MousePlanet’s Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix logged over 21 miles walking the aisles of the Winter 2009 Atlanta Gift Mart in search of new Disney collectibles for her retail stores, and shares the highlights from each of the major manufacturers. To skip the descriptions and get right to the pictures, go to the slideshow of over 80 new releases (link) (This page loads a large flash video, and it will take a minute or two before it starts playing).
Enesco
The largest number of Disney collectibles come from one of the brands under the Enesco (link) umbrella, including Bliston and Battersea Enamels, Heirloom Boxes and Gallery of Light by Robert Olszewski, Pooh & Friends, and the Walt Disney Classics Collection. Jim Shore’s Disney Traditions line continues to be extremely popular, likely because the line presents classic Disney characters in new settings. With many of the other collectible lines seeming working from the same model sheets, it’s refreshing to find something with a little twist.
Jim Shore redesigns the Disney Garden collection for Enesco. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Jim Shore’s Snow White sculpture will be joined by figures of the Seven Dwarfs. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Enesco launched a generic Disney Garden collection in 2007, but many of the prototype pieces shown to retailers were never produced. The entire collection has been redesigned by Jim Shore for the Disney Traditions line, and these new designs are far more attractive. The collection includes bird houses, wind chimes, garden stakes, flower pots, planters, gazing balls and lawn statues featuring Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Chip & Dale and Tinker Bell. All are designed for outdoor use, and are shipping to retailers this week.
Jim Shore also continues his Princess theme by expanding the Snow White series. Collectors frequently request small versions of all Seven Dwarfs, and Disney Traditions has introduced a full set of miniature figures as well as a Wishing Well display base. The set is scaled to display with the existing Snow White figurine. Beauty and the Beast fans can add two new pieces to their collections: a two-sided Beast/Prince figure, and a scale replica of the Beast’s Castle. Several new Mickey and Minnie pieces join the Disney Traditions line this spring, including a long-awaited wedding cake topper.
A new Sally sculpture is sure to be a hit with Nightmare Before Christmas fans. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Collectors often compliment Jim Shore for the quality of his water globes. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Jim Shore is probably best known for his holiday sculptures, and the Halloween collection includes two new Nightmare Before Christmas pieces. Enesco has produced some excellent water globes for the Heartwood Creek line in the past two years, and a Disney water globe joins the line this fall.
Enesco introduces four new designs of Bliston and Battersea Disney Enamels. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Collectors who own Disney boxes by Halcyon Days may be interested in the new line of Bliston and Battersea Disney Enamels. The company introduced Winnie the Pooh boxes last year, and have expanded the collection to include Beauty and the Beast, Tinker Bell, Snow White and Mickey Mouse holiday themes.
Seven new Gallery of Light sculptures join the collection, including three pieces previously released through the Disney theme parks. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The Beauty and the Beast Heirloom Box re-creates the stained glass panels from the film. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Enesco is producing two collectible lines by artist Robert Olszewski. New releases in the popular Gallery of Light collection include scenes from Snow White, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and The Jungle Book. Olszewski’s Heirloom Boxes continue to impress collectors with their intricate detail—and the stunning Beauty and the Beast box, recreating the stained glass panels of the opening and closing sequences of the film, is the highlight of the new releases.
Mummy Eeyore is part of the Fall 2009 Pooh & Friends collection. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Lenox Group, Inc.
The filing last fall by Lenox Group Inc.—the company behind Lenox Classics, Department 56 Villages, Possible Dreams, Snowbabies and other nationally known brands—for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (typically filed by corporations for reorganization purposes, as opposed to a Chapter 7 filing for liquidation) prompted a great deal of concern among collectors. Both Department 56 and Lenox debuted large new collections for 2009, and there are over 30 new introductions with Disney characters.
“Tinker Bell’s Lighthouse” joins the Disney North Pole Village series by Department 56. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Cinderella joins the Snowbabies Guest Collection by Department 56. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Department 56 (link) will add to the Disney North Pole Village series with Tinker Bell’s Lighthouse, a colorful piece that capitalizes on the popularity of the Disney Fairies. Dumbo, Cinderella, Minnie Mouse, Bambi, Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh, and Mrs. Potts & Chips all join the Snowbabies Guest Collection series.
“A Jolly Holiday Ride” by Lenox is a Limited Edition of 2,500 pieces. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The Beauty and the Beast mirror is one of the first two pieces in a new Display series. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
The Lenox (link) side of the showroom was filled with new Disney releases, including sculptures of Mary Poppins, the Cheshire Cat, Gus & Jaq, and a lovely Sleeping Beauty figure that should please both collectors who insist her dress is properly pink, and those who believe it should really be blue. Lenox has also introduced the first two “display” pieces, similar to the “opening titles” offered in the Walt Disney Classics Collection. These small figures will retail around $20, a great gift price-point.
The new Lenox Disney Wedding collection includes a ring box inspired by Sleeping Beauty. Photo © Lenox.
Lenox has partnered with designer Kirstie Kelly to introduce three collections of Disney wedding tableware and giftware (link). Like the Fairy Tale Wedding gowns Kelly designed for Disney, these Lenox pieces are “inspired” by the Disney princesses Cinderella, Belle and Sleeping Beauty, but there isn’t a Fairy Godmother or a talking tea pot to be found in any of the designs. The most striking piece is the Sleeping Beauty-inspired ring box, decorated in 24kt gold with a spiky branch motif.
Westland Giftware
Westland’s (link) Disney-licensed offerings include “Life According To…” collections featuring Tinker Bell, Disney Princesses, and a new Pooh & Friends series, plus the popular Mickey InspEARations line re-creating the 75 Mickey statues that toured the Disney theme parks and the country in 2005.
New figures join the Mickey InspEARations collection. Photo © Westland Giftware.
The new additions to the Mickey InspEARations include FrontEAR Tales, designed by Fess Parker; Saxophonic Mickey, designed by Dave Koz; IceskatEAR, designed by Paul Wylie; and Tuxedo Mickey, featuring a distinctive design by Lenox. A series of small 100-millimeter water globes featuring some of the most popular Mickey sculptures was also added to the line, but I was not impressed with the lack of detail in the tiny figures. These new releases are shipping to retailers now.
The new “Life According to Eeyore” collection gives a new attitude to Pooh & Friends (link). Photo © Westland Giftware.
I am also not a fan of the “Life According to…” collections, which are said to put a “modern” twist on familiar Disney characters. A figurine of Eeyore in his trademark headstand pose is inscribed with a complaint about Pilates (which seems faddish); in another sculpture, Piglet demands of Pooh, “Enough about you, what about me?” Many figures in the Tinker Bell and Princess collections have similar cringe-worthy captions.
Other finds
Nao
Nao (link), a gift line by the makers of Lladro collectibles, introduced a collection of handmade porcelain figurines featuring Pooh & Friends in 2008. Three new figures, featuring Mickey, Minnie and Donald, join the collection this Spring. Nao has also announced a price increase for the line, with retail prices increasing by about $20 at the end of January.
Mickey, Minnie and Donald join the NAO collection. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Roman
Roman (link) introduced three sculptures in a new Mickey’s Village series, including a Post Office, Bakery and Toy Shoppe. The company also added a solar-powered Pluto statue to their garden collection.
Roman’s new Disney Village includes three holiday storefronts. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.
Lunt Silversmiths
Lunt Silversmiths (link) offers a line of high-end baby gifts featuring Winnie the Pooh. The collection includes everything from a $30 baby spoon to a $195 sterling silver rattle.
Semikolon
German bookbinder Semikolon is known for high-quality notebooks, journals and albums, and the companies first Disney collection was honored as the Best Product for 2007 by the European managers of Disney Consumer Product Global Stationery division. A Canadian distributor is offering a selection of this award-winning line, redesigned to fit American paper sizes, to North American retailers. The collection offers 300-photo slip-in albums, accordion files, nesting storage boxes, 3-ring binders, magazine boxes and blank books with vintage graphics of Mickey, Minnie and Donald. Retail prices range from $20-$40.
Madame Alexander Dolls
Madame Alexander Dolls (link) has several new Disney releases, including Cinderella, Snow White with Dopey and Pinocchio with Jiminy Cricket.
Precious Moments
Finally, Precious Moments (link) will introduce new Disney figurines of Sleeping Beauty and Belle, plus a new Tinker Bell figure that is available only through Hallmark stores.
Prices, release dates, and availability may all change before these products ship to stores; check with your favorite retailer for up-to-date information. Samples shown are prototypes, and the final product may vary.
