Sunday, July 30, 2017

Ornament Review: Spotlight on Snoopy 20th's Anniversary Commemorative Ornament - 2017 Hallmark Ornament



Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Honors 20 years of Spotlight on Snoopy
Cons: Very similar to original piece, larger with less detail
The Bottom Line:
This ornament for
Series anniversary
Not what I hoped for




Disappointing Anniversary Piece

When I realized that the Spotlight on Snoopy series was hitting number 20 this year, I was hoping that Hallmark would celebrate with a special anniversary piece.  While they did, the result was disappointing.

The problems with the piece start off with the design.  It’s very similar to the first ornament in the series.  Both feature Snoopy and his friend Woodstock getting ready to fill in for Santa.  Snoopy’s wearing red and he has a huge green sack of toys.  Woodstock is holding the map of their route while Snoopy gives us the thumbs up.  He’s not wearing sun glasses, something he was doing in the original as part of his Joe Cool persona (the original ornament was called Joe Cool after all).

Okay, I get it.  Unlike other series where it is easy to combine items or characters for an anniversary piece, this one is hard since it is Snoopy and Woodstock each year.  There are slight changes, but you have to really look at them side by side to see that.  Couldn’t they have found something different for the anniversary piece?  Snoopy and Woodstock blowing out 20 candles on a cake?  That would tie into this year’s ornament in the series in fact since Snoopy is a baker in it.

That aside, the next issue is the size.  This ornament is noticeably bigger than not only the rest of the series but the other Peanuts ornaments.  You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Great, more detail.”  You’d be wrong.  There’s actually less detail here than in the regular pieces.  Because the size is bigger, it costs more than the regular piece as well, which is no surprise.  Additionally, to set it apart, it is made from porcelain, which makes it a bit more fragile.

I actually saw all of this except the size from the Dreambook that Hallmark released this spring.  I was hoping that it would be better looking in person, but it isn’t.

Now don’t get me wrong.  This isn’t a bad ornament.  It’s just not a good ornament either.  And since I really need to cut back on what I buy (and considering what I’ve bought already this year and plan to buy later, you can stop laughing now), this makes an easy one to eliminate.  That’s disappointing since, as I say every year, this series is the series I’ve been collecting since the 2000’s, before I got into collecting Hallmark ornaments to the extent I do today.

Snoopy has big feet in this ornament, and they provide enough of a base that you can set this ornament out.  Or you can hang him.  Since the loop is on Snoopy’s head, which isn’t centered, you’ll find that he tips slightly to the right.  It’s noticeable, but it would be easy enough to overlook if the rest of the ornament were better.

It’s easy to pick apart the flaws in this ornament, especially if you were hoping for better.  If you are missing the first in the series, this anniversary piece might be worth picking up.  For long term fans, this 20th Anniversary piece is a mixed bag, however.

With 20 ornaments, there are plenty to choose from in the Spotlight on Snoopy series.

Original Price: $17.95

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