Snowbaby Waterglobes"Let it Snow" is the title and the message of one of the newest Snowbaby waterglobes by Department 56. A delightful snowbaby, a bouquet of snowflakes in one hand, gazes up at a shining globe speckled with more snowflakes.
Inside, a second baby turns her face up to snowflakes swirling in a frosty winter world. A happy tune plays in the background. This whimsical ornament carries you away to a world of natural beauty and youthful innocence. Introduced in May 2006, "Let it Snow" is already one of the retired snowbabies, with production limited to the year it was introduced. This makes it a great investment for serious collectors who can pick up the last ones in stock – as a retired piece, it will be both harder to get and higher priced in the future. The practice of retiring Snowbaby waterglobes has two appealing affects on the products: it makes them more valuable as collector pieces and it means that new designs are coming out all the time. The world of snowbabies began 20 years ago when artist Kristi Jensen Pierro created the first ones – five little figures in creamy porcelain. Snowbaby waterglobes and music boxes came later and the collection now numbers in the thousands, with hundreds of retired Snowbabies for avid collectors to search for. Though they’re 20 years old, these babies never grow up, but keep their baby faces and their ability to summon fond memories forever. Pieces in the Snowbaby line all have a similar appearance. They are made from cream colored bisque porcelain, porcelain that is never fired so that it retains a matte finish. The babies are clad in wooly winter clothes fashioned from bisque crystals – they always look warm. Snowbaby waterglobes feature clear globes made from European glass, some with snow falling inside, but others with whimsical contents such as flowers or angels. If you are able to find retired snowbabies from years long past, you’ll notice the subtle ways that refinements in the production process have made them even better over time. "Let it Snow" sold for about $70 US in 2006. It is one of the larger Snowbaby waterglobes – smaller globe collectibles are also available and prices start as low as under $20 US. Very small items, such as tiny figurines and small Christmas tree ornaments start at under $10. For the serious investor, larger pieces worth hundreds of dollars are available, and there’s no telling what retired Snowbabies will sell for in the future if they are in great demand.
The internet is a great place to learn what’s new in the world of Snowbabies and snowbaby waterglobes. Here, you get all the newest information – what the newest ones look like, where you can buy them at reasonable prices, and which ones have become retired Snowbabies over the years. Join Snowbabies clubs and forums or just surf on your own – it’s all great fun.
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