Aldeas y casas de colección

A Guide to Selecting Department 56 Dickens Village Collectibles

Department 56 began making Christmas villages in the 1970s with the Original Snow Village as the flagship set. The Dickens village, released a few years later, is based on "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens as well as other Dickens books. Collecting new items for your Christmas village, including a town church, houses, and Dickens characters, is a fun hobby that can be added to every holiday season.

When choosing your Department 56 collectibles on eBay, the following categories can help make your decision easier:

• Buildings: Besides the more common, you can also find buildings like the Dickens Village Marshalsea Debtors Prison Lighted and the Somerset Valley Church.
• Accessories: Common accessories include the Magic Lantern Show and Dickens Village Many Happy Returns Lost.
• Other Dickens villages
• Mixed lots
• Price: Prices range from inexpensive to expensive. Pricier items include historical landmarks or rare items like a whole set of Twelve Drummers Drumming.

If you are just starting to collect the lighted Department 56 Dickens Village, begin with a few basic and affordable pieces available on eBay. The starter set from Department 56 includes the Sudbury Church, Old East Rectory, and the Spirit of Giving, which includes three figures bearing gifts. This Dickens set also includes several trees, some faux snow, and a cobblestone village street. You may want to acquire the following Department 56 Village pieces, too:

• A Christmas Carol visit
• Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim
• Ebenezer Scrooges house
• Christmas Carol cottage
• Norman church

When you are shopping for Department 56 Dickens Village and Christmas village accessories, you may want to start with a list of Department 56 retired Christmas items. You might be able to find a retired house, church, cottage, shoppe, or set of Department 56 Original Snow Village accessories. The following Department 56 Dickens Village figures are some of the ones sought after by collectors:

• The original shops of Dickens Village
• Dickens Village church
• Dickens Village mill
• Whittlesbourne church
• Dickens Cobblestone shops

Department 56 Original Snow Village and Dickens Village sets, single items, and accessories are fragile and have tiny parts that could get lost. If you choose to display your older Department 56 figures, consider putting them in a glass display case. If your Department 56 collection is mainly for Christmas decorating, arrange your village in a sheltered place, and see how it looks when lit. Sprinkle the area around the houses, church, and Dickens accessories in the village with artificial snow. Be creative with some other easy Department 56 display ideas, such as the following:

• Use as a centerpiece: Raise a church or a centerpiece from "A Christmas Carol" by placing an empty box beneath it.
• Use lights: Encircle your Department 56 village with a string of Christmas lights.
• Mix and match: Integrate your lighted Dickens Village church and figures with your Department 56 Snow Village.
• Display as a tradition: Create a tradition by setting up your display every December.