Monday

November 1, 2021

 

 

Let's get to meet some of the members of our

community. And . . . what better place to meet

friends than the local Cafe. Especially at our own

Village Collectors' Cafe.

We'll keep it simple. Just share your answers to ten

questions, and we'll get to see how similar our

fellow villagers are anywhere in the world!

 

 

 

 

Here we go.

Kathy and I will start off to show how easy it is.

Here's the questions. You just need to send the answers.

 

TIP:  Click and drag the "questions graphic" to your

desktop for easy reference. Or, you can print it

if that's your preference. Have Fun!

 

 

 

 

Villagers #9

Phil & Sue Adkins

Northampton, England

Hi there! Just popping into the Villagers' Cafe for a much needed break after our first weekend of planning and foundation work for this year's display.

#1. Pretty much everything is now Lemax. A few pieces from elsewhere have been replaced with Lemax over the last few years. In England, it's pretty much the only option of quality.

#2. Currently, and this is a guess, about 30-35 lit buildings and rides.

#3. My favourite? Very difficult, but I like the fairground swing chairs we bought last year.

#4. Train or trolley? In recent years it's both, however we call the trolley a tram over here!

#5. We probably started about 30 years ago with a gift from my parents of a miniature 6 house village set.

#6. Traditions? Not really. However in recent years, visitors leave a small donation and we buy gifts for folk in hospital at Christmas time.

#7. Just one display, starting around the end of September. Crikey, that alone causes enough disputes in the planning stages!

#8. No knowledge of any "clubs" here.

#9. Village news comes from the Village Collector site, and inspiration from all the wonderful videos!

#10. I discovered TVC from a random google search, never knew that we were part of such a fantastic worldwide community.

 

    

OK, break over . . . back to work!

 

 

 

Villager #8

Thea Heyink

Ontario, Canada

#1. All and all brands, mostly Lemax and Dept 56, but also buildings from shops in different places in the world. Bronner's Christmas Store in Frankenmuth, MI, and Intratuin in Barneveld, the Netherlands.

#2. About 50 to 60. Because of limited space for the villages, I rotate the pieces from year to year.

#3. I have several favourites, one being the Rare Used Bookshop, and another being the little church I purchased in the Netherlands.

#4. I have both a train and a trolley. A village without one or both is not the same.

#5. Buying an early-bird doorcrasher special at Sears one chilly November morning, back in 1980.

#6. Learning to make the display as realistic as possible.

#7. Yes, the main one on three floating shelves, one on the sideboard, and another one on the entrance table by my front door.

#8. No, not until TVC found me.

#9. Youtube and now TVC.

#10. I didn't discover TVC, they discovered me! Glad they did, what a great community!

 

Yes, I'm a published author as well, currently working on my sixth book. The books pictured here are only available through me, not available on Amazon anymore. Just so you know.

 

 

 

Villagers #7

Linda & Dom

New Hampshire, USA

#1. Department 56 North Pole,  Santa's Workbench, and some miscellaneous

#2. 15

#3. I love it all, but especially the Dept 56 "Weather & Time Observatory" & the Dept 56 "Hand Carved Nutcracker Factory". My favorite accessories are the Dept 56 "Have a Seat" elves and the Dept 56 "This Looks Like a Good Spot" elves.

#4. No

#5. With a gift set for Christmas

#6. Keep the display up until March

#7. No

#8. Yes, but the club folded. (The 56 Club)

#9. TVC

#10. a friend

Enjoying the RV lifestyle

 

 

 

Villagers #6

Tom & Barb Gibson

North Carolina, USA

#1. Holiday Time

#2. 5

#3. Trees we make

#4. No

#5. Saw them in Walmart

#6. No

#7. No

#8. No

#9. Facebook

#10. A friend

 

 

Villagers #5

Kirollos and Marina Ruutu

Finland

#1. Lemax and Luville

#2. 8

#3. All

#4. No

#5. Gift of two buildings

#6. No

#7. No

#8. No

#9. Friends

#10. Searching Internet

 

 

Villager #4

Brian Vaill

Maine, USA

#1. Four (4)

#2. 400

#3. Grand Central Terminal (not D56)

#4. Always.

#5. Introduction in 1984 of the Dickens Village.

#6. Excellence.

#7. No, our entire collection is displayed year-round.

#8. Yes.

#9. Very limited for the past several years as much of the communication sources have gone away.

#10. Thanks to you.

 

 

 

Villager #3

Jim Peters

Kentucky, USA

#1. Brands? Any and all, whatever fits in my imagination for the most current display.

#2.  How many lit buildings? Probably about 800. Gonna sell down to about 300.

#3. Favorite item? Currently buildings with tiny village displays in the window.

#4. Train or trolley? Never a train, rarely a trolley. Everybody has a train.

#5. How started in villaging? Saw a neighbors 10' x 4' village display.

#6. Traditions for my display? Embrace change! Try new things! Think outside the box.

#7. More than one display? Yes, an Elvis village for next to my wife's Elvis-themed tree.

#8. Belong to a club? Yes, the Queen City Villagers. As fine a group of award-winning village displayers there is.

#9. Where for village news? Facebook groups and TVC!

#10. How discover TVC? Contacted personally on YouTube by the webmaster, Bill.

 

 

Villagers #2

David G. and Linda Spears

Minnesota, USA

#1. We have Dept. 56, Lemax, and Coca Cola buildings. Accessories and people are from anywhere we find them.

#2. One Hundred and eighty buildings.

#3. Linda: "Jenny's Corner Book Store" / David: "Cathedral of Saint Paul".

#4. We do most always have a train, and a trolley, in our displays. They are not always operational.

#5. I had a collection of Coca Cola items that included twelve buildings. After a couple of years I felt I needed other than businesses (with Coke logos). I discovered Dept. 56 New England Village and purchased "Thomas T. Julian House" and "Old Michaelchurch".

#6. We always have Snoopy and Woodstock "hidden/placed" somewhere in our display. No prizes, but it creates a lot of looking around.

#7. Only one village display each year. It includes approx. 130 houses and over 1,000 people. Not sure about the number of accessories.

#8. We have been part of our local Village North Collectors Club since 1996.

​#9. I ask questions and have friends in many places that keep me informed; I read Village D-Lights; use the National Council of 56 Clubs sources; read many club newsletters, websites and Facebook pages; and the info provided by The Village Collector.

#10. I was invited by Bill Channell to submit a column for his The Village Collector web site.

 

 

Villagers #1

Bill and Kathy Channell

New Hampshire, USA

     #1. Department 56 Heritage Villages and some miscellaneous.

     #2. Bill - D56 Holiday Coach Accessory/Kathy - D56 Disney Parks Village "Silversmith"

     #3. About 70.

     #4. No, not any more. Mostly small vignettes now.

     #5. Wanted a couple of lit houses for Christmas decorations and happened to see some in a local gift/card shop.

     #6. No

     #7. No

     #8. Yes, a few over the years. Currently we are members of "Our 56 Club" that is listed on "The ClubHouse" page.

     #9. emails from friends, Village D-Lights magazine, and company newsletters.

    #10. We started it.

 

More information about us is on the "Home" page

and the "Welcome to TVC" page.

Bill at his favorite lighthouse.

 

Kathy on hallowed ground - Boston's Fenway Park,

watching her beloved "Red Sox" Baseball Team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a Few More Examples of: