Christmas Figurines & Collectibles Tips

Read these 13 Christmas Figurines & Collectibles Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Christmas Decoration tips and hundreds of other topics.

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Do Christmas keepsakes make gift giving easier?

Christmas Keepsakes Make Gift Giving Easy

If you have a lot of people to shop for and a limited budget to shop with, then Christmas keepsakes may be the perfect gift buying idea for you. You can find figurines in such a wide variety of themes that you will have no trouble finding a meaningful gift for everyone on your list.

For the bobble head fan in your life, you can find adorable Charming Tails bobble head figurines. For a younger bobble head fan, why not take a look at bobble head snowman night lights?

Sports fans will be delighted to unwrap the Big League Sports Snow Village shop or a football helmet ornament on Christmas day. If your sports lover is into military academy sports, perhaps a flag decoration to show his or her dedication to a favorite team is the right option.

Angel lovers are sure to enjoy the Seraphim Classics Angel series. There are also several delightful Jim Shore angels to choose from.

Nurses, firemen and police officers should be happy with figurines that portray their professions. You can choose from a variety of styles when you are shopping for these profession related figurines.

Once you decide on a type of figurine for each person on your list, your Christmas gift giving struggles are over. Each year, you can add to your loved ones' keepsake collections with a new figurine in that theme.

   
What are some figurines I can display year round?

Collectibles at Christmas and Year-Round

If you are looking for collectibles for Christmas and year-round, you may wish to consider collectibles that have Christmas themed items, as well as figurines that aren't Christmas themed.

  • Precious Moments offers Christmas ornaments and figurines, as well as figurines that aren't Christmas related, all of which can be displayed year-round. Precious Moments figurines were created in 1978 and are made of bisque porcelain. These figurines feature adorable boys, girls and pets and come with a heartfelt message that relates to being a caring and loving person. Precious Moments figurines make great Christmas gifts as well. Charming Tails is another set of collectibles that include Christmas ornaments and figurines as well as figurines that tell the story of these little creatures with meaningful messages. You can purchase a Charming Tail that is sitting with a brightly colored lemon that can be given to your special someone because the message is, "You're My Main Squeeze."
  • Hummel Figurines are also quite popular in the collectible world. Berta Hummel created drawings of children as a way to commemorate the children growing up around her in a German village. The drawings were eventually made into beautiful Christmas figurines. There are both Hummel Christmas figurines and ornaments, as well as Hummels that are not specifically for Christmas. Hummels make great gifts because they retain their value for years to come, so the purchase price is well worth it.

   
Are there any great tips for displaying Hummel figurines?

Ideas for Decorating Your Home With Hummel Figurines

Hummel figurines have been loved by generations and have always been incredibly popular. If you are a fan of these sweet figurines that capture special childhood moments, you have probably acquired quite a collection. While you could just stack the boxes filled with your Hummel pieces in a closet, they are so cute that it seems like a shame not to display and enjoy them all year long. To show off your collection of Hummel, you should:

Create vignettes with several figurines in different areas of your home. Why not put a small group of related pieces on a mantel or a wide windowsill? If you choose the right pieces, they will look like a group of children playing together.

Tuck a figurine into a child's toy. An antique metal truck or miniature wheelbarrow is the perfect spot to display one of the sitting Hummel pieces. Or, you can find an old dollhouse and repaint it so that it is a nice, neutral color that goes with the colors on the Hummel pieces. A warm tan color may be the best choice. Then, use the dollhouse as a display shelf to hold your collectibles. You may want to screw a piece of Plexiglass across the open back of the dollhouse to keep your collection safe from little fingers.

   
What are Department 56 villages?

Christmas Villages

Many people create elaborate Christmas village displays as one would do with model trains. One of the most popular Christmas village makers is Department 56. Department 56 makes several different Christmas villages, including their Snow Village, their Dickens Village, Department 56 North Pole and Department 56 Christmas in the City, Alpine Village and New England Village. These villages are all illuminated and when lit, cast a warm, beautiful glow throughout the room they are displayed in. There's something very special about Department 56 villages at Christmas time.

Each of these specific villages comes with buildings that you can buy individually, as well as village accessories, such as people and pets. Depending on the village you purchase you will get both brightly colored buildings and people, such as with the North Pole village, or you may decide on more muted colors, such as with the New England Village. Generally, the buildings in the villages cost about $75 each, however these villages will certainly become a family heirloom and will last for years to come.

   
Are there any tips for protecting my Christmas figurines?

Protect Your Christmas Figurines

A collection of good Christmas figurines can cost quite a bit of money. While putting your collection together is a fun and enjoyable hobby, you should make sure you protect your investment by following a few simple precautions. To make sure your figurines keep their value, you should:

Decide whether you are strictly interested in collecting figurines because they make you happy or whether having them become less valuable will upset you. Just as cars lose money the second their new owners drive them off the lot, many of your Precious Moments, or Hummel figurines may actually decrease in value the second you remove them from the box. Make sure you keep any tags or stickers on your figurines if you decide to put them on display. This helps prove that they are original pieces if you ever want to sell your collection. Keep certificates of authenticity in a fireproof box. These certificates don't just prove that undamaged figurines are authentic. They also are very important to have as proof of value for your collection if you need to submit an insurance claim because of theft, flooding or fire damage.

Avoid damaging your collectibles that are on display by leaving space between them. This helps you avoid paint scuffs or chips that occur from pieces rubbing against each other.

   
What are Snowbabies?

Snow Themed Collectibles

Holiday collectibles are extremely popular come Christmas time. There are always loads of different beautiful collectibles that show the many fun aspects of Christmas.

If you are a soccer fan, you may find yourself drawn to a collectible figurine depicting Santa Claus playing soccer. Other collectibles depict Santa feeding his reindeer or kneeling in front of a sleeping Baby Jesus. You are sure to create a beautiful display if you have Santa collectibles at Christmas. If you are looking for something other than a Santa collectibles to display, then Snowbabies may be right for you.

Snowbabies have been around since 1987 and feature little porcelain cherubs dressed in their warmest snow clothes doing fun things, such as putting reindeer antlers on their heads or driving Santa's sleigh. Snowbabies are usually made with a milky white porcelain and typically are only available in this milky white color; however there are some Snowbabies that come with a splash of color, sometimes red, that makes that figurine really stand out. If you love Disney characters you can also find Snowbabies figurines with Snow White, Belle, Arielle and even Winnie the Pooh. Snowbabies are a charming way to celebrate the season.

   
Are there any good decorating themes for Snowbabies?

Snowbabies Are Perfect for a Winter Wonderland Theme

You want to have an amazing white Christmas decorating scheme this year. You're going to go all out with a white artificial tree, white lights and faux snow. Once the tree is set up, you still need to put some white ornaments on the tree. In addition, you decide that you want to accessorize the home with white decorations. As you look at the different options available, be sure you take a close look at Snowbabies.

Snowbaby figurines and ornaments are available in a wide range of themes—from babies hanging out with Disney characters to babies in a bathtub. Since the babies are always dressed in snowy clothing, they are the perfect choice for an all white Christmas theme.

Of course, these sweet little figurines are not just a good option for a Winter Wonderland theme. Their white coloring makes them a great option for a tree of any color. They are delightful additions to a pink or blue tree, but don't be afraid to go for something completely unexpected, either. For example, if you have a black tree and feel that it is too stark for your home décor, cover it with Snowbaby ornaments. That modern, sleek tree will look downright cuddly with a few of these ornaments on it.

   
Are there any ideas for displaying Santa collectibles in a crowded room?

Displaying Santa Collectibles

As a child you became fascinated with Santa Claus, and now as an adult you buy Santa collectibles every Christmas. You put the first few on display in nooks and crannies on your bookshelves, but you quickly ran out of space. Now, your newer Santa purchases are still in their boxes, which are piled in your spare bedroom. What you need is a good way to display your collectibles so everyone can see how amazing they are. Unfortunately, there is no way you can fit a big curio cabinet into the house to hold them. Why don't you try one of these unconventional options for finding display space instead?

  • Install a narrow shelf that runs the whole way around the room. You'll want to be sure you can fit the majority of your collectibles on the shelf, so it should ideally be six to ten inches down from the ceiling. You may also want to add a lip to the front of the shelf to keep any of your beautiful Jim Shore, Kurt Adler, or Pipka figurines from tumbling off the shelves if someone slams a door.
  • Replace the molding over your doors and windows with a piece of molding wide enough to hold small figurines.

   
Is there a way to make a Precious Moments gift special?

Create a Tradition With Precious Moments

Precious Moments characters are so cute that any little girl is sure to fall in love with them. If you have a precious little girl in your life, you can start a new tradition by giving her a new figurine each year. Of course, you could simply wrap it up and stick the package under a tree, but why not make the tradition special? There are several fun things you can try to make the gift even more meaningful.

Consider hiding the figurine in a spot that is a bit of a challenge to discover and then writing a set of clues to lead your child to the gift each year. Make sure the clues aren't too hard though. A treasure that is never uncovered isn't very much fun.

Create a special shelf with room to hold a nice collection of figurines and hang it on your child's wall when she is not around. Remember to leave plenty of room for the collection to grow over the years. You may want to hang a curtain over the shelf so she doesn't know what is underneath the curtain right away. Allow her to place her first figurine on the shelf and then do a fun activity with her, such as having a tea party.

   
How can I decorate with Jim Shore ornaments?

Create a Country Christmas With Jim Shore Ornaments

You can't get enough of Jim Shore's whimsical creations. The combination of personable characters and colorful bases is absolutely perfect. You've decided to use your collection of Jim Shore ornaments as the inspiration for this Christmas's decorating scheme. It is going to be one colorful country Christmas!

Since Jim Shore ornaments are so colorful and whimsical, one great decorating option is to keep everything else fairly simple. This will allow the ornaments to really shine. A green artificial tree, red lights and red ball ornaments are ideal choices for creating a great backdrop for your ornament collection.

If you'd like a more rustic country look, you may want to buy an artificial feather tree to showcase your ornaments. These trees are so perfectly country that they seem to have been made with Jim Shore ornaments in mind.

Another option is to decorate a miniature artificial Christmas tree with mini Jim Shore ornaments. This little tree can dress up many different spots in the house—from an empty fireplace hearth to a small table in the foyer.

Don't forget that Jim Shore also makes figurines. They are the perfect gift idea for the special people in your life, especially since you can shop for Disneyİ Jim Shore ornaments that are perfect for the child or child at heart who loves Mickey Mouseİ, Tinkerbellİ and all the other favorite Disneyİ characters.

   
Is there any way to make setting up my Fontanini nativity special?

Start a Tradition With Fontanini Nativity Sets

If you don't have a nativity set or you have a very plain little set, why not start a beautiful new Christmas tradition with Fontanini nativity sets? These sets are made from molds, but are hand painted, which gives them a beautiful handmade look. To start a family tradition with your new Fontanini nativity set, you should:

  • Begin by shopping for the stable and holy family. Of course, if you'd like to get more pieces at the same time, you can do so. However, if you can't buy everything at once, remember that, while the other pieces are important parts of the Christmas story, the family and the stable are the must have pieces in any nativity scene.
  • Read the story card that was included with each piece to your family before you put the piece in its spot. As your collection grows, the story will grow, as well.
  • When you are setting up your nativity next year, set up everything as you did this year, saving your newest figurine until the end. Read its story and discuss how this character helps make the Christmas story special and then have one of the kids place the figurine into the nativity scene. Since the pieces are of break-resistant polymer, they are perfect for letting little ones handle them without the possibility of breaking them.

   
Are Charming Tails figurines available with themes for different events?

Create a Family Tradition With Charming Tails

This year you will be celebrating your child's first Christmas. You've heard of people buying an ornament for a baby's first Christmas and that seems like a nice idea, but you want to start a special tradition you can continue year after year as your child grows up. Why not give your child a Charming Tails figurine to commemorate each special holiday and event?

  • The "A New Little Sole" figurine is the perfect start for your child's collection. If you prefer to keep to a Christmas theme, there are quite a few winter themed figurines to choose from. You can also opt to give your child a Charming Tails holiday ornament instead.
  • Don't forget to shop for a figurine with a monthly theme for your child's birthday. These figurines combine each month's flower and a nice looking faux gemstone with the sweet Charming Tails characters.
  • Figurines that commemorate different seasons and holidays, like Valentine's Day and the fall harvest, are a nice way to add to your child's collection during the rest of the year.
  • As your child grows up, figurines to commemorate all the special milestones, like graduation and marriage, are also available.

   
Are there any display tips for my Department 56 village?

Tips for Displaying Department 56 Villages

You've decided that you want to create an entire display of the wonderful little Department 56 buildings and accessories. The problem is that you aren't quite sure how to put the display together. Obviously, you don't want to set them out on the coffee table because they are sure to be a toddler magnet in that easy to reach spot. However, you don't just want to line them up on a shelf either. How can you best display your little village so you can enjoy its beauty?

Decide if you want to display your Department 56 village year round. If you do decide to keep your village out, you'll want to choose a location that won't be needed after the last of the Christmas decorations are packed away. Once you have the right spot, you'll be able to concentrate on building your village. Just don't forget to switch street lights for spooky Halloween lighting as October approaches. In fact, you can find an entire line of Halloween items, including some eerie buildings.

  • Think about whether the village has to be on one level. A dining room hutch is a fantastic place to display a multi-level village. A set of bookshelves in the living room could also be a great option. If you do want them all on one level, you may not be able to display every house at the same time. Consider selecting several of your favorite houses to highlight in a little scene on a fireplace mantel.
  • Don't be afraid to combine collections. Placing a house on a decorative cake stand is a great way to show off your treasures so that guests can see it from every angle.
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