Ornament Review: 1225 Kringleville Drive - 4th and Final in the Kringleville Series - 2013 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: More fun lever action

Cons: Rather plain looking overall

The Bottom Line:

Sliding down chimney

As we bid series farewell

Fun but bit too plain

Santa's Delivering a Present in Our Final Visit to Kringleville

I'm not too surprised that the Kringleville ornament series from Hallmark didn't last longer than four entries.  After all, it's a village series, and they already have Nostalgic Homes and Shops as well as Noelville (Christmas Windows depending on how you count) to fulfill that need.  Yes, there were some different twists to this series, but obviously others agree that it just wasn't enough.

Fortunately, the series goes out on a fun note with 1225 Kringleville Drive.  As the name implies, we're got a house this year.  It's fairly square, but it does have a nice bay window.  Inside that window we can see a Christmas tree next to the fireplace.  There are also two stockings hanging over the fireplace.

One of the fun things in this series is the optional lighting effect.  If you so desire, you can insert a light bulb from any string of Christmas tree lights.  When the bulb is lit, you'll find that it shines light out of the windows and over the interior scene.  It adds a nice tough to the ornament.

What really sets this one apart is the slide action.  There is a lever on the right hand side.  When it is all the way forward, Santa is waving to us from the top of the chimney.  When you slide it back, he slides down and appears coming out of the fireplace with a present in his hand.

Honestly, that slide factor is the one fun thing about the series, and it was why I started collecting it in the first place.  However, the rest of the ornament is rather plain.  The snow is just plastic (although I do enjoy not getting covered in glitter when I handle it).  It's a good ornament, but nothing special, honestly.

Being a house, it's got a nice flat bottom, so you can display it on any flat surface if you don't want to hang it on your tree.  You can also find the 4 in a Christmas tree down there since this is the fourth in the series.

But if you want to hang it from your tree, you'll find the ring on the top of the roof.  No surprise since it's in the middle of a square ornament, but it hangs perfectly straight.

Of the village series Hallmark had going, this was the most kid friendly.  They would have a ton of fun sliding that lever, so for their sake, it's sad to see the series end.  However, I am not sorry to see the series end after 1225 Kringleville Drive.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Kringleville series.

Original Price: $17.95