Department 56's has added a few pieces to their
Nightmare Before Christmas line (available June 25). So far this series has replicated what's been available through Disney and Bradford Exchange although with much better detail, larger size, and much better quality. This year we get Lock, Shock & Barrel's Treehouse, the Town Square Fountain, and Zero's doghouse. I hope they keep going and give us some more odd buildings like the round monster building, the witch hat buildings, the cat building, the octopus tower, or maybe even the spiral hill.
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| Town Square Fountain, #6001202, $40 |
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| Lock, Shock & Barrel Treehouse, #6001201, $130 |
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| Zero And His Dog House, #6001203, $20 |
Elsewhere, Department 56's Halloween Village series adds another interesting witch building (Emeralda's Shoe Shop) and a few less inspired buildings that don't scream out to me. I'm not sure what happened since Enesco bought the company but it feels like Halloween has veered towards the dull and stodgy (and enough with the train cars!). Perhaps they've realigned to their target demo (which skews older based on the the village organizations I've met with) and they want to be inoffensive as possible?
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| Esmeralda's Shoe Shop, #6000660, $115 |
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| The Bone Grinder Mill, #6000663, $140 |
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| The Black Cat Flat, #6000661, $160 |
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| Last Laugh Asylum, #6000659, $155 |
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| Monster Mash Party House, #6000659, $160 |
But all is not lost when I saw two accessories: Tree of Terror and Row of Skulls. Both of these are actually pretty scary and maybe even disturbing. I wish they would bring this kind of sinister feel to a couple buildings. Where is black and sinister gothic mansion/monster house like the one from Stephen King's IT? Department 56, please create a focus group with a few of us younger village collectors and let us be your Halloween consultants!
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| Row of Skulls Curved, #6001747, $18.50 |
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| Tree of Terror, #6001754, $30 |
