Today it's three more cute little versions of full sized toys. What is it about little things that we find so irresistible? Or is it just me? :) Dept 56 refers to these three as: See N Say, Teaching Clock and Record Player. We know them by slightly different toy names.
First up the Music Box Record Player #995. The ornament looks exactly like the full size toy! It has the same lithograph designs, colors and records. The ornament version is solid and has no moving parts (made of plaster).
Looking at the top you can see the same record colors (4 fit in the storage compartment) as well as the yellow handle. Wonderful attention to detail on this one!
Created in the 1960s and produced for many years after that (you can get classic and current versions still today) the See N Say The Farmer Says toy was actually produced by Mattel and not Fisher Price. However, since Mattel merged with Fisher Price in the early 90s this classic toy has been thrown in the mix. I do not have a full size toy to compare it to, although I remember playing with these as a child.
I do have the Hallmark ornament version of the See 'N Say, which was released in 2007. This happens to have been the first Fisher Price ornament that Hallmark released. It is quite the wonder as it actually plays the same sounds as the full size toy when you pull the string (takes batteries).
As you can see the Hallmark ornament is quite a bit thicker than the Dept 56 (to hold the batteries and working mechanisms). So asthetically the Dept 56 looks closer to the original toy. The Dept 56 version is made of plaster and has no moveable parts. As I mentioned before the Hallmark version works (dial actually spins and the animal sound plays according to where it lands) and is made of plastic.
Last but not least is the Music Box Teaching Clock #998. I have the full size toy to compare as this beauty happens to be the actual toy that I played with growing up. It's been well loved and the handle is broken off but you can still get the idea.
The front face has the same lithographs showing night and say as well as the little children and animals. It is missing the stripes on the face. The back also looks very similar down to the bird ringing the bell!
In 2011 Hallmark also made a Teaching Clock ornament (seen on the left). At first glance the two ornaments look very similar in size and appeareance. However, the Hallmark ornament is far superior to the Dept 56 version. Once again the Dept 56 ornament has no moving parts and is made of plaster covered in stickers (some of which are crooked on my ornament) The Hallmark ornament has moving clock hands, a plastic front (like the original toy) and actually plays music! It also has the same stripes on the front and is basically a tiny version of the original down to the yellow plastic handle.
The Hallmark ornament (left side) has a yellow turn dial that actually turns and winds up the music box. Otherwise the back lithographs are very similar (as are the ones on each side).
Come back next week for the last installment of this years 2015 Dept 56 Ornaments. Also check out the following Links for more Vintage Fisher Price Ornaments:
For Hallmark Fisher Price Ornaments:
2008 - Play Family Farm
2008 - View-Master
2009 - School Bus
2009 - Chatter Telephone
2010 - Play Family Fun Jet
2010 - Zookeeper Says
2010 - Play Family School
2011 - Music Box Teaching Clock
2011 - Play Family House
2011 - Little People Lil' Movers Fire Truck (not a vintage toy)
2011 - Snoop 'N Sniff - Limited quantity
2012 - Corn Popper
2012 - Two Tune TV
Oh I need all of them ! I only have the chatter phone & school bus.
ReplyDeleteAren't they darling? There were even more introduced this year!
DeleteWow, that looks so fun!
ReplyDelete