Ornament Review: Toymaker Santa #16 - Tractor - 2015 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good sculpt, fun for the target audience

Cons: I’m not the target audience, noticeable tip

The Bottom Line:

Riding tractor toy

Santa enjoying test ride

Fun piece for farmers

Farmers in the Making

While I mostly love the Hallmark series I collect, there are some I go back and forth about.  One of those is Toymaker Santa.  There are some that are very creative and fun.  And then there are some that I don’t connect with.  2015’s edition was one that didn’t appeal to me as much.  I can certainly appreciate it, but it doesn’t connect with me.

See, this year’s toy is a riding tractor.  Santa is sitting on it.  He’s obviously a little big for it since it’s meant for a kid.  Oh, and this is a Toymaker Tuff brand tractor, too.  In addition to Santa’s usual work apron and tools, he’s wearing a red cap on his head.  The tractor is red with a green steering wheel and green inside the wheels.

In case you haven’t noticed by what I review here, I’m an indoor kind of guy, so farming was never really on my radar, even as a kid.  And I certainly wouldn’t have been excited to get a riding tractor like this as a kid.  Therefore, the nostalgia that drives so much of this series for me doesn’t really work here.

However, for farmers or kids who dreamed of being a farmer, this would be a fun ornament.  The ornament itself is cute, and Santa is clearly enjoying himself, which is always a draw to the series.  I’m just not the target audience.

And that seems to be the issue with the last couple of years.  The toys are becoming a bit more specialized, meaning they don’t appeal to as large an audience.

While the wheels on the tractor don’t actually turn, they do provide a nice, steady base for the ornament.  Yep, you can leave it out is a display if you don’t want to hang it on your tree.

You’ll find the 16 in a Christmas tree on the ornament, but there isn’t room to put it on the bottom of the tractor.  Instead, it’s on Santa’s back.  It’s small, so you kind of have to know what number is supposed to be in there to fully get it.

If you want to hang the ornament, you’ll find the loop on the top of Santa’s cap.  Slip a hook through it, and you’ll find that the ornament hangs crooked.  Or maybe Santa’s just going down a hill.  He tips to the front right.  You might be able to hide it with some tree branches, but if you can’t, it’s very noticeable.

When Toymaker Santa connects with me, I really enjoy this series.  While the 2015 entry isn’t one of my favorites, it will appeal to those with a love of tractors.

See what else Santa has test in the Toymaker Santa series.

Original Price: $14.95