Rick Ewigleben Appearance with New Art

Rick's 2008 print is his best yet. I love how Dorothy looks like a doll and how scared the Cowardly Lion is, but my favorite images are of Toto and the Winged Monkey curiously examining each other. Cute!!!

For more info on this wonderful artist please see my earlier entries. http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2007/11/munchkin-walk-of-fame-print.html

http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2007/09/art-of-rick-ewigleben.html


Rick will be attending the Wizard of Oz festival at Hollywood Blvd. Theater in Woodridge, IL with new prints of the Munchkins appearing November 8 - 10. http://www.atriptothemovies.com/index.php?src=events&srctype=detail&refno=20&category=Film%20Festivals%20and%20Special%20Events

If you are unable to attend you may still be able to purchase prints of your favorite Munchkins by emailing Rick at ricksart@rcn.com

Whimsie Update

It's always hard to believe when another holiday season comes upon us. Time goes by so quickly, especially when there's so much to keep track of.

In addition to new releases appearing rather frequently lately, there's add -ons to established series. Back in January I posted about new folk art ornaments designed by local Oregon artist Christy Meyers. http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2008/01/wonderful-winsome-whimsies-of-oz.html

As of now 4 sets have been issued with 4 more sets on the way.

Whatever holidays you choose to celebrate, these ornaments will make your tree a little brighter.

Order here:

http://www.collectiblestoday.com/ct/product/prdid-913319.jsp?wizard+of+oz&endeca=true

Photos courtesy of the artist, Christy Meyers

Thanks to Jim Whitcomb for keeping me appraised of new releases so I can share with others.

Zara Clothing

Oz collectors have been stumbling on this photo of great new Wizard of Oz t-shirts.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/2956308540/sizes/l/

Zara clothing is a Spanish clothing company, but they do have stores in the states and Zara is now the biggest clothing chain surpassing The Gap. The Oz shirts are new for Fall and Winter 2008. Please see Zara's website to find a store near you. http://www.zara.com/#/en_GB/shops/Store%20Finder/

A New York store stated the Wizard of Oz shirts should show up in the States as well. I don't know sizes or pricing, but I'll update when I do.

Thanks to Karen Owens and Erik Rasmussen.

Bradford Exchange Emerald City Classic Tote Bag

Please click on photo to enlarge. Tote bag is 16" wide and has ruby slipper charm zipper pulls. Really beautiful tote and it perfectly matches the new charm bracelet. It's priced at $79.95, payable in four installments. Photo and info courtesy of Lou . Order number: 01-07587-001-B

Vandor Fall 2008

Karen Owens is taking pre-orders on these new releases and the limited edition cookie jar.
storylandmi@aol.com
Wicked Witch Tote “All in Good Time” VN71386 $20.49 each

Wicked Witch Mug—I’m a Witch What’s Your Excuse VN71061 $8.49 ea

Luggage Tag VN71057 $7.49 each

Cookie Jar 70th Anniversary Limited Edition of 2400 VN71141 $99.00 each

Karen Owens, Storyland Collectables14767 Westpoint, Taylor, Michigan 48180

734-287-2603 phone

734-287-4252 fax

http://www.wizardofozland.com/

Kmart Wizard of Oz Anniversary Clock - Updated

Kmart exclusive for $27.99 Please enlarge the photo for better detail. Thank you Karen Owens and Deb Dwyer!

I'm hearing that a lot of people are having trouble finding the clock. I found one today with the Christmas gift items in the jewelry/accessories section. Before when we had trouble finding Brass Key dolls we were able to contact customer service and have the dolls sent in from other stores. I'm assuming we can do the same with the clock. Write to this email address with your local store number which you should be able to look up on Kmart.com: help@customerservice.kmart.com

Tell them you can't find the Wizard of Oz Anniversary Clock. Manufactured by M.Z. Berger & Company and give them the SKU # 49353 66564. They should be able to track it down for you. Good Luck!

Bradford Exchange Wonders of Oz Collection

Mimicking a very popular folk art style, Bradford Exchange issued what was presumed to have been a series of at least 6 resin figurines, but the Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion were never produced.  Figures of the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch, Dorothy and the Tin Man stand around 6 inches tall.  Figures shown below are in order of issue.

Wicked to the Core

Glittering Goodness

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

I'm a Little Rusty Yet

Tarina Tarantino Jewelry

How cute is this stuff??? And it's not as expensive as I was afraid it'd be. And have I mentioned how cute it is??????

http://www.angeliboutique.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=wizard+of+oz

Cuckoo Clock

http://www.collectiblestoday.com/ct/product/prdid-104703001.jsp?_wizard+of+oz/_prod/_/_/_36/_/_/_Y&endeca=true#

Wizard of Oz Shoe Collection

At least six shoes are planned. Priced at $19.95 plus $6.99 shipping. Order # 02900 0000905865
Enlarge photos to see details. I'm very happy to see the creativity put into this line. The shoes for the two witches will be gorgeous if the ruby slippers are anything to judge by. Pictures courtesy of Robyn Bodine.

Charm Bracelet

Now online and payable in installments

http://www.collectiblestoday.com/ct/product/prdid-104320001.jsp?_wizard+of+oz/_prod/_/_/_36/_/_/_Y&endeca=true#

AMAZING new Dorothy doll by Tonner

She resembles Judy Garland and she's GORGEOUS. FAO Schwarz exclusive
http://www.fao.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=13546

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.