Father-Husband-Marketer-Geek

Critter Hut I found this online store, an Ebay store, actually, while browsing the Yahoo! Group and it had a few Department 56 listings for sale. Sale items include the Amish Family Set of 3 from the Heritage Village collection, Send in the Clown Snow Village, Skating Pond of Heritage Village, Village Pine Cone Trees, Little Women Literary Classics' March Residence, Stoney Brook Town Hall from New England Village, Buck's County Horse Barn and Countdown to Christmas Headquarters from the North Pole series. Some of the items start @ 99 cents! Replacements.com This site seems to have some ok deals on Department 56 pieces. The link above will bring you to some items from the Snow Village Halloween collection that are on sale.

This past Saturday I was browsing a flea market while my wife was getting her hair done. There was a little Christmas shop inside the flea market. Of course, I asked the proprietor if she had any village buildings by Department56. She said yes, and showed me three older pieces from Dickens' Village. There was "M Fezziwig Warehouse", "The Flat of Ebenezer Scrooge" and "Old Curiosity Shop". I don't collect Dickens, but I know th at is what I wanted to give my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas. Perfect. I asked her if the lighting worked, and she tested each, and showed me all sides of each building. They were perfect. I was so excited. It was a very good deal, right? It's funny, because before I chose Snow Village, I was going to choose Dickens for my christmas village, basically because I've always loved the movies, including every single remake. These pieces may end up at my office - which I have dubbed "The island of misfit piec...