So, it’s worse than we thought. Not only are they cutting back… they are filing. That doesn’t mean that they’ll fall of the face of the Earth, they could reorganize and put their pieces back into the game… but, let’s be realistic… if they have this much debt in this economy, we may not be seeing much of them in the coming years. They blame the acquisition of Lenox for their bankruptcy… well, ummmm… when is the last time you purchased a Lenox item?

Exactly.

I don’t find a lot of things in the Lenox catalog I can appreciate…although, this “Luau Tweety” – Tweety dons a grass skirt… with gold talons is super adorable! And a bargain for $58.50!

It would make the perfect addition to my “things with gold beaks” collection!

Chapter 11 isn’t the end, Chapter 7 is. There are all sorts of facets of bankruptcy! And, Dept 56/Lenox is looking for a buyer. Okay, so there is a ray of hope.

I’m finding it tough to be optimistic when my favorite suppliers are filing for bankruptcy, closing showrooms, canceling lines, firing artists and letting our reps go. I’ll be sure to look for some good news. I guess the silver lining is… better deals for the retailers! This next gift show will probably be chock full of incentives, deals, great dating and lots of positive outlooks for the future! In other words, they’ll be serving lots and lots of booze!

And because this is fun… here are a few more faves:

“Grand Slam Sam” – The baseball pig with 24 karat golden cloven hooves. Is this considered a false idol?

Ooooh no they didn’t….
“This little slugger is sure to be voted MVP… most valuable piglet. It’s obvious that Sam favors the cowhide baseball to football’s pigskin! In his multicolored baseball cap and matching sweater, Sam hits a fashion home run!”

Who do you think writes this stuff and how many suicide attempts do you think they’ve had?

Don’t you just love fantasy?? The fantasy that a cat would wear a hat with bells… is enough in itself. The cat-in-the-box is worth the $58.50 asking price alone. And, as always, it has 24 karat gold accents. Isn’t that delicious? Name just one person on your shopping list who would appreciate this… just one…
we’ll wait.
“He’s got the ears, the tail, and… the trunk! He’s an egg-delivering pachyderm, all dressed up as the Easter bunny.”

No words…