Father-Husband-Marketer-Geek

Brian Jones, owner of the "A Christmas Story" house, and http://www.redriderleglamps.com , let me know that he's just posted the new artist renditions of new pieces for Department 56's "A Christmas Story" series. He added that "All three of this year's new pieces revolve around the police that come to help Flick get unstuck from the flag pole.  The police car in particular should allow collectors to complete the flag pole scene.  I also have listed to exclusive re-releases for this season: The Perfect Tree and The Santa Float.  I expect to have all these in stock in late September or earlier October." Exciting news!

Will Enesco Save  Department 56 ?  - Written by Kristin Singhasemanon of the Satin Button After only three months at the helm, it is still early to assess how Enesco’s ownership will impact Department 56 in the long run.  The good news, of course, is that  Dept. 56  was rescued from the struggling  Lenox  before going under altogether.  From a retailer’s perspective, I was happy to hear that Enesco would be the new owner.  Enesco has been a leader in the gift industry for many years.  They have built a solid foundation from which they are rapidly expanding – let’s just hope they’re not expanding  too  rapidly. Department 56 was not the only company to be acquired by Enesco this year.  They have also added giftware lines Charming Tails, Gund®, Boyds®, Our Name is Mud®, Country Artists®, Bob Olszewski’s Gallery of Light™, My Soul’s Window™, and The Potter’s Shed™ by Michael Macone.  Whew!  That is quite a list.  Some are very popular and well-known, while others are less widely-known bra