sell the ornament and in a way, it feels far more expensive as a result. The Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament is well-detailed on the sculpt, fairly detailed on the coloring and utilizes a bonus feature that is decidedly underwhelming.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “Ollivanders Wand Shop” is a holiday ornament that features the distinctive shop from Diagon Alley seen in the Harry Potter Saga (reviewed here!). The magical store is a classic London building on its own and that is the subject of the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament.

Basics

“Ollivanders Wand Shop” recreates the distinctive and cluttered shop in London in both opaque plastic and clear plastic for some of the windows and the bonus feature on the back. Measuring 4 1/4" tall, 2 3/4" wide and 2 1/2" deep, the “Ollivanders Wand Shop” has been selling very slowly since the Preview Weekend at the original issue price of $24.95, at least at my local Hallmark. The 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop Hallmark Ornament is one of two Harry Potter ornament for 2016, the other being a set of mini-ornaments.

The Hallmark “Ollivanders Wand Shop” ornament is made of a durable plastic, which is somewhat surprising given the fine work on the sign that protrudes from the front of the ornament. All of the pieces are molded together, so there is nothing that will fall off on this ornament, unless one drops the ornament from a height onto a very hard floor, which could fracture the front plastic "glass" or it could splinter the sign off the front of the shop. The sculpt for the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament is impressive, though the architecture for the building is remarkably simple.

As for the coloring, Ollivanders Wand Shop is very basic. While Hallmark used such decent painted details as the shop's name on the front in crisp, clear letters and the detailing below the front windows and most of the coloring for Ollivanders Wand Shop is done in monotones. The ornament does not look like the building is particularly worn or weathered. The real coloring issue with the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament is in the windows. The 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament features both transparent windows and opaque windows; some which reveal what is inside the rather indistinct building, others which obscure it. The contrast between the two types of windows for the building.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, “Ollivanders Wand Shop” has a light effect that requires an exernal light source, which is atypical for Hallmark ornaments. Instead of having an internal light of its own and batteries or requiring a hook up to a light strand for power, the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament sits over a light on a light strand to light up. The 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament has a little mural in it of the interior of Ollivanders Wand Shop which is visible through the four transparent windows on the front of the ornament. Unfortunately, the ornament is very under-powered for the size, so the mural is inconsistently lit and if it is on a strand that uses the power for other ornaments, then the light from the strand will be virtually unable to illuminate the interior of the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament.

On the back of the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament, there is a "bonus" feature, which is a little window with a shot of Harry Potter in Ollivanders from one of the films. The back mural is small, underlit and not a huge reward for fans who have to handle the ornament just to take it in. The initial "wow" factor is cool, but it wears very quickly. While the sound clips from some of the ornaments may underwhelm with frequent playing, the rear window on the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament becomes passe even quicker.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “Ollivanders Wand Shop” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, the “Ollivanders Wand Shop” ornament is a fair addition, especially compared with other Harry Potter ornaments. The ornament is completely out of scale with the other building ornaments and to use the feature, one has to have it directly over a light on a light strand, plugged into it. That said, the light strand needed to activate the feature can stabilize the Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament.

The “Ollivanders Wand Shop” ornament features a steel hook loop attached to the top, center of the ornament. From that position, the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop ornament hands 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 delved into virtually every other collectible franchise in an attempt to cash in on every major license. The Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it, a few of which have started to really explode in value because of the end of the cinematic franchise. With the potential revitalization of the franchise with the cinematic release of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, it is possible that Harry Potter merchandise might become a big collectible again. But with an initial price of $24.95, the 2016 Ollivanders Wand Shop Hallmark Ornament seems unlikely to appreciate in value from that.

Overview

"Ollivanders Wand Shop" is a very average ornament for Harry Potter fans and not likely to bowl over the general population.

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Platform 9 3/4
2014 The Sorting Hat
2013 Hogwarts Castle
2012 The Final Battle
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"
2001 Hogwarts School Crests mini-ornament set

5/10

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!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Stuck In The Middle: The 2015 Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4 Ornament Is Problematic!

The Good: Some of the sculpting details, Sound clip is neat, Interesting concept
The Bad: Pricy, Very general likeness of Daniel Radcliff as Harry Potter, Odd sound clip (includes dialogue from multiple characters not on the ornament!), Balance
The Basics: A mediocre ornament, "Platform 9 3/4" is a tough concept for the ornament, executed about as well as fans of Hallmark's Harry Potter ornament line might expect.


When it comes to Hallmark ornaments, I can think of few franchises that are immortalized in ornament form more erratically than the Harry Potter line-up. Even now, Harry Potter remains a viable franchise for Hallmark to license - they've tried to get fanbases from Twilight, The Hunger Games and Divergent to invest with minimal success - but the execution of the ornaments is more problematic than extraordinary. This year's attempt at a quality Harry Potter ornament is met with all kinds of problems. Even so, I cannot think of an ornament with so many problems where I have has so much respect for the initiative behind the concept. Moreover, the Platform 9 3/4 ornament - which is the 2015 Harry Potter ornament - makes some reasonable compromises, but what the ornament is left with is comparatively underwhelming.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “Platform 9 3/4” is a holiday ornament that features a moment from Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (reviewed here!) that is pretty seminal to how the magical beings and the muggles interact in the real world. To get to Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft & Wizardry from London's Kings Cross Station, magical people have to run straight into the wall to get access to Platform 9 3/4. That allows them access to an alternate platform and train track to access the Hogwarts Express.

It is Harry Potter, luggage trolly before him, bursting out of the magical portal wall, that is the subject of the Platform 9 3/4 ornament.

Basics

“Platform 9 3/4” recreates the moment from Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by featuring Harry, the wall (with its ornamentation), the ground, and his luggage (including Hedwig). The ornament, released in 2015, is a poor rendition of the character, at least if it is supposed to look like Daniel Radcliff as Harry Potter. The character, like many of the ornaments for Harry Potter look more like the artwork associated with the novels. In other words, Harry Potter looks animated, much like he does on the cover of the books. Measuring 4 1/2" tall, 3 1/2" wide and 2 1/2" deep, the “Platform 9 3/4” did not sell out during the Preview Weekend at the original issue price of $24.95.

The Hallmark “Platform 9 3/4” ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Harry Potter running out of the wall, pushing his cart before him. Despite how it looks like Hedwig in his cage might have been attached after the rest of the ornament was molded (actually, I like this aspect, as it makes it look like the cage is atop the luggage as opposed to molded to it!), the ornament is pretty solid in its construction. Harry Potter's glasses are finely made, as is Hedwig and the cage the owl is in. By contrast, Harry Potter is very generally sculpted (his hair is sculpted without any texturing) and his plaid shirt is very smooth in an unrealistic way. Similarly, the brick wall is fairly smooth, though the coloring for the brick wall is surprisingly good.

The ornament is very light on detailing for Harry and the luggage. The details on Harry are very light. He lacks realistic fleshtones and his pants and shoes are monotonal, his flannel shirt is white and blue, and Harry's eyes are simply black dots. The sign for the Hogwarts Express is actually impressively painted for the finer font and border coloring, so the ornament has some real potential for realism, but is neglected on most of the ornament. The ground upon which Harry Potter is running is monotonal gray in contrast to the brick wall and Hedwig, so the ornament appears erratic in its detailing both sculpted and coloring details.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the “Platform 9 3/4” ornament could have a function like a light effect, but it only has a sound clip. The pressing of a button on the ornament allows a sound clip to be played out of the speaker in the base of the Platform 9 3/4 ornament. The sound clip is a nice touch and, for the expense, pretty much required. The problem is that the various sound clips for the dialogue relevant to the ornament are produced by characters not on the ornament. So, Hallmark was smart; instead of making an ornament that included both sides of the wall, the Muggle who is confused by Harry's request for Platform 9 3/4 and Ron Weasley's mother, it focuses on Harry Potter coming out of the wall.

Unfortunately, the bulk of the dialogue played by the sound chip precedes Harry's attempt to enter the Platform. So, one clip has him asking a Muggle where to find Platform 9 3/4 and the Muggle's reaction. Another clip has Molly Weasley giving Harry the specific advice on how to get into the secret platform. The clips on the Platform 9 3/4 ornament are longer than on most of the other Hallmark ornaments, which is nice, but the lines are mostly delivered by characters other than Harry Potter.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “Platform 9 3/4” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, the “Platform 9 3/4” ornament is a good concept, but a poor execution, both in scale and detail, especially compared with other Harry Potter ornaments. The ornament has a brass hook loop that comes out of the top of the wall behind Harry. Ironically, the Platform 9 3/4's loop is on a stalk and it is backheavy. The irony is that if Hallmark had just made the stalk just a tiny bit shorter, the ornament would hang at optimal balance. Because the ground is supposed to be flat and perpendicular to the hook, the fact that it hangs heavy from the back makes it look like Harry is trying to run up a slight incline.

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 Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it, a few of which have started to really explode in value because of the end of the cinematic franchise. Given how expensive the ornament is initially and how it has some problems with it, it is hard to believe this one will be appreciating any time soon.

In short, this is unlikely to be a good investment piece.

Overview

The "Platform 9 3/4" is filled with contradictions and reconciling the discordant aspects forces me to try to answer the question: is it worth buying? At full price, I would say no.

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2014 The Sorting Hat
2013 Hogwarts Castle
2012 The Final Battle
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"
2001 Hogwarts School Crests mini-ornament set

4/10

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

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Harry Potter Fans Will Only Find Disappointment In The Sorting Hat Ornament From Hallmark!

The Good: Good soundclip
The Bad: Very light on surface/coloring details, Frontheavy, Animated look
The Basics: In their quest to make a Harry Potter diorama ornament, Hallmark made the 2014 The Sorting Hat ornament unfortunately underdetailed.


The cat is out of the bag, the ornament to find at Hallmark this year is the Olaf ornament from Disney’s Frozen! Anyone who is tuned into Hallmark ornaments and pop culture saw this one coming (while Hallmark stores and social media are flooded by offended people who clearly are not at all aware of the collectible nature of the ornaments). The ornaments from the Harry Potter franchise used to occupy the coveted niche for fans and collectors, but since the film franchise ended, Hallmark has really let the line go. This year’s ornament for Harry Potter fans is The Sorting Hat and because I am only a reviewer and collector of Hallmark ornaments, the company obviously does not care what I think, but the truth is that virtually all of the problems with The Sorting Hat could have been easily fixed by one simple thing: stick to the title.

Seriously.

I applaud ambition, but sometimes in the attempt to make something big and wonderful, a company can completely miss the mark on what they wanted to create. In the case of The Sorting Hat, instead of being the magical artifact on its own, the ornament features the hat, Harry Potter and Professor McGonagall. In the past, Hallmark has been willing to create ornaments that feature only the artifact that is the subject of the ornament; The Sorting Hat continues the diorama ornament line and if Hallmark had done that with The Sorting Hat, they could have done it right. As it stands, though, the two characters are animated-looking and there is so little detailing on the Sorting Hat that one has to really look to see what the supposed subject of the ornament is all about!

For those unfamiliar with the concept, The Sorting Hat is a holiday ornament that features a moment from Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone (reviewed here!). When each of the students arrives at Hogwart’s, The Sorting Hat is used to determine which house each of the students gets to be a part of. When Professor McGonagall calls upon Harry Potter to get his house, he begs the Sorting Hat not to put him is Slytherin. The hat chooses Gryffindor for Harry and it is the moment McGonagall holds the Sorting Hat over Harry Potter’s head and it “reads” him that is the subject of the ornament.

Basics

The Sorting Hat recreates the moment from Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone features Harry, Professor McGonagall, and The Sorting Hat standing on a section of floor cast in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2014, is an underdetailed ornament that is so light on detailing that it is more like the artwork associated with the novels than it is a replica of the characters as they appeared in the films. Measuring 4 3/4” tall by 2 3/4” wide and 1 7/8” deep, the The Sorting Hat seems to be selling remarkably slowly at the original issue price of $24.95.

The Hallmark The Sorting Hat ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the professor standing next to Harry Potter, her left hand on the Sorting Hat and a list of the students in her right hand. Because Professor McGonagall is holding the Sorting Hat and both characters are attached to the wooden-looking piece of the stage, all of the pieces of molded together, so there is nothing that will fall off this ornament.

The ornament is exceptionally light on detailing, though. The skin tones are all monolithically tan and the eyes are little more than black dots in the sockets (or behind the glasses). The paintjob on the characters is erratic and the list does not have a level of detailing to actually include the names of the students on it. But most important is the Sorting Hat itself. The Sorting Hat is molded much smoother than the actual sorting hat, so it does not look like it is actually burlap. Even more importantly, the coloring on the Sorting Hat is so muted that the molded and colored eyes and mouth of the hat are virtually invisible. In fact, it is only if one looks exceptionally closely at the hat on the ornament that the face is evident. The lack of accents for the key thing that makes the Sorting Hat a magical artifact ruins the ornament. If the characters had been better detailed and the hat had been better detailed or on its own, the ornament could have been saved, but as executed, the muted colors and lack of detailing to the hat really drive the value of the ornament down.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, The Sorting Hat has an impressive audio clip. The entire dialogue exchange where Harry Potter begs the hat to pick “not Slytherin” and the hat mulling that over and then choosing Gryffindor for Harry. The sound clip is impressively rendered from an actual audio sample from the film Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone. The ornament is powered by watch batteries (that are included) and the volume is pretty decent. The sound clip might be the best part of The Sorting Hat ornament.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake The Sorting Hat ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, The Sorting Hat ornament should have been an essential Harry Potter ornament, but its execution is so poorly done that this one cannot be recommended. The ornament has a steel hook loop that comes out of Professor McGonagall’s arm. Unfortunately, from that point, the ornament is exceptionally front-heavy. The ornament seems to lean forward and that is troublesome given how the base is a flat piece of flooring; it makes it obvious that the ornament is not 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 delved into virtually every other collectible franchise in an attempt to cash in on every major license. The Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it, but none of them have truly exploded in value. Given how expensive the ornament is initially and its relatively low quality level, it is hard to believe this one will be appreciating any time soon.

In other words, this is not the best investment piece and even the collectors and fans seem to be pretty neutral to it.

Overview

Despite the excellent sound clip from The Sorting Hat ornament, the expense of the ornament, poor balance, and the low level of detailing to the sculpt and paint job make it easy to pass by this ornament.

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2013 Hogwarts Castle
2012 The Final Battle
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"
2001 Hogwarts School Crests mini-ornament set

3.5/10

For other ornament and toy reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Disappointment In The Detailing, The 2013 Hogwarts Castle Ornament.

The Good: Decent concept, Wonderful sound effect, Decent detailing on the rocks.
The Bad: Poor light effect, Vastly underdetailed on the buildings.
The Basics: The 2013 Hogwarts Castle Harry Potter ornament should have been so much better.


I can always tell when a franchise has fallen from its peak position by the merchandise produced for that franchise. After the licensers move on to other, more profitable, ventures but have to burn off product to satisfy their licensing agreements, the merchandise associated with the fallen franchise is decidedly subpar, especially compared to the merchandise produced for that franchise when it was hip, relevant, and most profitable. In other words, there are very few licensers who actually work to maintain the popularity of a franchise as it slips from the public’s attention. Harry Potter is now a franchise in decline and nowhere is that more evident than at Hallmark. That assertion is fairly easy to make after checking out this year’s Harry Potter Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Hogwarts Castle.

"Hogwarts Castle" has fair balance and a good concept but such erratic detailing that it almost looks like it was put together by two separate teams of ornament makers. The bulk of the ornament is light on the details and embarrassingly undercolored compared to the richness of the base and the picture on the box while the bottom and the sound chip for Hogwarts Castle is actually fairly impressive. The result is an erratic ornament likely to disappoint Harry Potter fans far more than it would thrill them.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “Hogwarts Castle” is a holiday ornament that features the iconic school of wizardy and witchcraft seen in the Harry Potter Saga (reviewed here!). The magical fortress is a building set atop a cliff and Hallmark worked to incorporate the rocky surroundings into the 2013 Hogwarts Castle ornament.

Basics

“Hogwarts Castle” recreates iconic castle school with its spires and almost church-like architecture. The sculpt, to be fair to the ornament is not a bad one and the castle looks appropriate on the rocky ball it springs out of. Measuring 3 1/2" tall, 3 3/4" wide and 2 1/4" deep, the “Hogwarts Castle” did not sell out during the Preview Weekend at the original issue price of $24.95, despite it being the only Harry Potter ornament for 2013 (another sign that the franchise is in decline is that Hallmark did not produce an exclusive ornament this year!).

The Hallmark “Hogwarts Castle” ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the castle alone on the rocky earth. All of the pieces are molded together, so there is nothing that will fall off on this ornament. However, given how flimsy and assembled many parts of the ornament are – one of the spires and at least one of the halls are detached from the others, making it clear that the castle was not molded out of a single piece of plastic/resin. In general, the sculpt is good: the spires look like spires and the side windows on the main hall of Hogwarts are molded in to make it look like they are a product of the architecture. Unfortunately, that is not universally the case. Most of the windows – especially on the spires – are only distinguished by being a different color from the tan/brown buildings. Instead of having finer molded details, Hallmark relied upon coloring to make the Hogwarts Castle ornament appear correct.

As for the coloring, Hogwarts Castle is something of a wash. When the ornament is lit, the coloring details that make the building look weathered and more than one type of stone are washed out by the internal light. At least as important are the blues of the roofs and windows take on a sickly pallor and some of the colors even fall down the color spectrum to the point that they obscure their purpose. To wit, one of the windows on the main spire, when unlit, is clearly a blue window. When the ornament is lit, that window becomes almost gray and is so indistinct that at first I thought the ornament was simply dirty at the spot! The rest of the ornament takes on a color that is closer to orange than earthtones and it makes Hogwarts Castle look ridiculous.

The ground is multicolored for a sense of realism and it looks good when the lights are on or off.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, “Hogwarts Castle” has a battery-powered sound effect and it connects to a light strand to illuminate the castle. The sound effect is simple: pressing a button concealed in the rocks causes the Harry Potter theme to play from a speaker on the bottom of the ornament. This is a music box-like rendition of the Harry Potter theme and it plays for over twenty seconds. The sound is clear and instantly recognizable to the fans.

Hallmark includes the batteries needed to operate the ornament. Unfortunately, when connected to a light strand for the light effect, the ornament is poorly and awkwardly lit. The weak lighting distorts the surface details of the ornament and undermines the few benefits the ornament possesses.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “Hogwarts Castle” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, the “Hogwarts Castle” ornament is a fair, though large, addition, especially compared with other Harry Potter ornaments. The ornament has a metal hook loop that comes out of one of the spires. From that position, the ornament is actually fairly stable, more than I would have guessed. This is an exceptionally stable ornament that only sways when it (or the tree) is bumped.

“Hogwarts Castle” ornament hangs with a bias toward the back. The castle is in no way symmetrical and that makes the ornament backheavy, so it hangs with a pitch that is accented by the fact that the flat bottom is not hanging in a way that it is completely obscured. The pitch problem is not a huge one – no more than 15 degrees – but it is 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 (reviewed here!). Since then, they have delved into virtually every other collectible franchise in an attempt to cash in on every major license. The Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it, a few of which have started to really explode in value because of the end of the cinematic franchise. Given that this is the only Harry Potter ornament for 2013, one suspects it might sell well. However, given how fans have had the potential to get several other statue-quality Hogwarts models and toys before now, it seems unlikely that they would feel the pull they might have years ago to buy this substandard ornament right up.

If purchased at such a discount, I suspect “Hogwarts Castle” might be a decent investment piece. If this were to be the final Hallmark Harry Potter ornament, it might be a sure bet, but given how mediocre the execution is and given how the fan base already seems to be abandoning the franchise it is by no means the safe bet it might have been ten years ago.

Overview

"Hogwarts Castle" is a disappointing ornament for Harry Potter fans who might have hoped for a real knockout rendition of Hogwarts delivered at an affordable price. For those fans, the search continues.

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2012 The Final Battle
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"
2001 Hogwarts School Crest Set

4.5/10

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!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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An Ornament Set For The Die-Hards: The 2001 Hogwarts School Crests Hold Up Well!

The Good: Great detail, Balance, Value
The Bad: Vastly overpriced for the size/rarity.
The Basics: A boon for the die-hard Harry Potter fans, the Hogwarts School Crests are an ornament set almost worth hunting down.


Every now and then, my wife and I discover a “grail gift” for one another. Recently, I stumbled upon a gift she truly loved and that surprised us both, something she had not known about at all. It was the 2001 Hogwarts School Crests Harry Potter ornament set from Hallmark! The set of five mini-ornaments is very much only for die-hard fans of the Harry Potter book and movie series. Even so, my wife is quick to point out that even for the die-hard fans, only three of the five mini-ornaments in this pack are really worthwhile.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, the Hogwarts School Crests are in almost all of the Harry Potter film (reviewed here!). Hung on the walls of the magical school, Hogwarts, especially in the dining hall, the main crest and house crests are evident on the various uniforms of characters in the films that were set at the Hogwart’s School Of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

In 2001, Hallmark released a limited edition set of five mini-ornaments of the seals of each of the Hogwarts schools and for the main school.

Basics

The "Hogwarts School Crests" ornament set is a very simple ornament set, made of embossed metal that has a very timeless look to it. Ranging from 1” to 1 1/2” tall, each of the five crests of the Hogwarts schools is represented, with both its appropriate icon and colorscheme. The Hogwarts crest is the largest of the five and is primarily gold and black, with a very noble and official appearance. Gryffindor is gold and red, with a lion embossed on its surface. The school crest for Slytherin is predominately green and has the snake upon its shield. The two minor houses, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw feature their birds and the names of the school they are associated with. All of the crests are beautifully manufactured so they are consistent (even if few fans really care about Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff).

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Hogwarts School Crests" could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but they do not. Given how they have such simple subjects, Hallmark did the best they could with the crests and they did not really require additional functions to sell them.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Hogwarts School Crests" ornaments are to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, the "Hogwarts School Crests" ornaments are an intriguing addition, but not at all an essential one. Each ornament has a hook loop at the top of the crest and hung from there with a standard Christmas tree hook, they are remarkably stable ornaments.

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 delved into virtually every other collectible franchise in an attempt to cash in on every major license. The Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it and the "Hogwarts School Crests" ornaments might well be the most expensive of the bunch. While other Limited Edition Harry Potter ornaments have risen and fallen in value, the Hogwarts School Crests skyrocketed in value and have stayed pricey for years.

It is hard to get excited to shell out so much money for such small ornaments. Moreover, as an investment opportunity, the Hogwarts School Ornaments seem to have already peaked. Unless one finds them at a store where their value has gone unchecked over the years, most collectors will pay a premium price just to get their hands on these. While they are well-made, they are not really worth the premium collector’s price.

Overview

The Hogwarts School Crest Ornaments are a neat set and for those who want some real flair, they could easily be adapted to make cute (if expensive) earrings. As ornaments, they are small, surprisingly well-detailed and accurate to the source material. But they are very overpriced in the secondary market and that makes them harder to recommend in my book than die-hard collections might want to admit.

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2012 The Final Battle
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"

8/10

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

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Better Than I Thought, But Still (Ironically) Problematic, The 2012 The Final Battle Harry Potter Hallmark Ornament Is Likely To Please Fans.

The Good: Good balance, Decent concept, Neat light effect, Decent rendition of Harry Potter.
The Bad: Somehow, Hallmark managed to get Voldemort wrong!
The Basics: A decent ornament right on the cusp of being appropriately priced, "The Final Battle" is far better than I predicted it could be, but has a somewhat ridiculous flaw!


Late last year, at the New York Comic Con, Hallmark had a booth and, I suppose, to bait the fans, they revealed a few of the 2012 ornaments there. As one who did not get to attend that show, I was pretty thrilled when footage quickly leaked online. But, when I saw the Harry Potter “The Final Battle” images, I cringed and, in my mind, I was already pre-panning the ornament. From the angles I saw a year ago, it looked like “The Final Battle” would be a poorly-balanced, underdetailed ornament that was thoroughly underwhelming to fans of the Harry Potter films. Fortunately, I went into Hallmark’s Ornament Preview Weekend with an open mind and when I saw “The Final Battle,” I was actually impressed by the ornament enough to recommend it.

"The Final Battle" has good balance and the translucent plastic for the wands’ magical effects is a decent touch. That said, “The Final Battle” has an odd (to me) fault, which is that the sculpt of Voldemort looks utterly ridiculous.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, “The Final Battle” is a holiday ornament that features a moment from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (click here for that review!). Near the climax of the film, Harry Potter and Voldemort square off with magic coursing from their wands in the battle-damaged courtyard outside Hogwart’s. It is the moment the two of them, their wands coursing magic beams to create a powerful disruption, confront one another that is the subject of the 2012 “The Final Battle” ornament.

Basics

“The Final Battle” recreates the moment from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows by featuring Harry and Voldemort on the rocky ground, facing one another with wands creating beams that are colliding. The ornament, released in 2012, is a surprisingly good rendition of Harry Potter (who has been a problem for Hallmark sculptors and, especially, coloring artists in the past), but an underdetailed, poorly rendered version of Voldemort. Voldemort looks animated and lacks the color richness that Harry possesses in this ornament. Measuring 3" tall, 5 3/8" wide and 2 7/8" deep, the “The Final Battle” did not sell out during the Preview Weekend at the original issue price of $24.95, despite it being the only Harry Potter ornament for 2012 (very disappointing for those of us hoping for an ornament of the Elder Wand!).

The Hallmark “The Final Battle” ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the two characters standing on the ground with a large sculpted magic force behind them. All of the pieces are molded together, so there is nothing that will fall off on this ornament.

The ornament is pretty incredible for the detailing of Harry Potter. First, possibly for the first time, Hallmark sculptors got the cut of Harry’s face right. Daniel Radcliff had long ago lost the roundness of his face, yet the prior sculptors continued to miss the severity of his face’s angles. Not so with “The Final Battle” version of Harry. Harry's glasses are a separate element that was then attached and they look incredible! What is most impressive about Harry Potter on this ornament is how the artists colored him well. His skin tones have some realistic depth and shading, so his cheeks – for example – have a bit of pink to them. Moreover, his coat and blue jeans are not monotonal. Instead, they look like actual jeans with realistic depth and shading, both blue and white.

The ground is also multicolored for a sense of realism.

The wand energy is, however, very solid in its coloring, as is the point where the two magic beams collide.

The real problem with “The Final Battle” is, unfortunately, Voldemort. Voldemort’s sweeping robes are an irksome contrast to Harry’s color-rich costume. Just as the robes are monotonal in their coloring, Voldemort’s face and skin are basically white. Voldemort’s head is misshapen (from what it is supposed to be, not just in general); is head looks disproportionately small, especially compared to Harry’s.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, “The Final Battle” has a battery-powered light and sound effect. The sound effect is simple, the crashing of the magic energies, basically little thunderclaps. The light effect sees both the red and green beams alternately illuminating and causing the center energy blob to light up as well. The light and sound effect lasts for approximately sixteen seconds and is activated by a button on the rocky ground on the front of the ornament.

Hallmark includes the batteries needed to operate the ornament and the light effect seems appropriately bright and the sound effect has a decent volume to it.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “The Final Battle” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate fantasy Christmas Tree, the “The Final Battle” ornament is a fair, though large, addition, especially compared with other Harry Potter ornaments. The ornament has a brass hook loop that comes out of Voldemort’s right arm. From that position, the ornament is actually very stable, more than I would have guessed. This is an exceptionally stable ornament that only sways when it (or the tree) is bumped.

“The Final Battle” ornament hangs very level. The base seems to be properly weighted to keep the ornament hanging so lit looks like level ground and a fair fight between Harry and Voldemort.

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 Harry Potter series has had several ornaments made for it, a few of which have started to really explode in value because of the end of the cinematic franchise. Given that this is the only Harry Potter ornament for 2012, one suspects it will sell well. However, more discriminating fans are likely to be disappointed by Voldemort’s detailing and I suspect there will be a reasonable population that will risk not getting this right away and, instead, wait until it is discounted at the end of the Christmas season.

If purchased at such a discount, I suspect “The Final Battle” would be a decent investment piece. If Hallmark continues the Harry Potter ornament line, I would bet on character ornaments for the next few years, as opposed to more diorama-style ornaments. If that is the case, this could be the last big Harry Potter ornament for a few years and thus become a real collector’s item.

Overview

"The Final Battle" is a pleasant surprise for Harry Potter fans and a worthwhile ornament for the 2012 holiday season!

For other Harry Potter ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2011 The Golden Snitch (Limited Edition!)
2011 Fleeing The Fiendfyre
2010 The Pensieve
2010 A Gift For Dobby (Limited Edition!)
2009 "Harry! Happy Birthday!"

6.5/10

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

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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