2006 Gift Show
Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:17:51 +0000
Today was another full day, covering the new wing of building 2 plus all of building 3. Though I logged over 5 miles today and viewed hundreds of vendor booths, I didn't spot a single new Disney product anywhere. It feels like manufacturers are being very conservative this year, and taking out a new Disney license may not be in the budget...
So, back to Lenox. After Lenox and D56 parted ways last year, there was a rumor in the industry that Lenox might stop producing figurines and instead return to their core tabletop business. Fortunately that is not the case, and there are a slew of new Disney releases. The largest collection features the Disney Princesses, with a new vanity collection, with coordinating vanity tray, jewelry box and ring holder shaped like Cinderella's slipper. A Disney Princess tea service is lovely, but quite a bit smaller in person than it appeared in the catalogue. On the other hand, a lighted version of Cinderella's Coach is larger than I expected, and better justifies the $229 MSRP.
Lenox adds a new "Minnie's Dream Engagement" figure to their best-selling "Dream Wedding" line. (You see, since Mickey and Minnie have never officially married, any wedding-themed merchandise is technically based on Minnie's dreams... or so I've been told) A very nice new Sorcerer Mickey, a new Mickey baseball player, and a new Captain Jack Sparrow figure join the line. For Christmas, look for about a dozen new Disney ornaments. I heartily approve of the direction Lenox took with their dated "annual" ornaments for 2010. Instead of stamping the year on the ornament, they are adding a "2010" charm to the hang cord. This lets collectors continue to purchase year-dated ornaments, but lets the retailer continue to sell the ornament after the year is over. This is an elegant solution to a chronic problem retailers face. (If anyone is still looking for a 2006-dated "Baby's 1st Birthday" Winnie the Pooh ornament, please let me know - I probably still have them in stock)
Neither Royal Doulton nor NAO had any new Disney figures this season. Royal Doulton continues to offer the 8 Mickey Mouse figures introduced in 2008, each based on a black and white Mickey Mouse short, but appears to be liquidating their remaining Disney inventory. The sales representative could not tell me if there were any plans for new releases, nor if the license had been renewed.
A sales representative for NAO (a brand of Lladro) said that there will be new Disney releases later this year, but could not say what the theme would be. (Though since the company has already done figures with Mickey & Friends and Pooh & Friends, the next logical step would be Tinker Bell and/or the Disney Princesses.)
Finally, we end with Disney-licensed Nahui Ollin Candy bags. These purses and accessories are hand-made in Mexico from recycled (pre-consumer waste, usually misprints or overruns) candy bar wrappers, soda labels and magazines. As recycled materials generally aren't available with Disney designs, Vintage Mickey comic book art is printed onto recycled paper, then coated and braided to make the bags. Though the company originally launched the line with about 12 styles in both Mickey and Disney Princess designs, they have pared the collection down to just the top-selling purse and coin purse in the Mickey design, and discontinued the "Pop Princess" pattern entirely. If you'll be at next weekend's NFFC Disneyana Show and Sale, you can see the collection in person at my booth.
I'm spending a few more hours at the show tomorrow morning before catching my flight home, and I plan to visit the Precious Moments showroom before I leave to see their new Disney introductions. The only showrooms I haven't yet visited are in the section generally dedicated to home furnishings and area rugs, so I'm not holding out much hope for any hidden Mickeys... but you never know.
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