Announcement: Hallmark Returns to Popular Fan Conventions
Hallmark will once again have a presence at several of this years popular fan conventions including: the National Barbie® Doll Collectors Convention (July 11-14), Comic-Con International in San Diego (July 12-15), Star Wars Celebration VI (August 23-26) and the New York Comic Con (October 11-14). As in the past, a limited quantity of event exclusive ornaments will be available for purchase at each of these events.
PEANUTS® Nativity Collection
PEANUTS® Nativity Collection
Set of six figurines and creche.
$49.95 XKT1037
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
Available beginning Holiday Ornament Debut Weekend, October 6-7, 2012.
Sentiment on bases (from left to right)
- Snoopy: And there were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks.
- Linus: Glory to God in the highest.
- Lucy: And the glory of the Lord shone round about them.
- Woodstock: For unto you is born a Savior.
- Charlie Brown: Peace on earth, and good will toward men.
- Sally: I bring you good tidings of great joy.
Linus, Wireless PEANUTS Band Continuity Program
Linus coordinates with the other 4 PEANUTS® characters from last year’s Wireless PEANUTS® Band. Add this new piece to the mix of piano, saxophone, flute and guitar and make the holidays merrier and more musical.
Plays “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Joy to the World” on the trumpet.
Linus
Wireless PEANUTS® Band Continuity Program
Connect to the 2011 Wireless PEANUTS® Band. Wireless function works up to 25′ apart. Each song approx. 10 – 20 seconds.
Press and hold button to activate continuous play mode (a song plays every 2 minutes).
On/off switch; includes 3 replaceable AAA batteries.
Approx. 6″ x 3″
$14.95 with any purchase (regularly $29.95) XKT1046
Available beginning October 29, 2012
Announcement: Mattel properties (Barbie and Fisher-Price) to end in 2012
Hallmark takes pride in offering all of the top five licenses for their product categories, and seven of the top 10 licenses. Having contracts with companies like Disney, Warner Brothers, Lucasfilm and many others means they can create products that their customers look for in their stores.
Unfortunately, in the highly competitive licensing arena, the game is constantly changing.
That is the case with Hallmark’s 20-year relationship with Mattel. In the past couple of years, Mattel changed its licensing strategy, which means Hallmark’s licensing requirements no longer align with Mattel’s approach. Hallmark and Mattel wished to continue to work together on ornaments, but because Mattel had changed its long-standing approach to licensing, it was not possible for Hallmark and Keepsakes to remain in the relationship. As a result, 2012 is the last year Hallmark will have any Mattel properties – most notably Barbie and Fisher-Price. And the place where this will be most evident is in Keepsakes.
In the 2012 Dream Book that mails in mid-March, two series Barbie ornaments are noted as “final in series.”
2012 Sneak Peek: Thanksgiving Keepsake Ornament
A Thanksgiving Feast
The PEANUTS® Gang
Later this year, Hallmark will be releasing it’s first ever Thanksgiving Keepsake ornament.
This ornament will feature Snoopy, sporting both a Pilgrim hat and jacket, serving his infamous toast, candy and popcorn meal. Woodstock who is also dressed for the occasion, is wearing an Indian headband complete with a single feather, is perched on the brim of Snoopy’s hat.
2012 Sneak Peek: Halloween Keepsake Ornaments
The 2012 Halloween Keepsake ornaments will once again focus on The PEANUTS® Gang.
In addition to having three individual figural ornaments featuring various characters standing on a patch of grass, holding their pumpkin counterparts, there will be a fourth ornament that captures the iconic moment when Lucy, bobbing for apples, bites down on one only to find Snoopy at the other end while Charlie Brown cheers on in the background.
Charlie Brown o’Lantern
The PEANUTS® Gang
Snoopy and Woodstock o’Lanterns
The PEANUTS® Gang
Lucy o’Lantern
The PEANUTS® Gang
Bobbing for Apples
The PEANUTS® Gang
ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Halloween Keepsake ornaments debuted in 2003. Among the introductory offerings were 8 coordinating ornaments: Van Ghoul (QFO6007), Sneakaboo (QFO6009), Mr. Tap Happy (QFO6017), Zephyr (QFO6019), Acrobats (QFO6029), Mesmerelda (QFO6039), Midnight Serenade (QFO6047), Stack O’Lanterns (QFO6049) and a display piece, 1300 Oak Road (QFO6037) for this collection.
New York Comic-Con Exclusive Keepsake Ornaments Announced
Hallmark has announced it will be making its first visit to New York Comic Con International at the Javits Center (Oct. 13-16), the East Coast’s biggest popular culture convention.
“We are excited to participate for the first time in New York Comic Con,” said Beth Dorr, associate product manager for Keepsake Ornaments. “The convention gives us a great opportunity to meet and interact with more of our most passionate fans who can’t travel to the West Coast and reward them with exclusive opportunities and sneak peeks.
In addition to receiving a sneak peek of Hallmark’s Star Wars products planned for 2012, attendees will be able to purchase limited-quantity event exclusive Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments including:
A two piece set of astromech droids featuring R2-Q5 and R2-A3. Fans of the iconic film series will recall the black-bodied R2-Q5 as being assigned to the second Death Star and the red-trimmed R2-A3 flew along with X-wing starfighter pilot Wedge Antilles.
Set includes 2 astromech droids, R2-Q5 (black and bronze-bodied) and R2-A3 (red-trimmed), from the original trilogy.
Limited-quantity (800 pieces)
U.S.S. Defiant: The ill-fated U.S.S. Defiant is from the third-season episode “The Tholian Web” and celebrates the 45th anniversary of the original “Star Trek” television series. Based on a 2006 Keepsake Ornament of the U.S.S. Enterprise, it features luminescent paint that allows the ornament to glow green in the dark as seen in the fan-favorite episode.
Features luminescent paint that allows the ornament to glow green in the dark.
Limited-quantity (700 pieces)
This will mark the first year that Hallmark will create convention exclusive Keepsake Ornaments for New York Comic Con. Hallmark has produced exclusive Keepsake Ornaments in recent years for events including Comic Con International, Star Wars Celebration V, the National Barbie® Doll Collectors Convention and Disney’s D23 Expo.
Visitors to the Hallmark booth 110 will receive a series of collectible buttons featuring quotes from the new line of Star Wars Gifts coming exclusively to Hallmark Gold Crown stores spring of 2012. A different limited-quantity design will be given away each day of the convention.
Other activities include visits from Star Wars characters courtesy of the 501st Legion and fun giveaways.
2012 Barbie Ornaments Sneak Peek
In conjunction with the National Barbie® Doll Collectors Convention (NBDCC), Hallmark once again provided an advance screening of the Barbie Keepsake Ornaments that will be released later this year and a Sneak Peek of next years line. Amongst the 2012 ornaments that were reveled were:
Stunning in The Spotlight™ Barbie® Doll Barbie™ Ornament
Fashion Model Collection
Matinee Fashion™ Barbie™ Ornament
19th and final in the Nostalgic Barbie™ Ornament series
Shoe Chandelier Barbie™ Ornament
Brava, Ballerina! Barbie™ Ornament
Provencal™ Barbie® Doll Barbie™ Ornament
Fashion Model Collection
Student Teacher Barbie® Barbie™ Ornament
Tweed Indeed™ Barbie® Doll Barbie™ Ornament
2011 BARBIE Convention Exclusive Keepsake Ornaments Revealed
A third version of Shoe-sational!, the stylish Barbie shoe ornament from 2009, will be available at the 2011 National Barbie® Doll Collectors Convention, planned July 27-30 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Shoe-sational!
Repaint of 2009 ornament
Limited-quantity (500 pieces)
2011 Reveal: D23 Expo Exclusive
Look Who’s Pook-a-Looz
Mickey Mouse
Special Edition
A repainted black and white version of the 2011 limited-quantity Special Edition “Look Who’s Pook-a-Looz!”, Mickey Mouse ornament has been issued for and only available at the 2011 D23 Expo Event, Being held August 19-21 in Anaheim, CA.