Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Good reflect in a miniature ornament
Cons: The generic wreath and out of control scarf
The Bottom Line:
Special miniature
Represents full size piece well
Good details for size
A Mini Merrymaker
Last year, Hallmark released a miniature version of the first ornament in the Snowtop Lodge series as a limited edition ornament. Considering how many were left on the shelves, I didn’t expect to see any more miniature versions of the ornaments in this series, so you can imagine my surprise when they released Benny M. Merrymaker as a miniature ornament for the Keepsake Ornament Club this year.
This ornament is a miniature version of this year’s entry in the series. Benny is ready to help make you merry by hanging a wreath for you. He’s holding the wreath in his hands and is smiling. On his bottom ball, he’s got an outdoor scene painted of some houses and trees.
Since I haven’t actually seen the full-size version yet (tomorrow I can!!!), I can only compare the two based on the pictures of the regular sized Benny. The biggest difference in in the wreath. This version is a rather ordinary looking wreath with red decorations on it. The full-size version has a much more detailed wreath. The painting on this version is rather detailed for a miniature ornament, you can definitely tell what it is supposed to be. The scene on the bottom is a bit more abstract than the full size version, but I like it. The one that surprised me the most is that Benny’s Santa hat is tipped the other way in the two versions.
But enough with the comparisons – what do I think of this miniature ornament as he is? I like him. I do wish his wreath weren’t so generic, but I get why it is – it’s hard to get much detail into an ornament this size. In fact, considering how small he is (about an inch tall), it’s actually impressive just how detailed he is. This is especially true of the painting on his base. My biggest complaint is the red and white twisted thread that is his scarf. It’s too long. This is especially true considering the ends stick out in random directions no matter how you try to smooth them down, but considering they hang almost to his base, they are definitely too long.
Benny, being a snowman, has a flat base, so you can set him out to be displayed. Just remember his size; it would be very easy for him to get lost somewhere and broken. And since he is made completely from porcelain, he’s on the fragile side.
Of course, you can hang him on your tree. The loop is in the top of his head, and when you slip a loop through it, you’ll find that he tips forward ever so slightly, as do many of his full-sized brethren.
While I think I like the full-sized Benny better, that doesn’t mean I don’t still like the miniature Benny M. Merrymaker. I’m certainly glad I added him to my miniature ornament collection.
Enjoy the rest of the Snowtop Lodge ornaments.
Original Price: $9.95
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