Ornament Review: Reindeer - Yuletide Treasures #2 - 2007 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Looks amazing; toy soldier moves

Cons: Front legs could move further

The Bottom Line:

Ornament looks great

Love seeing soldier pop up

Wish legs kicked better

Reindeer Fly for the Second Year of the Yuletide Treasures Series 

Pull string toys weren't that popular when I was a kid, so I never had one.  As a result, it took me a little bit to warm up to Hallmark's Yuletide Treasures series.  But some of the entries look so classy.  That's the case with the Reindeer, the second entry in the series.

The reindeer is a rich, golden brown.  His head is held high and his front feet are bent while his back ones are straight.  He looks for all the world like he's prancing or even taking off to fly.  He's wearing a red sash with some gold decorations.  He also has saddlebags full of toys.  There's a toy soldier, a drum, a horn, and several wrapped boxes.

Taken as a whole, this ornament looks very ornate.  It's actually very simple, but the decorations there are look so nice.

And this ornament has real pull string action.  The string hangs down from the middle of his belly and it has a star on the end.  Not surprisingly, when you pull the string, his legs go back and forth.  I actually got two of these because the legs didn't seem to want to move on that one.  On this one, the front legs don't move very far but the back legs move freely.

As an added bonus, when you pull the string, the toy soldier in the front saddle bag pops up and goes back down.  To be honest, that's probably my favorite part of the ornament because it us unexpected.

Since this is a series ornament, you can look for the 2 in a Christmas tree hidden with the copyright information on his belly.

Because of how the legs are bent to make it look like the reindeer is in action, this ornament doesn't stand up at all.  The only way to display it is to hang it from the hook in the middle of his back.  The ornament tips back every so slightly when you have it hanging, but I actually think I like it better that way because it adds to the illusion that he is flying.  Of course, when you go to pull on the cord, you'll want to make sure you are holding the ornament since it is doubtful that a tree branch and ornament hook will be enough to support the tug.

While I would like the front legs to move a bit more, I still love this ornament.  The detail and color really help make Reindeer look wonderful.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Yuletide Treasures series.

Original Price: $16.50