In 2008, Hawthorne Village introduced what they called their: "Exclusive First-ever Thomas Kinkade Miniature Christmas Village Collection! Illuminated, Animated Tabletop Christmas Decor."

What that means is that they've found a new, clever, and - there's no other word for it - enchanting way to bring the vision of Thomas Kinkade to life in your home this winter, all in a package that's a little smaller than a DVD case.

Update, 2016 - Bradford Exchange, who distributes the Hawthorne Village products shown on this page has recently been forced by the attorney generals of several states (including Ohio where I live) to stop letting folks in Ohio and other states recommend products we like. If we keep it up, Bradford Exchange will have to start collecting sales tax for any customers in those states who order from them. So they have sent out an e-mail asking me (and hundreds of other people) to cease and desist recommending products we like.

It will take us a while to get things on these pages reconfigured to reflect the new requirements, but in the meantime, please consider the rest of this page an archive of past recommendations, for informational purposes only. We would never dream of continuing to recommend Hawthorne Village products that we liked in 2014 and still think highly of!

Update for 2015 - Bradford Exchange has changed the way they sell this collection. They used to start with the piece with the trains that is shown in all the other photographs. Now they are starting with the "Winter Wonderland" issue shown below. I don't have this in my hands, but I think there is a moving horse and sleigh on it - no trains.

My apologies for any inconvenience. I'm leaving the other photos up so you can see the kind of detail that is included in these, but if you click on the link below to order, you will get the one shown below first. Of course, Bradford Exchange has a 365-day user satisfaction warranty, so keep ALL the materials that come with these, and keep track of your order #. If you get all four pieces and decide to keep only two, you should be able to send the other two back. Again, we are sorry for any inconvenience.

The following photo is of the train system, the only one I own so far:

This is also a great gift for someone who loves trains and Christmas, but has no place to set up a model or toy train during the holidays. As a very personal example, my father has loved trains his whole life and has had several model railroads over the decades, but his apartment doesn't have much room. When I saw this product, I realized it was the perfect way to bring a whole railroad and village to him without cluttering his place.

Turns out that there are at least four of these miniature villages planned. When you order the first one, you're automatically ordering the next three, and as many more as they make or you want to purchase. In about four weeks, you will receive the second issue (your credit card will be billed automatically). Of course you can stop your "subscription" at any time, though most folks don't want to. And Collectibles Today has a 365-day satisfaction guarantee, so if it's not what you expected, you can return it (in new condition, of course) for a full refund. Again, this almost never happens - most recipients are so pleased that they can't wait for the next installment. The illustration to the right above is an artist's conception of how the next installment, "Main Street," will look up against the first installment.

In a "detail," of that illustration (issue 2), devout Thomas Kinkade fans will recognize buildings from several well-known paintings and collections. So there is a lot to look forward to.

One Comes to Our House - Is it fair to play with a present you've bought for someone else? Before we wrapped the first "issue" for my father, we left it out for a couple of weeks and showed just about everyone who came to the house. I also took many photos with my Canon A710 IS, which works great for "normal" photo situations, and most model photography. However, the details in this village/railroad are VERY tiny, and I wanted to use low light so you could see the windows "glowing." As a result, I stretched the camera's low-light settings and its 8mp sensor to the absolute limits, as you can see in some of the photographs below. Still, even though I had to delete about fifteen photos that weren't quite useful, I got a few that should help give you some ideas.

First (and Second) Impressions - Here's my impressions of the first village/railroad in the series, once I had it in my hands.

The base is wood-grained, with the appearance of oiled walnut. On the bottom is a little chamber to put AA batteries in and a sticker that has the serial number of this product. On one side is a power switch and an input for an optional power supply.

The railroad is an oval, which requires a lot more engineering than so many "tabletop trains" that just have a circle, like an old record player. The tiny train is somewhat based on the same train used in the other Thomas Kinkade tabletop and Christmas tree railroads, but much smaller, of course. The train's wheels don't really roll along the track, but you probably figured that out already. Each piece of the train is only about 1/2" long, but there are several cars, so the train is about four inches long altogether. It also moves slowly, instead of charging around the track like a toy train. As it travels, it passes through two tunnels and behind a row of trees, so that when it reappears again, you get the sense that it has been somewhere.

I realized as I began writing this article that I didn't have one good photo of the train when the village was lit up - because I had to use such a slow shutter speed, the train - slow as it is actually moving - is a little blurred. The illustration above is from the "artist's conception" on the Hawthorne Village site, but it should give you a pretty good idea. Trust me, with the town lit up and the train moving, it's hard to take your eyes off.

As you can probably tell from the photographs, the town is lit, not by one big light source, but by many tiny bulbs under the individual houses. Yes, in some cases where the paint isn't on quite thick enough, the walls "glow" a little too, but when you see one of these in person and realize how hard it must be to paint something this tiny by hand, you'll forgive and enjoy. Depending on the resolution of your computer screen, the photo above is somewhere between 1.5X and 2X the size of the real thing, if that gives you any idea.

As you look over the town, you'll see that the people are not just standing around, but actually grouped as though they were in the middle of some activity. Some are caroling, some are skating, some are riding horse-drawn sleighs. The "roads" are marked, not be blacktop, but by places where the "snow" has been "shoveled out" to make a path. All told, this community looks like it's been virtually "snowed in" but is making the best of it by visiting house to house, chopping wood, and engaged in other activities. In the photo to the right, you can see folks skating, walking along the bank, and making snow angels. A big snowman has also been built near the gazebo. This photo is larger than the size of the real thing, but I wanted you to have some idea of the detail.

As another example, the snowy corner in the photo to the right is warmed by warm light from a dozen windows and a tiny band of carolers. The old-fasioned car has been shoveled out of the snow, but folks have decided to get out the sleigh for a fun ride instead. Again, this photo is larger than the real thing.

By the way, in case you wondered, my dad loved his. I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves it out all year 'round.

To Purchase

For more information on this collectible, or to purchase one, please click on the picture to the left. You don't have to make any purchasing decisions until after you've seen the next page.

Other Recommendations: Collectible Christmas Trains

If you'd rather have a train that runs on "real track," consider Hawthorne Village's collection of "On30" trains that are designed specifically to look good with Holiday Village sets, such as those by Dept. 56, Hawthorne Village, etc. Many contain artwork and other detailing created by painters and designers such as Thomas Kinkade and Al Agnew. They are also large enough to look good around your Christmas tree. For your convenience, they run on HO track, so they will fit just about anywhere.

The Hawthorne Village trains use reliable mechanisms and other parts from Bachmann On30 trains, so they run like "champs," and service will always be available. But the Hawthorne Village designers add artwork and other detailing that make these trains much more attractive and collectable. In spite of the fact that they are limited-edition, subscription trains, they are also an excellent value (and our best sellers every Christmas season). New trains are constantly being added, as well, so check back often. Still, it's never too early to consider signing up for the one you like while it is still available.

To learn more about On30 Collectible Christmas trains, click on the picture above.