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Post by edlloyd on Nov 15, 2023 21:19:52 GMT
Has anyone seen or have any of the Carole Towne Village pieces from Lowe's?
check out the YouTube video on the 2023 line.
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Post by Bill on Nov 15, 2023 21:26:17 GMT
I have a couple of pieces.
They seem a decent value for the price.
And they ARE colorful.
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Post by josef on Nov 15, 2023 21:38:23 GMT
I seen these at Lowes. very impressive and a good price. Should sell out.
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Post by Bill on Nov 15, 2023 22:01:51 GMT
If you are looking for a few pieces, there are many brands now. If you plan to grow your village, I'd recommend shopping a bit. I started with one brand then discovered department 56 and switched to all D56 pieces. Costs for them are too high now (for me) but they seem to be the best for detail and design. Lemax has the most motion in their buildings and seem to be the most prolific. Luville is very popular in Europe but I'm not very familiar with them. On the lower price ranges, but still very popular are the Carole Towne, the Walmart selections (I forget their brand name) And there's at least a dozen other smaller brands available. BJs wholesale club has Grandeur Noel that are quite nice and reasonable prices. Even most dollar stores have selections during the holidays. The small Christmas buildings and villages are so popular for decorations now, that many brands appear and disappear regularly. If you're not into village collecting, just pick up any brand you like. Mix & match works well. Be aware though, many collectors swore they would never get caught up in it. Compare it to train collectors who only have one brand and the rest of us who will take any brand if we like the piece. It's all good, just trying to give you a heads up on what you might be getting into. But, it's all fun.  Bill |
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Post by edlloyd on Nov 16, 2023 2:35:06 GMT
I started out getting Lemax and mostly have stayed with them. I do have some Dept56 stuff. I am currently trying to get away from any further Village collecting just because of storage issues. All that stuff is a pain to box and store. If I do get anymore pieces they will probably come from after Christmas sales or on the used market like FB Marketplace or yard sales. A lot of people buy them and after a few years lose interest and sell them. If you see my holiday gardens I don't really pay to much attention to being scale. It's the little kid in me coming out.....
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Post by keithb on Nov 16, 2023 10:29:29 GMT
Very nice.
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Post by dennym57 on Nov 16, 2023 14:55:06 GMT
Lowes has some nice stuff. Unfortunately for me it's 30 miles from my house.
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Post by thebigcrabcake on Nov 18, 2023 0:31:54 GMT
Yes, There is a whole lot to like in the 2023 Collection. Thanks for the post.
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Post by northstar on Nov 18, 2023 19:45:35 GMT
Lowe's has done a great job making nice houses since Lemax stopped making their houses. In recent years, I have gotten more houses from Lowes and Menards than from Department 56 and Lemax. Lemax just isn't releasing many interesting buildings anymore. They all look kind of the same and look dull. The houses at Lowes and Menards might not always be the most detailed, but their concept and lighting effects make up for it.
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Post by Bill on Nov 18, 2023 23:59:30 GMT
I'm not sure that Lowe's makes Carole Towne. I think that just the brand that they're carrying this year.
Bill
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Post by healey36 on Nov 19, 2023 12:23:26 GMT
I'm not sure that Lowe's makes Carole Towne. I think that just the brand that they're carrying this year. Bill I often wonder about this, Bill. How much of this ceramic stuff is produced by a single manufacturer but marketed across numerous retailers using their own proprietary trade names? Sometimes things look remarkably similar, one to another. Years ago, the retailer JoAnn's Fabrics sold a line called "Dickens Collectibles" (sounds familiar, right?). That line included a number of Victorian-type residential homes that were pretty nice. Years later, they turned up at Walmart under their line, but with different names and in a slightly altered form.
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Post by Bill on Nov 20, 2023 2:22:55 GMT
Think of it like "coca-cola" - one brand sold by many dealers. Sometimes the brand will license certain properties, and sometimes companies like Menards etc might commission an exclusive piece. Most retailers do not make the buildings. There was a time (I call the Golden Age) where a lot of stores would make awesome displays The main source was department 56 (before Lemax) and there were literally hundreds of dealers. There was a reference available called the Village Phonebook that listed all the dealers in US. It was neat. It had how good the displays were etc. This was before the popularity of the internet and collecting turned into acquiring. We'd plan mini trips, weekend getaways, club trips,and even vacations going to different dealers for ideas, retired pieces, information etc. So many stories, so little beer. Bill |
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Post by Country Joe on Nov 22, 2023 14:24:38 GMT
Kohl’s used to sell Carole Towne, maybe they still do. The closest Kohl’s is about an hour away so we don’t get to too often.
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Post by edlloyd on Nov 22, 2023 18:41:13 GMT
Kohl’s used to sell Carole Towne, maybe they still do. The closest Kohl’s is about an hour away so we don’t get to too often. If I remember correctly they had Carole Towne there last year. I don't go there very often.
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