Ornament Review: Toymaker Santa Special Edition Limited Quantity 2009 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Shows Toymaker Santa in action; ties to older series

Cons: It looks like it should rock, but it doesn't

The Bottom Line: 

Rocking horse, Santa

Combination Christmas dreams

For a lucky child

Two Series Collide in One 2009 Limited Edition Ornament

Even when a Hallmark ornament series ends, you never know when it will pop back up with a compliment piece, sometimes years down the line.  That was the case with the 2009 Limited Edition Toymaker Santa ornament.

The most obvious piece this ornament ties into is the Toymaker Santa series.  It's right there in the name.  This series is on going and features Santa making, or usually testing, toys.  This ornament was sculpted by Ken Crow, who sculpts all the ornaments in that series.  And it's definitely his Santa.  He's got the squinty eyes and slightly smiling mouth we're used to seeing.  (Okay, his mouth looks a bit more like an O here.)  He's also wearing his normal outfit of tan work apron over green top and red pants, plus he has a hammer in his apron belt just like normal.

So what makes this ornament tie in to a second series?  It's what Santa is working on - a rocking horse.  There was a popular series of rocking horse ornaments that ran from 1981 to 1996.  That's right, 13 years later, they created an ornament that ties back to that series.  As I said to start with, you never know when something will come back.  That series ended long before I started collecting, so I don't know what it was like, but this rocking horse is very real and very to scale.  The horse itself is white with red and green on the bridle and saddle.  The rocker part is mostly red with green highlights and 2009 written in gold.

I already mentioned that Santa is still working on the rocking horse.  He's holding a paintbrush in one hand and a can of paint in the other.  Part of the red saddle is actually white because Santa is about to bend over and finish painting it.  I actually like that touch because it shows Santa hard at work.

Between the bottom of the rocking horse and Santa's feet, this ornament is fairly stable if you set it on a table or shelf.  He wants to rock to his right our left, but as long as nothing too big bumps him, he'll be fine.

It is so tempting to try rocking the ornament.  After all, Santa is standing behind the horse, so what you really see is the base of the rocking horse.  Trust me on this, don't give in to temptation.  I did, and I had to glue Santa's left hand back on.  Fortunately, it was easy to do, but the ornament will break is you are careless with it.

Hanging the ornament from your tree is really the best way to enjoy it.  If the ornament tips at all, it tips back from where it rests when standing up, but that's a good thing.  It allows you to better see Santa's face and the horse.

I bought this ornament because I collect the Toymaker Santa series, and I feel it's a great compliment.  Personally, I wonder how many fans of the Rocking Horse series bought it because of the time gap.  Either way, it makes a great addition to any tree and seems to compliments both series well.

This is an ornament that has gone up slightly in value since its initial release.  That means many people like me are glad to have the 2009 Limited Edition Toymaker Santa in their ornament collection.

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

Original Price: $15.00