Star Wars Celebration News
Although news travels fast, when it is coming from a galaxy far far away… it takes a little longer than we would hope for. Check back later today for information on the limited-quantity offerings Hallmark will be selling at this year’s Star Wars Celebration event.
2015 Reveal: Star Wars Celebration Hallmark Exclusives
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 25, 2015) — Hallmark is doubling up on excitement at this year’s Star Wars Celebration with a pair of Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments and a pair of the popular itty bittys® plush collectibles to be available exclusively at the fan event.
The two-packs will be sold in limited quantities each day of the event, scheduled April 16-19 at Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.
An Epic Vision, Star Wars: A New Hope™– This Keepsake Ornament two-pack features Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader locked in a heated lightsaber duel as inspired by the styling of famed artist Ralph McQuarrie in preproduction art for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Nearly 40 years since their creation, McQuarrie’s original visions for the Star Wars galaxy of characters, craft and planets continues to inspire and delight fans. An Epic Vision has a total production run of 2,000 and sales will be limited to 500 per day ($40 per set).
Bossk and Dengar, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™ – This Celebration-exclusive itty bittys two-pack features the fearsome bounty hunters seen in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. More than a dozen heroes, villains and creatures of Star Wars are now among the iconic characters of film, comics and television to appear as sweetly and uniquely styled plush itty bittys exclusively in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores and online at Hallmark.com. This bounty hunter two-pack has a total production run of 2,200 and sales will be limited to 550 per day ($20 per set).
Limited quantity buttons featuring a sneak peek of the newest Star Wars itty bittys collectors set will also be given out at the Hallmark booth (#1434). There are four designs – one for each day of the convention – that will be given away daily in limited quantities of 1,000 of each design. A fifth, secret variant design, will be in limited quantities of 500. Visit the Hallmark booth at Star Wars Celebration to learn more.
For more information on Keepsake Ornaments, itty bittys and Hallmark’s other Star Wars products, visit your local Hallmark Gold Crown store or go online at Hallmark.com.
An Epic Vision
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope™
Set of 2 ornaments.
Dengar™ & Bossk™
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™
itty bittys®
Bounty hunter two-pack
Reveal: Home
Get ready to laugh and fall in love with “HOME,” the latest creation from DreamWorks Animation and Keepsake Ornaments.
Introducing the new DreamWorks Animation movie, “HOME,” as well as a fun way to commemorate it. Now you can hang onto OH, the loveable misfit from another planet, along with one of his unlikely friends from earth. Together, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME and have lots of laughs along the way.
The movie opens March 27. The Keepsake Ornament debuts in October.
Home
Dreamworks Animation
Available beginning Ornament Debut
2015 Sneak Peek
Beloved artist and Keepsake Ornament inspiration Marjolein Bastin will be making an appearance at this year’s KOC event!
For the full event there will be a space dedicated to Bastin showcasing her love of nature and artwork. As an added bonus Marjolein will be on site on Saturday, August 8, for a special artist signing limited to 300 lucky attendees.
Participants in this activity will be randomly selected from those individuals that indicate (during registration) they would like to meet her*.
A Home for Wren
2nd in the Marjolein’s Garden series
In addition to the signing there will also be signed giveaways throughout the event and a special Marjolein themed item in this years live auction, which will include an original painting. In honor of Marjolein Bastin’s upcoming appearance, here is an updated sneak peek of the 2nd in the Marjolein’s Garden series.
*In order to be included in the random selection to meet Marjolein, during registration you must select the box indicating you would like to be part of the drawing and register by June 15th – unless registration sells out prior to that date, in that situation the KOC will make the selections upon the date of the sellout. Those selected will be notified prior to the event, so they can plan accordingly.
Destination Keepsakes Event Exclusive Piece
Bird enthusiasts and ornament collectors alike can spot this hummingbird (a Violet-crowned Woodnymph), by Edythe Kegrize, at the 2015 KOC Event in Kansas City this August.
Hummingbird
The Beauty of Birds
Special Edition
Repaint of 2014
10th in the series
Destination Keepsakes Event Exclusive
Hummingbird
The Beauty of Birds
10th in the series
2015 Dream Book Covers
Once again there will be two print versions of this years Dreambook. In addition to the In-Store Dream Book, which will be available at local retailers beginning May 16, Hallmark will directly mail the 8th edition of the Keepsake Ornament Club Members-Only version to KOC members in April.
The cover of the In-Store Dream Book spotlights the 8th in the Making Memories series, by Tammy Haddix.
The Keepsake Ornament Club Edition Dream Book showcases the 16th in the Toymaker Santa series. By Ken Crow. Which features Santa wearing a baseball cap while riding on a toy tractor.
Additional Historical Information
Although the first booklet containing a pictorial review of the then current Keepsake ornament line was released in ’79, it wasn’t until ’90 that the “Dream Book” name was first included on the cover of the annual Keepsake Ornament catalog.
DESTINATION KEEPSAKES Exclusive Ramblin’ Snowman
Does this year’s Destination Keepsakes event exclusive ornament “Ramblin’ Snowman” have a certain familiar feeling to it? It is probably because the box this friendly little snowman is emerging from is the “Ornament Storage Box” from last year.
Will you be packing your bags and heading to KC this summer for the big event? Is this piece on your wish list?
Ramblin’ Snowman
KOC Event Commemorative ornament.
Keepsake Ornament Storage Box
Throwback: The First Colorways
This article originally appeared in the 2005 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Value Guide.
“In 1994 when Hallmark awarded door-prizes at their first regional event, they announced that the winners were going to receive ‘mistakes.’ Of course these weren’t really mistakes, but rather, extremely limited, special edition ornaments taken from the regular product line that were painted in different color schemes.”*
“Although the first Colorways were given away in 1994*, the first one was actually a special gold plated KC Angel given to noted ornament collector Clara Johnson Scroggins as a ‘Thank You’ during the 1993 KC Convention.”
1955 Murray Red “Champion”
“Since the first Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Collector’s Club (KOCC) National event in Kansas City in 1991, periodic events have been held in various cities around the country and known as Conventions, Expo, Artist on Tour (AOT), Local Club Tour (LCT), Jubilee, and Art of Keepsakes (AOK). Each successive event has seen a growth in popularity, as it has moved from a one-time event at a single location to multiple regional events around the country.”
As the popularity and notoriety of Colorways has increased, Hallmark has expanded its distribution, making special pieces available for purchase by KOCC members or as rewards for Member-Get-A-Member campaigns, and as gift/prizes at Ornament Debut and Premier and Holiday Open House. The rarest by far are the prizes from national club events. In 1999 gold seals were added to the boxes to make the prizes more identifiable from the regular issue ornaments.
Excerpted from: Special Issue Ornaments, by Tim Kline
Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Value Guide: 1st Edition
Nicki Pierce, HookedonOrnaments.com
*1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, Special Edition – This repainted version of the 4th ornament in the Classic American Cars series was issued in limited quantities and only available as a R-T-W prize at the 1994 Keepsake Ornament Collectors Club event. QXC5422 Edition Size: 40 pieces
*Murray® “Red Champion” – This repainted version of the 1st in the Kiddie Car Classics ornament series was issued in limited quantities and only available at the 1994 Keepsake Ornament Collectors Club events as a Register-To-Win prize. By Don Palmiter. 1⅞” h. x 2⅞” w. QXC5426 Edition size: 40
Reveal: The Clock Strikes Twelve!
Commemorate the 65th anniversary of Disney Cinderella with The Clock Strikes Twelve! Keepsake Ornament, as well as the new theatrical movie release on March 13.
Connect to the Magic Cord (sold separately) to see and hear Cinderella as the clock strikes twelve. Available starting at Ornament Premiere.
The Clock Strikes Twelve!
Disney Cinderella
65th Anniversary
2015 Dream Book Party
Join in the excitement!
Kick off the 2015 Keepsake ornament season and find out what is coming by attending a Dream Book Party at your local retailer on May 16th, 2015. In addition to being able to preview the 2015 Keepsake Ornament Club exclusive ornaments and see a sneak peek of some ornaments from the 2016 Keepsake Ornament line, this will be your first opportunity to purchase Lotus and Poinsettia, the 1st in the Baby Fairy messenger series created by Kristina Gaughran.
Available beginning at the Dream Book Party, May 16, 2015.
*NOTE: The Lotus and Poinsettia set is not a KOC exclusive.
