Are My Hallmark Christmas Ornaments Worth Anything?
It’s that time of year where you’re pulling bins and boxes of holiday decor in anticipation of the holiday season.
At the same time, the pressure is on for you to find those elusive gifts to give friends and loved ones that are special, and thoughtful without breaking the bank.
So what does Christmas decor have to do with gift shopping?
Well all those Hallmark Christmas ornaments you have tucked away, wrapped in tissue paper, or ratty boxes, the ones you’ve had for decades because they are from your childhood or you inherited from old Aunt Jan, some of those Hallmark ornaments may be worth regifting, or even selling to put the money towards other gifts.
Disclosure: I love finding new items or products and sharing them with you. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Thank you!
Hallmark Ornaments are valuable?
Yes. There are Hallmark Christmas ornaments that do have market value. It will take some sleuthing and research, but out there in the great big world of Christmas collectors are those hoping to round out a series or find a limited edition ornament they forgot to purchase in 2018 or they’re on the hunt for a Baby Yoda character to give to their spouse.
Because someone may have missed out on purchasing a limited edition one they are now they are on the hunt for the exact ornament you so lovingly have taking up space in your basement. I know my husband would love the full collection of DC Characters hanging on his tree (yes he does have his own).
Let’s take a look at popular and well known ornament companies to see how well you could do putting your ornament on the market.
Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments
“When you care enough to send the very best.”
A postcard company turned greeting card powerhouse and the inventor of wrapping paper. It’s not just sappy movies in this privately owned family company, but a company that values human connection.
When did Hallmark start to sell ornaments?
Although Hallmark began in 1910, over 111 years ago, by an 18-year-old Joyce Clyde Hall, selling postcards, it wasn’t until 1973 that Hallmark began making ornaments. Starting with only 12 ornaments that were glass balls or yarn figures.
These holiday ornaments, known as Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, were introduced to complement and expand the already bustling Christmas card market Hallmark had essentially created through national advertising, radio and TV sponsorships, and partnerships with companies like Disney and NBC. It had found a niche market starved for products.
How many Hallmark ornaments are there?
The introduction of Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments onto the market revolutionized how people decorated and viewed ornaments as collectables. The ornament offerings have continued to grow year upon year, with upwards of 400 different and new ornaments being introduced in recent years.
The majority of ornaments are only available for that particular year, however, the longest running ornament series is Frosty Friends which has been in production for 35 years, as stated on the Hallmark website.
Hallmark has over 8,500 Keepsake Ornaments to keep you busy rounding out your collections!
There’s definitely an ornament for everyone on your list.
- 17 different StarWars holiday ornaments included Baby Yoda, Death Star Musical Tree Topper with Lights that plays the main Star Wars theme, and Luke Skywalker. The coolest thing is by purchasing the Death Star and Luke Skywalker together they will interact with one another through sounds and speeches from the movie. The coolest!
- Nintendo Super NES Console that lights up
- Fortnite Crackshot Ornament
- Blanche Devereaux from The Golden Girls “Thank you for being a friend…”
- And Michael Scott, from the Office. The best feature of this ornament is that it talks! Now you can bring all the awkwardness home with you.
What is the aesthetic (style) of Hallmark Ornaments?
The Hallmark Keepsake Ornament web page describes it’s ornaments as a way to “capture meaningful moments, honor special relationships, express who you are and help you relive timeless memories, year after year”.
Hallmark creates their ornaments with the following values in mind:
Artistry
Fan Favorites
Storytelling
First in series
Innovation
Personalized
Anyone who has visited a Hallmark store or retailer selling these Keepsakes will see ornaments for all types of moments, celebrations, and pop culture references dangling beautiful from a wall that is bright and inviting, with many of the styles already sold out early in the season.
The style of Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments could be described as kitschy, and eclectic with a bit of retro nostalgia. The ornaments draw upon the memories of past Christmas trends while simultaneously commemorating current trends as a way to appeal to all audiences. The colors are bright, bold, sparkly, detailed and cartoonish in style, which fits a company that also happens to own Crayola.
What’s the rarest Hallmark ornament?
Considering the longevity of Hallmark ornaments and the limited edition nature of them, any ornament dating from the earliest days would fetch the highest price, think 1970s and early 1980s. From my research there doesn’t appear to be one all encompassing holy grail ornament, unless you’re a real fan of the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or RVs where you’ll find the one of the most expensive Hallmark ornaments on the market <link below>.
That being said, in 2023, Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments will turn 50 years old. You can bet there will be a unique ornament (or series) released to commemorate the big milestone.
Keep on the lookout for the release or joining the Keepsake Ornament Club here, membership is limited each year so check back on November 2, 2021 for 2022 Keepsake Ornament Club membership openings. With this you get early access to shop at their Christmas in July ornament event.
What’s the most expensive Hallmark ornament ?
According to website, completeset.com, the most expensive Hallmark Keepsake Ornament ever sold on the secondary market, in this instance eBay, was an ornament of Cousin Eddie’s RV from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation from 2009. There have been updated versions of this RV, but the 2009 comes in a white box and is dated on the back with the year.
However, enter 2021 and if you search for the 2020 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Scarlett O’Hara wearing a striped black and white satin looking dress.
I’ve seen this movie over a hundred times and cannot think of the significance of this dress so it’s an interesting choice of representing Scarlet, personally I would find the green velvet gown made from curtains much more representative of Scarlet, however that being said, this particular ornament has been permanently discontinued by Hallmark due to the racial controversy of Gone With the Wind. For one enterprising collector, they have listed their 2020 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Scarlett O’Hara VERY RARE on eBay for a whopping $1725.00 USD! Or another listed on this date at $2299.95USD
Frankly my Dear, that would be the most expensive Hallmark ornament yet to be sold.
Where should I sell my hallmark ornaments
Since Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments have developed such a loyal following of passionate collectors and the ornaments have been around for so long there are a few places to try your luck at selling. Below is a list of suggested websites for selling your items. And you thought an ornament was just for hanging on the tree. Ha!
This is a website that specializes in retired Hallmark ornaments from 1973 to 2021 and includes ornaments from other brands. They have a large inventory in case you’re looking to add to your collection and
This is a site that prides itself in loving Hallmark Ornaments and only carrying top-quality ornaments. It is run by people passionate in the Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments because they are collectors themselves. You can visit their website to see the ornaments they have listed and this page will tell you how you can sell your collection with them.
Run by an avid and long-time collector of Hallmark ornaments, Nicki Pierce, this website will help you sell your collection or you can add to your collection from the vast inventory of quality ornaments they have in stock.
Another ornament reseller that has been selling ornaments from flea markets as far back as 1990. Coming from the home of Hallmark itself, Kansas City, Jane and her husband Rick have been in the ornament business a long time. Their vast knowledge of ornaments is worth contacting if you are interested in buying or selling some of your ornaments.
Still a popular website for hard-to-find items and unusual collections. It’s a DIY process that could be fairly labor intensive if you’re research individual ornaments and comparing prices with other websites to see what a fair-market price should be. If you have a large collection to sell, take the time to capture good quality pictures of the ornament, the packaging, the dates, different angles and close ups so that you stand out as a quality listing. This will help you get the best price for your ornament. It’s why people pay $40 for a plate of $3 french fries – all in the presentation.
Facebook Marketplace
There exists your local marketplaces like those listed on Facebook or by joining more speciality Facebook Groups for Christmas lovers, ornament collectors, rare ornament collectors, Hallmark specific groups, you name it. Research other ornament listings to see if there is a market, however, you may not get sophisticated buyers who know the value of certain ornaments without providing a detailed description (and as always great photos!) to illustrate the rarity and value of the listing.
TikTok say what?
Social media loves novelty and trends. You will have a very hard time directly selling on social media – however – if you can create a story around your ornaments by describing them, talking about when it was released, what memories you have of it and how it relates to certain films or pop culture references no doubt there is a market out there. Post often and have well lit videos. Show you ornament hanging, standing, zoom in and out, showcase the details and features. Then drive people to your website or to your listing page or to your account through DM’s and some may purchase an ornament from you. Santa is always watching!
Need help organizing your ornaments? Here is a website that has software to download in order to create an inventory of your Hallmark ornaments. Essentially, it is a database of Hallmark ornaments dating back to the first year they were released, and by choosing the ornament you have it will automatically insert market prices, and information about the ornament for you. It has over 14,000 ornaments and miniatures to draw from so it’s quite robust. Visit the site to do further research, I have not tried this product.
How are Hallmark Ornaments Valued?
There is no formal appraiser for specifically Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments from what I could see, however, the vast knowledge and experience in the Hallmark ornament niche of the websites listed above would be the best way to determine the value and fair market price of your Hallmark ornament.
Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments are listed on their website from $8.99 for the miniature keepsake ornaments to around $19.99 for the larger sized ones, with some ornaments priced as high as $150.00.
Ultimately, the true value of your ornament is what another person is willing to pay for it. A good quality listing that has a variety of bright, clear, photos and well-written, detailed description will result in more buyers interested in your item and possibly at a higher price than listings where you aren’t sure about quality, year, or item.
“Clark, That’s The Gift That Keeps on Giving The Whole Year”
I wouldn’t be throwing those ornaments from Aunt Carol away just yet. You may want to do a bit of online searching to see if any are of value or selling through any of the places listed above. Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments change yearly, covering a range of pop culture, movies, and nostalgia that’s bound to fit someone on your gift list. Personally, spending $19.99 on an ornament only to resell if for $2200 is quite the return. I’m going to get on that Hallmark Keepsake and on a positive note, the Hallmark Canada website UX is so much better than the last time I attempted to search or shop, glad to see the improvements.
Merry Happy Holidays!
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