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Post by Adam on Feb 20, 2023 23:17:29 GMT
We happened to be in the Berkshires over this long Presidents Day weekend. The Berkshires are on the western side of Massachusetts and is filled with countryside and small new England towns complete with quaint villages and downtowns. One of these towns is Stockbridge, MA. This was the last town that Normal Rockwell lived and worked in. His famous painting of the Downtown at Christmas is based on the Main Street in Stockbridge. This town also has, as you would expect, The Norman Rockwell Museum. I highly recommend it as well as the extra $10 for the tour. I always thought Rockwell was really just an illustrator for magazine work, but that is only the start of the story. Most of his famous works were paintings that were used in Magazines. He went through a painstaking process to produce these paintings, more often than not including models (just regular people, places and things around him) posing to help him visualize and create the scene he was looking for.
Another famous photo of his is entitled Marriage License. This was of an actual couple getting their license at the Stockbridge Town Offices. The LEMAX building that I purchased and show below is a reproduction of that office building lit up at Christmastime.
A couple of points about this LEMAX product.
1. This is clearly at a different level for LEMAX. More detail went into every aspect. The packaging is a big step up from what I have seen before. 2. It has excellent detail and lighting and captures that Normal Rockwell feel perfectly. 3. You can light it with AA batteries or the included power adapter. The only nit is that they put the plug for that adapter on the side of the building. They had plenty of room underneath but chose to put it on the side. Not a major issue though.
If you are on the fence, I recommend diving in. Very well done by LEMAX!
Here is the actual town offices in Stockbridge, MA as seen from the road.
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Post by edlloyd on Feb 20, 2023 23:32:13 GMT
Nice review Adam. I can't wait to see the new Rockwell lineup in person. What is the cost range for these new beautiful pieces?
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Post by Adam on Feb 21, 2023 1:00:50 GMT
I paid about $150 for this one. More than typical see for Lemax at say Michaels but this was worth it.
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Post by edlloyd on Feb 21, 2023 2:31:56 GMT
I guess my next question is where will they be sold? Probably not at places like Michaels. Lemax makes exclusive stuff for Michaels. That's why they are discounted there. $150 is a good chunk of change. Especially if you plan on getting several pieces. Probably more than I would be willing to spend.
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Post by david1 on Feb 21, 2023 4:23:18 GMT
Thank you Adam for posting the pictures. Its a beautiful building and seeing the prototype they sure got it right. If this is any indication of future production it looks like dept56 will have some competition.
Dave
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Post by Adam on Feb 21, 2023 8:46:19 GMT
I guess my next question is where will they be sold? Probably not at places like Michaels. Lemax makes exclusive stuff for Michaels. That's why they are discounted there. $150 is a good chunk of change. Especially if you plan on getting several pieces. Probably more than I would be willing to spend. Good question. We might see them at Michael’s as they are a distributor for Lemax. If you are near one you may want to check and see. Regarding the price, I may have overpaid a bit. Things tend to be more expensive at museums.
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Post by papa3rail on Feb 21, 2023 11:50:47 GMT
They have definitely stepped up their game.Thanks for posting.
City Lights Collectibles carries most every village on the market.
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Post by josef on Feb 21, 2023 13:31:19 GMT
Always been a Norman Rockwell fan. One reason we use to get the Saturday Evening Post magazines, was the Norman Rockwell covers. My mom use to cut them out and put into an album.
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Post by edlloyd on Feb 22, 2023 0:56:30 GMT
Competition between Dept56 and Lemax is a good thing. Well hopefully for us anyway. Makes me wonder about the current pricing of Lionel products. Seems to have hit about when MTH shut the doors.
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Post by dennym57 on Feb 22, 2023 2:40:46 GMT
I have four Lemax buildings and one Dept. 56.
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Post by Adam on Feb 24, 2023 12:06:45 GMT
If anyone finds these Lemax Normal Rockwell buildings lease let us know where. I’m curious to see if other vendors have them as at what price.
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Post by Adam on Feb 25, 2023 13:46:09 GMT
I found a great place for this building on the layout.   |
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Post by Country Joe on Feb 25, 2023 15:26:45 GMT
It looks great on your layout, Adam. It’s very nicely lit. 👍
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Post by papa3rail on Feb 26, 2023 13:32:53 GMT
Looks like a great fit Adam.
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