Ornament Review: Hall Bro's Card Shop - Keepsake Korners - 2017 Hallmark Ornamentsd

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great looking shop pays tribute to two popular series

Cons: Very popular ornament.

The Bottom Line:

This light up card shop

Pays tribute to two series

In fun ornament

What Would Keepsake Korners Be Without a Card Shop?

Hallmark certainly had a great idea with the Keepsake Korners ornaments this year.  All four of these releases have been flying off the shelves in my local store.  Of course, it helps that they are a take off of the very popular Nostalgic Houses and Shops series, but the nods to other series in the windows have certainly helped.  And they saved the biggest nod for the Hall Bro’s Card Shop.

This final ornament in the four-part continuity series is a nice tribute to the company itself since Hallmark was founded by two brothers.  The shop is a pretty sea green with gray accents and roof.  The door is to the right and sticks out a little bit as if this shop is on the corner.  Not that we see a window or anything on the side.  There’s only one window in front, and it’s a big one.  In fact, it’s big enough to show off the tribute to the very first Frosty Friends ornament.

If you aren’t familiar with the Frosty Friends series, it features an Eskimo having fun with various Artic animals.  There have been 37 additions to the series as of 2017, and it shows no signs of slowing down with lots of related merchandise.  The first ornament, called Cool Yule back then, featured Frosty and a polar bear sitting on a block of ice holding books of Christmas carols.  And that’s what you’ll find in the window.  As an addition, we get a penguin and a husky dog on either side of the ice block.

Like others in the series, this one features an optional light effect.  If you slip a standard Christmas tree light in the hole in the back of the building, you can see the windows glow and easily see the background, which features a Christmas tree and a display of cards.

While I’m sure the other ornaments in the Keepsake Korners series have appealed to those who collect the various ornaments featured, Frosty Friends has such a huge audience that the crossover was massive.  Fans of it and the Nostalgic Houses and Shops series will both want it.  I went into my store on release day and bought the last one on the shelves, and I would bet that it sold just as quickly elsewhere.

And there’s good reason for that.  It’s a very nice-looking ornament.  Considering their size, the detail on the figures in the window is impressive.  And I just love that color.

Naturally, this ornament has a flat bottom; it is a building, after all.  That’s quite convenient if you want to set up a town with this series.  Or you can hang it on your tree.  The hook is positioned such that it hangs perfectly level.

I’m actually fairly new to both Frosty Friends and Nostalgic Houses and Shops, but I’m finding both series fun.  As a result, I really like the Hall Bro’s Card Shop.

Fans of this ornament will enjoy the official Nostalgic Homes and Shops ornaments.

Original Price: $15.95