Toy OTD: Enesco Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Figurine: "Jingle, Jingle, Jingle, You Will Hear My Sleigh Bells Ring" (2000)

Since it's Christmas today, I thought I'd write about one of Enesco's adorable Rankin-Bass figurines. Of course, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the most famous (and arguably the most popular) of the R-B specials, so there's been plenty of Rudolph merchandise available over the last ten years or so!

Here's another great piece from the line, depicting young Rudolph playing with a halter of sleigh bells as Santa watches. It's a really wonderful sculpt - there's a nice sense of texture, from the felt-like quality to Rudolph's coat, to the fluffy look of Santa's beard, to the grainy snow that makes up the base. The poses can't get too dynamic without becoming very fragile, but there's an effort made here to keep the characters alive. Nothing feels stiff or mechanical, despite the fact the source figures are stop-motion puppets. Heads are slightly tilted, knees are bent, arms are raised to different heights. It captures the feeling of the scene really well without being too literal (actually, this moment took place in the reindeer family's cave).

The paint work is also very good, duplicating the original colors accurately. While the paint apps aren't all that tight, they're executed well enough to keep from feeling sloppy. I could probably do without the glitter mixed into the snow base, but it's only a minor detraction.

Articulation is a non-issue here, since we're talking about a resin figurine, and the 'snow' base strengthens the overall piece while eliminating any balance issues. It's also great that there's no titling or branding on a visible part of the base - all of that is printed on the underside, completely out of view. Nice!

The biggest minus about this line is the packaging. It's a nice concept for the box design - an old-fashioned television set - but the execution is not very strong at all. The artwork is poor, the layout feels uninspired and unfocused, and there's no way to see the figure without opening the package. Many items in this line were available primarily through mail order, so to a degree this makes sense. Still, I think the box designs could've been a bit stronger - after all, it's the first thing you see after opening the shipping box. Plus, collectors often keep the packaging to preserve the piece's value, so it's smart to make it as attractive as possible!

Even though this line has been out for ten years, it's still not difficult or expensive to get some of the pieces. You can get this figurine right now at ecrater.com for $45 + shipping. Happy Holidays!

Toy OTD: Enesco's Kermitage Collection: Miss Piggy As 'La Danseur' (1983)

I had no idea how far back Enesco existed as a company, since my first real awareness of them was only about eight or nine years ago, starting with their Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer figurine line. As it turns out, their history stretches back much further than that!

I'm still not sure how old the company is, but now I know they go back at least as far as the early eighties, when they made a couple of Muppet figurines based on famous works of art. I'd say that they're a spin-off of Miss Piggy's Treasury of Art Masterpieces from the Kermitage Collection, a published gathering of Muppet art parodies. This one in particular is a mash-up of Miss Piggy and Degas' bronze Petite Danseuse De Quatorze Ans. I'm not really a big fan of this sort of thing, but this is a decent example of this merchandising genre.

Overall, the sculpt could be better. I don't think it's capturing the essence of the pose as well as it could (though that's tricky, considering the completely different, um, physiques of the subjects), and it's not all that on-model in terms of Miss Piggy's likeness, either.

The color work is delicate and subdued, which seems appropriate for conveying a light, balletic feeling. Ideally, it would have been great to mimic the bronze's coloring and finish (not to mention the addition of a fabric tutu), but I'm sure that it would've alienated more potential buyers that it would've attracted. Too bad, as I think that would've heightened the contrast between the form and content, strengthening the joke.

It's fairly well executed, but while the softness of the sculpt and paint work are appealing and support the mood, it makes the overall effect a little fuzzier than I think was intended. Fortunately, the eyelashes are crisply painted and draw the viewer's eyes to the face.

The base is similarly tentative. It's virtually the same color as everything else, contributing little to the piece's look. The plaque's font doesn't feel all that pretentious, and the titling falls uncomfortably between the necessary brevity and a silly caption. Doubling up the articles is playful, and while I would've preferred a parody of the true title, it probably wouldn't have drawn in more potential customers.

The packaging is appropriate, striking the 'high art' tone in order to set the stage for Piggy's contrast. The colors are primarily deep reds and golds, and the fonts are more severe. There's a nice photo of the figure on the box face, and Miss Piggy's 'signature' is reworked by way of Van Gogh (I'm assuming his handwriting is more recognizeable as having a 'high art' feeling).

Unfortunately, there's none of these figurines available for sale online right now. Warm up another eBay favorite search... good luck!