Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Premiere Offers First Chance To Find 2008 Ornament Line
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 20, 2008) — More than 170 new Keepsake Ornaments will be unveiled during the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Premiere on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13 at more than 3,500 Hallmark Gold Crown® stores nationwide. The annual event gives consumers a first chance to purchase Keepsake Ornaments from the all-new 2008 line. Ornament enthusiasts can buy the latest addition to their favorite series, snag that all-important first ornament in one of the brand-new series debuting this year, or simply find a special ornament that helps preserve a special memory.
“Keepsake Ornament enthusiasts tell us they can’t wait for the fun and festivities of Ornament Premiere,” says Becky Smith, Retail Merchandise Manager – Keepsake Ornaments. “They really enjoy stopping by the stores to celebrate the event and purchase the new ornaments and be one of the first to see the new Keepsake Ornaments in person.”
Fans have been eyeing the 2008 collection in their Dream Books, which were mailed to Keepsake Ornament Club members in April, and available for viewing online at Hallmark.com. Some of the highlights at Ornament Premiere this year will be a sneak peek at “A Santa Claus Christmas,” a mix and match collection of six Santas which will debut with a special offer and the limited-quantity versions of nine Keepsake Ornaments.
This year three new series ornaments will debut. In “Making Memories” each year the Keepsake Ornament will feature two snowmen – one big and one little – making holiday memories, in 2008 they are “Trimming the Tree.” “Candy Claus” is the first nutcracker in the “Noel Nutcracker” series which each year will feature a different nutcracker decorated in a charming holiday theme. And Superman™, first in the Comic Book Heroes series, which will feature a comic book hero bursting from the pages of a miniature comic book.
Other Keepsake Ornaments sure to delight this year include “Hey Diddle Diddle” which features a cow jumping over the moon; “School Memories,” a photoholder that can be personalized with a permanent marker; and sure to invoke warm memories of annual Nutcracker performances is “Sugar Plum Fairy,” which plays “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Tchaikovsky while a ballerina spins.
Favorite characters from Disney, the Peanuts gang, Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz, Scooby Doo and Tweety Bird all make appearances in the 2008 line. Many of this year’s popular movies also are represented including High School Musical, Kung Fu Panda, Iron Man, Indiana Jones and Batman as well as “out of this world” perennial favorites from Star Wars and Star Trek.
Collectors Drive the Craze
Many collectors have more than one tree to display their ornaments during the holiday season. Enthusiasm for collecting is based on emotional appeal and passion for a theme or subject, according to Hallmark research. Almost 400 individual Keepsake Ornament clubs operate locally, most sponsored by Hallmark retailers in their communities.
For Ornament Premiere, many Hallmark Gold Crown stores will stage “collector pursuit” games, with trivia questions about ornaments for which customers who answer correctly are eligible to receive special event-only ornament prizes. Some stores will encourage customers to come dressed as their favorite ornaments … some stores will host events themed around popular ornament series … and some will even open their doors at midnight to give eager collectors a jump on the year’s hottest ornaments.
About Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments
In 1973, when Hallmark introduced six glass ball ornaments and 12 yarn figures as the first collection of Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, a new tradition of Christmas decorating was started and a new collectible industry was born.
When the first line was introduced, they were unique in design, year-dated and available only for a limited time – innovations in the world of ornaments. Since 1973, Hallmark has introduced more than 3,000 different Keepsakes Ornaments and more than 100 ornament series, groups of ornaments that share a specific theme.
The finished Keepsake Ornaments reflect the way styles, materials, formats and technology have expanded since the first ones appeared in Hallmark stores. Once a collection of decorated glass balls and yarn figures, Keepsake Ornaments now are made in a wide array of wood, acrylic, bone china, porcelain, and handcrafted formats and technology has been incorporated into the world of Keepsake Ornaments through sound, motion and light. The one thing that hasn't changed, however, is the superior craftsmanship and high quality that ensures Keepsake Ornaments will become family heirlooms and cherished collectibles.