Have you experienced the magic of Department 56 Villages?

2014 marks the first year that Beacon's Glow Collectibles is "officially" carrying Department 56 Villages and accessories.

We were leery about taking the plunge to carry this line of collectibles as it is quite an investment from a retailer's point of view.  There are so many different Village Collections (to include Halloween) that it requires this company to publish a catalog that is 119 pages!  (And the catalog, for the most part, contains only villages and accessories that come from the current year).

Got our first official taste at how really versatile and amazing Dept 56 is when the owner of Beacon's Glow decided to put together a Halloween vignette using Department 56 Snow Village Halloween pieces.  We thought that the finished product turned out quite well, don't you?

Included in this vignette were:

Another Prince Croaks 4036600

Autumn Moss 4037201 (not even one bag)

Boneyard Luminaries 4038898 (these LED lights actually change colors!)

Purple Twinkle Bright Tree 56.53272 (an old D56 favorite)

Toads and Frogs Witchcraft Haunt 4036591 (New for 2014)

Scary Pumpkin Lit Tree 4038913

So very cool to display for your Halloween decorating!

Quote of the Day - "Storms make oaks take roots." - Proverb

Department 56 Village Replacement Parts

A key determining factor when deciding whether or not to carry Department 56 Villages and accessories was the plethora of calls we had received requesting information on how to acquire a replacement cord or adapter for a retired D56 village or accessory.

We were frustrated in that we could not assist the customer.  So we decided to try becoming more knowledgeable about Dept 56 replacement parts.

In order to track down a required adapter, replacement cord, or light bulb we are now able to directly contact a Dept 56 representative who handles this specific subject.  She has nicknamed herself "Ms Lit Town" and has a massive database to refer to when trying to track down a retired piece. She told us that there are over 200 power cords alone and her database consists of more than 5000 pieces to include both Villages and accessories.  (I had inquired about a replacement cord for a 2001 piece and she quickly came up with the name and SKU number for it).

Some of these replacement parts can be ordered by us through Enesco (which distributes Department 56 products) or through Ms Lit Town for older pieces.

So, if you are in need of any type of replacement part for your Department 56 Villages, please do not hesitate to contact us at requests@beaconsglow.com.  We will try our best to track down and order that part for you.

By the way, there are some amazing Department 56 collectible figurines and villages that have been introduced for 2014.  Please take a look!

Quote of the Day - "Life isn't about getting and having, it's about giving and being." - Kevin Kruse

A Background History of Department 56 Villages

Way back in 1971, an elderly St. Louis potter, who created and sold ceramic items that he had made in his garage, visited Bachmann's Florist in Minneapolis.  As a demo piece, he brought in a cookie jar shaped like a Victorian house and presented it to Ed Bazinet.  Ed was a giftware buyer for Bachmann's Florist and asked the potter to modify the cookie jar by cutting out the windows and inserting a light so that it could function as a nightlight.  He wanted it to glow like a real house.  Bazinet was pleased with the potter's outcome and many lighted houses were soon to follow.

Now known as the 'Original Snow Village', which was comprised of 6 different houses,  these pieces initially sold for between $150 and $200 and became an instant hit.  (Not known to many, Snow Village houses were originally made of ceramic, not porcelain, and continue to be made of ceramic to this day, just as in the originals.)  Production became overwhelming for the St. Louis potter, so Bazinet moved production to Taiwan.  This is when the line was aptly named Department 56, the number assigned to this division at Bachmann's Florist.

In 1984, Dicken's Village, and English Villages based on the classic "Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, was introduced.  These accessories and houses are made of fine porcelain which lends itself to depicting finer details.  Other Village Collections were soon to follow to include:

• New England Village
• Alpine Village
• Christmas in the City
• Snow Village Halloween
• North Pole Village
• Disney Parks Village
• Snow Frost Village
• Downton Abbey Department 56 Village (a 2014 debut)

Although Department 56 has produced several thousand different Villages and accessories, they have always enforced high-quality standards.  Each and every collectible figurine comes in a protective fitted styrofoam container and a printed cardboard sleeve. On the bottom of each house, Department 56 is sure to include the name of the piece and the year that it was copyrighted.  It is interesting to note that these dates are usually the year before their actual introduction.  Dept 56 Village pieces are constantly retired at the end of each year which causes even more of a demand by D56 collectors.

Department 56, now represented by Enesco, continues to create and produce collectible villages and figurines.  Their Snow Village Halloween series is extremely popular and this year they are introducing a Downton Abbey Collection, which is sure to be an instant hit with collectors.

A History of Department 56 Villages

Have you ever read the background history of Department 56 Villages, and how they initially came to be?  We hope that you find this history as interesting as we did. Incidentally, this information was compiled from various sources found on the Internet. 

Way back in 1971, an elderly St. Louis potter, who created and sold ceramic items that he had made in his garage.  As a demo piece, he brought in a cookie jar shaped like a Victorian house to Bachmann's Florist located in Minneapolis.  Ed Bazinet, a giftware buyer for Bachmann's Florist, asked the potter to modify the cookie jar by cutting out the windows and inserting a light so that it could function as a nightlight and additionally glow like a real house.  Bazinet was pleased with the potter's outcome and many lighted houses were soon to follow. 

Now known as the 'Original Snow Village', which was comprised of 6 different houses,  these pieces initially sold for between $150 and $200 and became an instant hit.  (Not known to many, Snow Village were originally made of ceramic, not porcelain, and continue to be made of ceramic to this day, just as in the originals.)  Production became overwhelming for the St. Louis potter, so Bazinet moved production to Taiwan.  This is when the line was aptly named Department 56, the number assigned to this division at Bachmann's Florist. 

In 1984, Dicken's Village, and English Villages based on the classic "Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, was introduced.  These accessories and houses are made of fine porcelain which lends itself to depicting finer details.  Other Village Collections were soon to follow to include: 

New England Village

Alpine Village

Christmas in the City

Snow Village Halloween

North Pole Village

Disney Parks Village

Snow Frost Village

Downton Abbey (a 2014 debut)

Although Department 56 has produced several thousand different Villages and accessories, they have always enforced high-quality standards.  Each and every collectible figurine comes in a protective fitted styrofoam container and a printed cardboard sleeve. On the bottom of each house, Department 56 is sure to include the name of the piece and the year that it was copyrighted.  It is interesting to note that these dates are usually the year before their actual introduction.  Dept 56 Village pieces are constantly retired at the end of each year which causes even more of a demand by D56 collectors. We have been told from several Dept 56 collectors that the retirement stage oftentimes causes a frenzy amongst collectors trying to obtain that much desired village or accesory before it has been retired. 

Beacon's Glow Collectibles will be initially carrying the following Department 56 Villages but we plan on expanding our offerings in moving forward.  This is just a beginning to determine what both old and new Department 56 Village collectors truly want.

1.  Dicken's Village "A Christmas Carol"

2.  Downton Abbey

3.  Jim Shore Heartwood Creek Village

4.  Original Snow Village (to include Christmas Lane and Christmas Vacation)

5.  Original Snow Village Halloween

6.  Winter's Frost 

We will also be carrying Department 56 replacement parts.  If you are having difficulty finding a replacement part for anything Department 56-related, please email us at info@beaconsglow.com or give us a call at 512-990-9881 and we will do our best to track it down for you.

 

Many Dept 56 houses and accessories are already in stock and available to order, but  we are expecting the bulk of the 2014 introductions to arrive in June.

 

Quote of the Day - "Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present." - Jim Rohn