2009 hallmark value guide

[curt1108]

hi nicki,

i was just wondering is the 2009 hallmark value guide(bangzoom) still scheduled to come out this year?

if so, what are some of the changes made to it? ;D

[nicki]

Hi Curt...

There will not be an updated Hallmark Ornament Value Guide from Bang Zoom publishing this year.

I've recently confirmed with Hallmark that they have no interest in purchasing an updated book to be sold in Hallmark Stores. Without a pre order and distribution commitment from Hallmark, the publisher does not find it profitable to update the book.

I've explored other options, but at this moment there I'm sad to report there is no plan to update the book now or anytime in the future. Nicki

[karenw2]

This is really disappointing to me, since I've been looking forward to a new one for so long!

Sure wish there was a way we could make Hallmark see there was a NEED for one, especially since there have been so many orns not pictured in Dream Books for so many years now!!

[JO ANN]

I AM VERY UPSET TO HEAR THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A 2009 VALUE GUIDE......I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT AND FEEL LIKE HALLMARK HAS LET DOWN THE LOYAL COLLECTOR. MAYBE THEY COULD OFFER IT THROUGH THE KEEPSAKE COLLECTORS CLUB? I AM SURE THE KEEPSAKE COLLECTORS WOULD JUMP AT THE CHANCE TO HAVE AN UP TO DATE GUIDE. DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK THIS IS AN OPTION?

[Nancy Copeland]

Nicki and I have spoken several times about alternatives to the Bangzoom book being published and marketed through the Hallmark stores like the previous two books were. I'm one of several people who worked with Nicki on those books, and I've been around people who do publishing work.

There's a lot that goes into the production of a book like this: making sure that you don't miss any of the ornaments, whether they were missed for previous years or just for the years you're adding, reviewing all of the values for accuracy, collecting all of the information that goes in there (including picture, original price, item number, artist name, edition size, colorway/club/series indicator, position in series). I understand that 5 full-time Hallmark employees spent a week just going through the red book that Clara Johnson Scroggins published in 1998, and they didn't find the same problems to be corrected.

Along with getting all of the information put together, you have to find someone who will produce the quantity of books using the quality of materials (pages and cover) at the price you want to have it produced for. Then you have to arrange for it to be shipped somewhere, whether it's directly from the printer to a single location like Nicki's business or to the retailer. If you don't ship it directly to the final sales point you also incur additional shipping expenses, not to mention the time and money you spend on getting the boxes labeled for where they need to go. Selling the book through a retailer like Borders may require you to commit to buying back the books that they don't sell, so you end up getting them back and having to allocate space for storing them until you find a way to get rid of them (either by selling them at a reduced price or by finding a company who buys books to sell at one of those temporary booksellers you see from time to time).

Todd Ray has stated that there isn't a lot of room for profit on selling books, and after reading through all of this you can see why.

I can understand why people think that there is a good market out there for books like this, but you really achieve a more affordable book price if you can reach a fairly high quantity of books produced (a larger number than you would from just KOC members). Hallmark isn't a stupid company, and they market books now so they have an idea about the costs involved. If they said that they don't want to be involved in the production, distribution and sales of a book like this they have run the numbers and know that they can't meet their financial goals if they do. And since they already have a distribution process in place and don't think that they can justify it I can see why someone like Nicki or Todd don't see this as a project they want to take on either. I was told a number of years ago that there wouldn't be any more of Clara's books produced because there isn't enough of a demand for those books to justify the expenses involved.

I'm disappointed like everyone else is - but I've seen a lot of what goes into something like this and understand more than a lot of people do.

[ornament lady]

I think someone needs to push Hallmark into ordering a new value guide. How are we going to get new people interested in collecting without a book? Funny that Hummel and others can offer a book.

[nicki]

May 18, 2009 17:01:05 GMT -5 @ornament lady said:

I think someone needs to push Hallmark into ordering a new value guide. How are we going to get new people interested in collecting without a book? Funny that Hummel and others can offer a book.

I couldn't agree with you more!

All collectibles need a quality up-to-date guide to attract new collectors and keep seasoned collectors interested,informed and educated.

I've certainly expressed my opinion Many Times to Hallmark...but perhaps if enough collectors express interest they will have a change of heart.
There is a "contact us" link on the bottom of the home page on hallmark.com . Feel free to email your comments! Nicki

[Ginny]

May 18, 2009 17:01:05 GMT -5 @ornament lady said:

I think someone needs to push Hallmark into ordering a new value guide. How are we going to get new people interested in collecting without a book?

I've been collecting Hallmark for a long time, even worked for them for 15 years, and actually down through the years, they've pretty much stayed out of anything but the primary market of creating & selling the ornaments and left value books and guides to private enterprises. It was only in the one or two occasions in recent years that they got involved in supporting a value guide project; all the ones in the past were done by an outside/non-Hallmark entity. So it doesn't really surprise me, especially in this economy, that they are investing only in what they do best and seem to be returning to the that former policy w/regard to value guide books.