Ornament Review: The Detective - Spotlight on Snoopy #3 - 2000 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Ties Snoopy into my favorite fiction genre

Cons: Not a strong tie in to Peanuts, hangs slightly to the left

The Bottom Line:

Snoopy as a sleuth

Who better to sniff out clues?

Cute decoration

Snoopy is Sherlock Hounds This Christmas

As much as I love Peanuts, I'm not an expert on the comic strip.  Therefore, I'm not sure how often Snoopy really played detective in the funny pages.  I do know there was a special in the 70's called It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown.  (Someday, I must see it.  I had a book version as a kid.)  I'm not sure if that special was the inspiration for the third Spotlight on Snoopy ornament or not, but I don't care too much.  The Detective was one of the first in the series I bought.

Released in 2000, this ornament features Snoopy decked out as Sherlock Holmes.  He's wearing a plaid outfit that is red with yellow and blue strips.  Not only is it his jacket and his pants, but even his hat is made out of the same material.  Snoopy is carrying a magnifying glass.  While the glass doesn't actually enlarge anything (it distorts it instead), it does have something in it to make it look like it should.

Woodstock gets into the act as well.  He's decked out in a tiny black suit and black hat.  He's holding a small notepad.  And it makes sense that he would be the Watson to Snoopy's Holmes.

Once again, this ornament is made from solid plastic.  It's lightweight and sturdy for its intended decorative use.  The double bill on Snoopy's cap sticks out pretty far in the back.  It seems solid, but it could be the first part to break off if the ornament were subjected to abuse.

This is the first ornament not to have the release year worked into the main part of the ornament.  There is still a 3 in a triangle on Snoopy's foot, representing the number in the Spotlight on Snoopy series.

Maybe the previous year's instability was a fluke because this ornament is very stable.  Snoopy's two feet and Woodstock all hit the ground on the same plain.

Of course, I always hang mine on my tree.  The little metal circle is actually off to the side of Snoopy's hat to make way for the topknot.  As a result, Snoopy does hang slightly crooked.  Funny, I had never noticed that before.  Obviously, it isn't too bad if I've had it on my tree for 9 years without knowing.

When the Spotlight on Snoopy series started, I only bought the ones I absolutely loved.  (When I realized I owned over half of them, I hit up Ebay to get the rest.)  Even though this one doesn't really connect with the strip as much as some of the others, I bought it the year it came out.  How could a mystery fan and Peanuts fan not love Snoopy dressed as Sherlock Holmes?

Those looking for ornaments directly related to Snoopy and the Peanuts comic strip might not want to rush out and buy The Detective.  Me?  This is still a favorite from the Spotlight on Snoopy series.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Spotlight on Snoopy series.

Original Price: $9.95