CrEePy Clown WALLY OOAK Porcelain Dynasty Doll Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus

Suchart Studios 24" Porcelain Doll VANESSA Beautiful Bride Doll on eBay

Fisher Price Nickelodeon Shimmer & Shine 11" Genie Talking Doll on eBay...

A Happy Hoarder: Box Opening from shopgoodwill.com

A (not so) Happy Hoarder: Unfair NEGATIVE Feedback on eBay!

A Happy Hoarder: LOTS of TOYS & Other Thrifty Finds

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 31 It's Not Over...It Has Only Just Begun!

I can't believe I made it! I posted 31 times during the month of October in spite of all the other things I had going on.

So, HAPPY HALLOWEEN from my Zombie Baby!

I actually carried him around to stores today and he got a lot of attention. He even had his photo taken a few times. He already had a cute Halloween onesie but then I found this tiger costume at Goodwill for $1.99. I was just meant to have it.

During this past 31 days, I had really hoped to have crafted more Santas but what I gained by doing research for my blog (on eBay...LOL!) I feel more inspired to get back to creating my own.

I purchased a few Santas that have not arrived and I have really changed the course of my collection from chalkware, hand carved, and resin reproductions of popular Santa artists, to a lot figures.

Here are a few I am waiting to receive:

Santa's Uncle Swede

This little Santa's Uncle Swede  Doll measures 12 inches tall. With Stand  This cloth sculpture was designed from pattern through finish in the heart of South central Pennsylvania. form #355(7/93). A one of a kind. Hand made collectible. .Hand numbered 2802 .. He carries his sack full of toys.. A perfect addition to your holidays display or for gift giving.

House of Hatten

I bought this lot just for the House of Hatten Santa Sitting on the box.

After I received my Santa designed by Dee Gann, I just had to bid on tis one...

And I won!

Other than three for which I am waiting on an invoice, and a couple I bid on that have not closed out, my goal is NO SANTA NOVEMBER when it comes to buying Santa Claus Figures, Ornaments, Art Work, etc. off eBay.

But that doesn't mean I won't visit my favorite shops locally!

But seriously, I do want to thank all of my new readers as well as my old, and I hope you will continue to follow me as I attempt a new goal...

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS! Starting November 1st.

I will be still be talking about my Santa Collection and Santa Crafting but will be adding more about my other creative activities during the holiday season.

God Bless Us, Everyone!

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 19 Buying Santa Claus Collectibles through Online Auctions PART DEUX Another BAD Experience

I was doing a search for Santas on eBay late last night. I like to search through "Ending Soon" auctions every now and then. Of those that were about to close, I found a three auctions with no bids and very low starting prices. One of the auctions had a small David Frykman Santa, and two of the auctions had a House of Hatten elf. Now, I don't collect elves, but I do have a few vintage and a couple of HofH. I do have a couple of Frykman reproductions, but now that he has retired, perhaps they will become more valuable.

Anyway, I noticed that the seller had a rather high shipping amount, but I felt at least the elves were worth $30, plus I would get all the other ornaments that were mostly mass produced resin Santas.

The good news, I won the auctions because no one else bid on them. I sent a note asking the seller if he would consider combining the items and reduce the shipping but he wouldn't. The shipping for 29 ornaments was $29, which in eBay terms is known as "padding the shipping".  So I asked if the seller if he would please consider taking a smaller lot I won for .99 off the transaction bringing my shipping down to $20 (still high) but I did not hear back from him.

So, this morning I wake up and check my email so that I can read Lara's Blog and find that the seller has responded by canceling ALL of my purchases. I sent him a message and he replied (not is a pleasant way) that he refused to sell them to me and for me not to bid on the relisted items.

And no, sellers are NOT supposed to do that, but I guess he was miffed because he did not get want he wanted for items.

Of course, I contacted eBay's customer support and I filed a complaint. I also mentioned the "padded" shipping and the rep "Tom" added that to the report as well. When Tom read the emails (all correspondence through eBay is available for CS to read) he said that the seller's behavior was uncalled for and he put that in the report as well. Then Tom told me to bid on the items and if the seller blocked me or refused to sell me the items again, he would be suspended. So, there!

The seller did this to me and I responded appropriately. I was unable to leave negative feedback since the transactions had been cancelled which concerns me, because if gets away with this, what is to prevent him from doing it to someone else.

Just a word of warning, on an online auction, the item you won is not yours until it is in your hands.

So, according to my favorite  quote, "If the Lord meant for me to have it...", I guess the Lord did not mean for me to have these. But in the nonBiblical quote, "When the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window." He did give me something else.

Well, like I said, it is not mine until it is in my hands.

I was exhausted this evening and after dinner I slipped down in my chair and searched the "Ending Soon"...will I ever learn?

Nevertheless, I found this Santa!

So, for less than the other lots of commonly found ornaments, I was able to get this (perhaps one of a kind?) Santa figure who is 27" tall. I think the tallest Santa may be half that size, but I am looking forward to his arrival!

Now, I know that there are those out there who think collecting and/or crafting Santas is a waste of time and money, but it is cheaper than therapy.

To me, Santa represents generosity and, like Saint Nicholas, not expecting something in return.

Santa is not the only thing I "collect" but it is the only thing I OVER-collect. I have no intentions to beat out Jean-Guy Laguerre, the Guinness Book of World's record holder of over 25,000 Santas.

Besides, I sell some to buy others every few years. I really don't spend THAT much because I mostly shop at garage sales, thrift stores, and place low bids on eBay.

I think it is much more fun to "hunt: and find the really good deals.

It all goes back to, "If the Lord meant for me to have something, I'd find it at..."

And if you come to my house, you'll see that the Lord is VERY generous.

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 9 Buying Santa Claus Collectibles through Online Auctions

Day 9

I realized today that it is very difficult to talk about my Santa collection if the majority of my Santas are packed away.  So, I've been doing some online shopping; mostly on eBay.

I'm always on the search for interesting Santas to add to my collection, and this afternoon I gave an unusual Santa a ride in my shopping cart around Rolling Hills Ministries Thrift Store, then I decided I really couldn't fit him with my other Santas, so I left him there for someone else to enjoy.

I did find a photo of him on eBay (I've added the links to the auctions on each image) and discovered there are more like him.

I do collect a lot of chalk ware Santas cast from vintage chocolate molds, but this jolly fellow, albeit very cute, would clash with my more vintage 50's and 60's or folk art style collection.

Anyway...
Here are some others I found on eBay. You should check them out. The starting bid is very reasonable or you use can buy it now with free shipping.

I also like to shop at Goodwill and have recently been bidding on a few things (not just Santas) on their http://shopgoodwill.com auction site. I have found a lot of great art. I love collecting original paintings, etc. and pick up a lot of great pieces at Goodwill. I am rather amazed at the number of very pricey art they have on their site.  But I digress. They also have a great collection of Santas.

I strongly suggest you know your Santas before bidding because many of the titles and descriptions can be misleading. For example, (not to pick on Goodwill, because eBay sellers do it as well) this Santa is described as a Hand Carved Santa Claus Statue w/ Gifts, but as you can see in the photo, he is clearly made of resin.

Typically I don't collect teapots or coffee pots, but I think this cross-collectible Santa Claus coffee pot is a very nice piece. 

Don't forget to do searches under Santa's other names like St. Nick or Nicholas. I found this figure from The Legend of Santa Claus series under a search for "St. Nick".

I used to collect The Legend of Santa Claus by United Design, and had a few of the larger pieces that featured animals. These Santas have the most beautiful eyes. 

When I moved to Ruston, LA, my new home did not have the space to display all my Santas, So I sold these large pieces but I ended up buying more (smaller) Santas. because that's what I have to do. 

Another thing to consider when bidding on shopgoodwill.com is the cost of shipping. They charge a lot for shipping plus they add a handling charge that varies from item to item. Fortunately, if you purchase more than one item from the same store, they will combine shipping.

Update: October 22, 2014

I was JUST at my favorite store, Rolling Hills Ministry Thrift Store, and I found this Santa for fifty-five cents.

He's a cute but rather large ornament, and his missing ski-pole can easily be reproduced.

Then, while mindlessly searching through Santas on eBay. I find this...

Just a reminder that you shouldn't let the price some seller "set" make you think something is more collectible.

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 4 House of Hatten, Beeswax, and other Collectibles

I had no time to create Santas today because my artistic skills were required elsewhere. I helped my husband install a new counter top at our lake house.

The cool thing that I just had to blog about was that I received two packages in the mail yesterday from eeeeeeeBAAAAAAY!  

Well, not eBay specifically, but from eBay sellers who were actually putting collectible Santas up for action at reasonable starting bids. 

So...

"If the Lord wanted me to have something, I'd win it on eBay." See how that expression works with everything! Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings you bestow upon me...and my new Santas!

Anyway...

The smaller box contained a small vintage (?) Santa ornament (bright red) made in Japan who is composed of either hard plastic or a thin ceramic. He's only about 3" tall and has such a sweet face. He'll look great with my other vintage Santas I display on my kitchen hutch at Christmas. 

The second is papier mache' and is probably just a mass produced item but he will still look good on my "bought" Santa ornament tree. I also have a tree that is decorated with Santa ornaments that I made. I have over 300 on that one alone. The "bought" Santas are probably less in number, but it looks as though they are quickly catching up.

The two darker Santas at the bottom left corner are actually made of beeswax cast in an antique chocolate mold. These are the first two beeswax Santa figures I've ever purchased but I have always admired them when I found them at juried shows and antique stores.  

The flash is making them look lighter than they
are in real life.

Beeswax melts at a higher temperature than Gulf wax (or whatever they call petroleum wax these days). I've used Beeswax combined with Gulf wax for creating batiks. It is a very creamy and workable wax, not stiff like the petroleum waxes. But the best thing about beeswax is that it gives the Santas a beautifully translucent skin tone.  

I've seen a few beeswax pieces where the artist stamped the bottom of their piece or actually carved into it to sign it. These two do not have any marks. That doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad to have them and I couldn't wait to tuck them in my display cabinet with my other chalkware and chocolate mold Santas. 

Perhaps I'll try my hand at casting a few this year with my smaller chocolate molds. Beeswax is significantly more expensive that petroleum (Gee, I wonder why?) So, I just might make a few for myself. I have no idea what type of paint they use, I guess I'll research a few wax artist's blogs!

Now, back to the other Santas in the first box!

The Santa ornament in the bottom center no longer has a tag but I believe it is a Silvestri piece because I have another similar ornament. I just love his vintage looking bottle brush wreath he's holding.

And then there is the House of Hatten elf. I generally don't collect elves or Mrs. Claus, but I do have a few reindeer, a vintage elf on a shelf, and a few other vintage elves. But this is a House of Hatten elf, and I love House of Hatten! I already have several pieces, but due to space, the Santas have to be packed away during the rest of the year. But come November, they join the rest of the gang decorating my home. 

Speaking of House of Hatten!

It looks like I'll have a much larger group this year.

The Santa with the tree (ornament) and the sitting Santa, and the one in the sleigh are all new to my collection. I already have the Santa on the moon, the Santa with the goose and I also have a the one with the star on his head, but I think mine might be smaller.

Back in the eighties, I worked in retail, so at Christmas I saw a lot of Santas. I could not afford to collect any nice Santas back then. You know, with rent, food, utilities, gas, plus the clothes I needed for work, I couldn't afford such luxuries as collecting Santas no matter how adorable they were.

There was a store in the mall where I worked that carried House of Hatten (AKA: H of H) and I fell in love with them. In 1988, I purchased my first three Santas at the after Christmas 75% off sale and have treasured them ever since.

I'll most likely have to sell a few of my duplicates this year closer to Christmas, to help pay for the ones I've just bought.

I will keep the little bunny angel ornament because I once had a wonderful New Zealand white rabbit named Mr. Lily. He was an after Easter return to a pet shop and, if they didn't find a home for him, he'd be sold as snake food. Not that I have anything against snakes eating, this particular baby bunny had a lot of personality. He actually stood up on his haunches when I reached in his box and let me pet him and pick him up. Since I had a guinea pig rescue, I thought having a a cute little Easter bunny couldn't be much more trouble, plus we already had another rescued rabbit. He was very large, rather old, and his name was Noo-Noo (pronounced with the long U sound). Yes, he was named after the Teletubbies vacuum cleaner and Noo-Noo is also the term we use when we want the dogs to clean up something spilled on the floor; however, we can't take credit for naming the rabbit. 

When Noo-Noo passed away, we rescued another friend for Mr. Lily named Duzo. Duzo was a supporting actor in the play "The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds" where I played the leading role. He was a scene stealer.

We let our rabbits run in the yard, hang out in the house during days when the weather was bad (even though Duzo pooped everywhere), then we'd put them back in their hutch at night. They were both very affectionate and were like cats in that they'd come to you, but only if they wanted something. The neighbor's dogs never bothered them. That is until one neighbor, who lived about a half mile down the street, got a new (adult) Jack Russell terrier and, within a couple of days, my bunnies were no more.

I actually have a chalkware rabbit in honor of Duzo, so now I have an H of H bunny angel for my sweet Mr. Lily.