Are We There Yet?

 

Although we are still officially in Spring, I am certain everyone cannot wait for Summer to arrive.   In Canada here, the “May 24th” weekend is usually when everyone gets antsy to have his/her cottage opened or to have plants/flowers planted in the garden.   And yet, just like clockworks, the weather does not co-operate (at least in the Ontario area).  Oh well, c’est la vie, right?

But for our club, we certainly have a lot to look forward to.   Our next meeting is going to be our Annual General Meeting.   And you say, what? why?  didn’t you already have one in your March meeting?   Wish we did but due to poor weather condition (i.e. ice storm), we had to cancel that meeting and postpone our AGM till the May meeting.   For this AGM, we will have elections on the following positions: President, Vice President and Treasurer.  We will also be renewing our club membership.  Can’t wait to see everyone again after an unexpected hiatus.

Speaking of “can’t wait”,  Department 56 has also unveiled a few more new pieces available for sale in 2025.  Time to save up some money to purchase these goodies.   Here are some of the new items:

And in case you did not notice, Department 56 has also introduced a couple of new village series:

Scenterville – a lighted Village house with a USB-powered wax warmer and its rooftop is a removable silicone tray that holds scented wax; that’s technology in play!

Canyon Village – a US Southwestern style of buildings that are familiar with snowbirds

Let’s wait and see how well received these 2 villages are for collectors.

Here’s to Something New!

A new year has just begun.   Department 56 collectors certainly cannot wait to see what new village pieces are in store for them.  Here are some of the new 2025 introductions:

Needless to say, introducing new pieces into the new year means that we have to say goodbye to some of the current items (I call it the “Circle of Life in Collectibles”).   Click on these links to see the various 2024 retirement lists: Village, Snow Village Halloween and Snowbabies.

As for our club, we have just celebrated our 30^th anniversary this past November.  It was a smaller event than our previous anniversary celebration, but it was joyful and meaningful for those in attendance nonetheless.  Click here to see for yourself what fun activities we had.  To stay in touch with our club’s activities, refer to the newsletters prepared by our fantastic newsletter teams here.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Department 56 introduced a magnificent hand-painted porcelain piece called the “Golden Gate Bridge” in 2004 for the Christmas In The City Series.  For collectors who like to include well known replica pieces to their displays, this is one that definitely "fits the bill to a T".  Sadly, this hefty and delicate but impressive “building” was retired by the company in 2006.

But, do you know that the construction of the real Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay area began on this day (January 5th) in 1933?   According to the Frommer's travel guide, the Golden Gate Bridge was described as "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world."  At the time of its opening on May 27, 1937, it was both the longest and the tallest suspension bridge in the world – its main span is 4,200 feet and its total height is 746 feet. 

The bridge spans the one-mile-wide Golden Gate strait connecting the northern tip of the San Francisco peninsula and the Marin Country of California.  It carries not only vehicular traffic but also pedestrian and bicycle traffic.  This spectacular bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco.