Ornament Review: Toymaker Santa #9 - Firetruck - 2008 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Well designed ornament with lots of firefighting elements

Cons: Not quite balanced and personal preference

The Bottom Line:
For those who dreampt of

Fighting fires, this ornament

Will elicit smiles




Fire Truck Dreams Coming True

It really is amazing to think of all the toys and Santa and his elves have to create - from the expensive and more grown for the older kids down to the simple and fun for the younger ones.  After a couple years focusing on toys for the bigger kids, Hallmark's Toymaker Santa series goes back to young kids with the ninth entry in the series.

This year finds Santa with the perfect trio of gifts for the youngster who dreams of the glories of being a fire fighter.  In his left hand, he's holding a toy fire truck.  His right arm is wrapped around a Dalmatian puppy.  Instead of his traditional hat, he's got a firefighter hat on with a big 08 on it, the year this ornament first came out.

Santa is actually standing in this ornament, a first in the series since the second.  Other than his hat, the rest of his out fight is usual for this series - green shirt and red pants covered by a tan apron.  He's even still got a hammer hanging from one side of the apron.  The smile on his face that he normally has seems extra bright here since the puppy is leaning up and licking his face.  It makes for a cute element to the ornament.

Still, this ornament doesn't grab me quite as much as some of the others in the series, mainly because I never went through the fighting fires day dream stage that many boys do.  It's completely personal, but it doesn't make this one of my favorites in the series.

Since Santa is standing, there isn't much base to the ornament.  Yes, he will balance on his feet, but I wouldn't leave him that way for long.  One bump will knock him over.

He tips forward slightly when you hang him from the little brass hook.  It's not too bad, but unless you hang him at eye level or above, you will notice.

Since this is part of a series, Hallmark has included a 9 in a Christmas tree on the sole of one of Santa's shoes.  Unlike normal, the copyright information doesn't include the year; the 08 on the hat is the only reference to the year of initial release to be found on the ornament.  It doesn't mean anything, but I found it interesting.

While the ninth Toymaker Santa is not a personal favorite, it is still a good ornament, especially for someone with dreams of being a firefighter.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Toymaker Santa series.

Original Price: $12.50