A little Santa with a BIG Story!

This adorable little Santa Claus is a little over six inches tall seated but comes with a fantastic story that sounds more like a Tall Tale!

He came with a lot of Santas I purchased off shopgoodwill.com. (If you haven’t visited their site: do so! But, be warned, they do not package their items very well and items may arrived damaged.) When I first picked him up, he looked more homemade than a typical mass-produced figure and when I found his tag, I realized that he definitely wasn’t one of a kind.

BUT…After reading the tag, I found that he was MADE in the USA. This is something you don’t see very often when it comes to mass-produced retail items. Even higher end designer reproductions are farmed out to China to meet consumer demands.

 

Collectable Creations, Incorporated is the partnership of two sisters, Judy Holland and Charlotte Calistro Brown from what I’ve found, sometime in the 1980’s. I am basing this on a couple of Etsy posts selling their items created during that time.

Charlotte, a former teacher, started the company with only $200 and by 1997 it had grossed $1.5 MILLION.  

Sounds like a Tall Tale to me but it's true! $200 and, I'm sure, a LOT of effort!

The sad thing is, I don’t know if the business is still open. When I called the number provided online, it turned out to be a personal number.

But this I do know, he is a cute little guy and I do like this outfit. Unfortunately, he is not the type of Santa I generally collect; at least not anymore. I am trimming down my 1000+++ Santas and I am focusing more on one of a kind (OOAK) figures or limited number reproductions.

The Santas I am selling can be found on eBay under Santas2Sell.

So, let me tell you another funny story.

For a long time, I would see OOAK on eBay listings and thought that this must be some elite group of people and I was wondering how I could join such a group! Then I found out OOAK stands for One Of A Kind. 

Good to know!

ANOTHER eBAY Mishap!

Listed as Christmas Santa 19" Signed And Numbered By Gail Griffith Hillside Folk Art Co. I jumped at the chance to add another Gail Griffith Santa to my collection!

Described as: 

HAND CRAFTED FATHER CHRISTMAS
CARRYING A CHRISTMAS GOOSE
1988
BY GAIL GRIFFITH
HILLSIDE FOLK ART COMPANY
#355
19" TALL
EXCELLENT CONDITION

Of course I wanted him!

Unfortunately, when he arrived, he wasn't in the condition that I had expected. 

His coat could be described as filthy or sooty and the seller's slightly out of focus images made it difficult to make out the stains.

NOT that there is anything wrong with that if it was indeed Gail Griffith's original design. It's just not the look I'm going for in my collection. And, had I known this, I would not have bought him in the first place because none of my other Santas have a grungy look. 

To be fair, the seller did offer me a refund and I did accept it and promptly sent him back, but still, I was so disappointed because I would have loved adding another Gail Griffith original Santa to my collection.

Thanks to eBay's buyer protection and and understanding seller, this little mishap was easily rectified.

You can see in my image how "sooty" the other Santa looks compared to my Gail Griffith Santa.

Also, I've already started adding new toys to my Santa! I originally purchased this funny little rag doll/clown at an estate sale. I added her to another Santa for a while but she was just too big. I think she fits much better with this guy...at least for now!

I'm not saying don't use eBay. I LOVE shopping one eBay! Just be wary of vague descriptions and out of focus images. And ask questions before you buy!

UPDATE!!! And you'll LOVE this!

I sent this Santa back to the seller because he did not match the description. The seller "retorted" by LYING to the eBay Resolution Center saying that I had taken the bird out of the basket and GET THIS, I had broken the foot!

First of all, there was NO bird in the basket in the photos the seller posted on their listing. 

Second, I sent a photo of what the foot looked like when I received it to the Resolution Center when I requested a refund. Of course, I have no way of verifying this, but being that they lied about the non-existent missing bird...

And third, I have nothing to gain by lying, so I don't; PERIOD.

So, buyers beware!

I have received other improperly wrapped items that have arrived broken, but I cannot recall a time when I received an item that was not as described.

Always take photos of damaged boxes before opening, and be prepared to take photos of the item before you unwrap them if you suspect damage. 

eBay allows up to 10 photos so document your case.