Updates including 70th Anniversary Merchandise

We haven't hit Halloween yet and retailers are already thrusting Christmas upon us. JC Penney has four Wizard of Oz nutcrackers that are approximately 14" tall and are $30 each.

Vandor's 70th anniversary cookie jar is an edition of 2400. For ordering and pricing info please email Karen Owens at
storylandmi@aol.com







Tarina Tarantino's jewelry line has appeared in every major fashion magazine and can be seen on many a starlet. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the MGM film, she has put her unique spin on the Oz characters. The collection is inspired by Dorothy, Toto, Glinda, and the Wicked Witch. I hope to have more photos and details soon. Until then, here's a peek at a Glinda necklace and Dorothy ring that were auctioned at the Indiana Oz festival.

I think Rick Ewigleben's latest print is his best one so far. I love how Toto and the Winged Monkey are checking each other out. So cute!!!! www.ricksartstudio.com

The Hamilton Collection has a Wizard of Oz shoe collection. Shoes have been popular collectibles for awhile now and it was only a matter of time before the craze spread to the land of Oz. The shoes representing each character sit atop a box or a base with the characters picture on the front. Six issues planned so far. They are 3 1/2" tall and priced at $19.95 plus $6.99 shipping. Order # 02900 0000905865

A new charm bracelet is in the Bradford Exchange's newest catalog. With the holidays quickly approaching, the bracelet and the shoe collection should be on collectiblestoday.com very soon. The bracelet is $199.00 plus $9.98 shipping.

Order # 01-04320-001

Empire magazine salutes the 500 greatest movies of all time with 100 different magazine covers. The Oz cover can be ordered here:

http://www.empireonline.com/500/100covers/covers.asp

A great big THANK YOU to Lou, Robyn Bodine, Barb Huddleson, Karen Owens, Tracy Petroski, and Jim Whitcomb for news and photos.

Cancellations, Corrections, and New Additions

The Uno & Scrabble games, the witch light set from Kurt Adler, and the Somewhere Over the Rainbow figurines have been cancelled.

The Bratz and the Pullip dolls...........sigh. I've no idea what's going on with these dolls and the manufacturers haven't exactly been forthright. Very limited amounts of them have showed up on eBay shipping from foreign countries. This has been very frustrating to say the least.

I haven't been able to confirm 100% but it's pretty certain at this point that Hallmark is sold out of the Who Rang That Bell ornament. If you are planning to add that ornament to your collection, don't wait. It may not be on store shelves much longer.

This calendar that I had previously mentioned as being published by Europe 1 is actually by Slow Dazzle and only available in the UK.

The Dorothy Gale bust by Gentle Giant is listed on the company site with a scheduled release date of December, but sites that are accepting pre-orders are reporting a 1st quarter 2009 release.

Avon's new watch that should be in catalogs in time for the holidays.

For those collecting the Annalee mice dolls, a lullaby Munchkin has been introduced as a Annalee Gallery exclusive.

http://www.annaleegallery.com/product.html?t_q=252509

The third set of Whimsies ornaments are shipping. The set includes Toto, Glinda, and a Munchkin boy. For more info on these great ornaments please see this entry :

http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/search/label/Wizard%20of%20Oz%20ornaments%20Christmas%20Whimsies%20%20CC%27s%20Whimsies

Jim Shore recently did a signing at Boscov's Atlantic City location where he introduced ornament versions of his popular Wizard of Oz figurines. A Wicked Witch was boxed separately. It's believed these ornaments will go into wider distribution soon.

Wicked Annivesary CD

http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Anniversary-Original-Cast-Recording/dp/B001G788Q4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222463837&sr=1-1

I'm sure this will be worth it for the booklet alone!

Gentle Giant Dorothy Bust

Coming December 2008

https://www.gentlegiantltd.com/catalog/product/detail/452

Follow the Yellow McRoad

McDonalds launched their Happy Meals in June 1979. The first toys were simple amusements such as stencils, puzzle books, wallets, ID bracelets, and erasers of the McDonaldland characters. As time went on, the toys not only became more sophisticated, they evolved into bona fide collectors’ items. McDonalds was quick to incorporate movie tie-ins with their Happy Meals. In December 1979, Star Trek The Motion Picture became the first film promotion. In addition to films, McDonalds formed partnerships with manufacturers of popular toy lines. Cherished Madame Alexander dolls have been miniaturized for Happy Meals since 2002. For the second year in a row, the yellow brick road leads to the golden arches. One can only assume last year’s promotion was hugely successful.

http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2007/02/happy-meal-madame-alexander-dolls.html

http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2007/03/yellow-bricks-and-golden-arches.html

For 2008, new characters have joined the line and returning favorites have undergone makeovers. Early reports from collectors imply this year’s set could be hotter than 2007s. The Wizard of Oz premiums are scheduled to end on October 9th, but many stores sold out their supply of dolls early last year so don’t wait too long to purchase your toys. These dolls are a wonderful introduction to Madame Alexander and would make a perfect first Wizard of Oz doll collection for budding Oz enthusiasts.

FAO Wicked Exclusives

8" First Day at Shiz Elphaba and First Day at Shiz Glinda. Coming soon to FAO Schwarz's Christmas Catalog
http://www.madamealexander.com/retailer_specials/product_detail.php/pid=21~subid=1/index.html

http://www.madamealexander.com/retailer_specials/product_detail.php/pid=22~subid=1/index.html

My Judy Garland Life

Funny, I was just thinking that I need to make an effort to get more Judy Garland related news on my blog and then I saw this on the Judy Room today. (www.thejudyroom.com) This book seems to be about how Judy Garland has affected one person's life. Something I know a great many of us can relate to. To read a review please visit the Judy Room at
http://www.thejudyroom.com/news.html#myjudygarlandlife Also check out the author's site at: http://www.susieboyt.com/

Barnes and Noble Gets a Little Wicked

I was really excited to see a table full of Wicked items just sitting out in public. Wicked fans have had to wait until the show came to town or purchase online and hope what they ordered looked as good as the photo. I felt the items carried by Barnes and Noble were very reasonably priced. For example, the Defy Gravity Glitter Globe when purchased at the Ozdust Boutique is $75.00. The price tag in Barnes and Noble stores is $49.95. That's a heck of a savings! As of now, almost all of the Barnes and Noble merchandise can be ordered online except for the glitter globe, the boxed t-shirt which is $19.95 and the hat which is $9.95. Both the hat and t-shirt are black with the Wicked logo. This could change so keep watching Barnes and Noble.com if that's how you prefer to purchase. The pen set showed up in stores first but has been added online.
http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/Home-gift/Wicked-Novelty-Ball-Point-Pens-Set-of-2/e/9780641924279

While I was there the Wicked table was generating a lot of buzz. People were frequently stopping and commenting on the merchandise. It seemed everyone was excited about it and it drew people who knew nothing about the show. The Wicked merchandise will be on sale for a limited time so grab your broom or bubble and fly on into Barnes and Noble.

Special thanks to the Barnes and Noble at the Clackamas Town Center in Clackamas, Oregon for allowing me to take these photos.

Limited Edition Postage Stamp Collections

Warner Brothers has partnered with Stamps.com to produce Wizard of Oz Photostamps to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the MGM film. The first set is the Limited Edition Ruby Slipper Collection Postage Stamps. Top shoe designers were chosen to re-interpret the ruby slippers. The stamps show 10 designer sketches for the pairs of ruby slippers that are to be auctioned next year. The shoes themselves debuted in New York on September 5. After this week the shoes will embark on a country wide tour. The proceeds from the postage stamps and next year's auction will benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The stamps are $19.99. These are legitimate U.S. postage stamps if you choose to actually use them. Thanks to Jim Whitcomb for finding the link to order

http://photo.stamps.com/Store/brand/wizardofoz/?_requestid=34207

UPDATE: If you've already ordered your stamps, please go back to the website to make sure your order has not been cancelled. Apparently there was some sort of glitch and the first 12 people who ordered were accidentally canceled out. You may have to place your order again. Thanks Jim Whitcomb for this info!

Official Happy Meal Photos

http://www.happymeal.com/en_US/#NextUp

The promotion starts September 12th.