On the move

I didn’t keep very good records on these three, because I don’t remember if I bought them all at the same kiosk, at least the first one. The other two came from the same shop though. The razr rider  was the last one on the rack and the skater was hanging in the doorway. I had the owner cut it down so I could buy it.

Shopping pair on red scooter, red and green scarf and red Santa hat

Acquired: December 3, 2009, Santa NYC, Bryant Park, New York

Number: 0746

Size: 4 inches tall, 4 inches long

Price: $16.01

Razr rider with stack of presents

Acquired: December 3, 2009, Bryant Park, New York

Number: 0747

Size: 5.75 inches tall

Skater with black boots, red hat, green and red scarf, holding candy cane

Acquired: December 3, 2009, Bryant Park, New York

Number: 0748

Size: 5.5 inches tall

A walk in the park

These ornaments might not look like they belong together, but have something in common. They represent what can happen to you when you go on an innocent Christmas shopping trip to Bryant Park in New York City a couple of blocks from where I work. Every year the park is converted for the season into an ice skating rink surrounded by scores of gift booths. It’s great for those last-minute and hard-to-find gifts on your list. It’s also a great place to find penguin ornaments. You’ve already seen a couple of other penguins I found in the park in previous years.  You can see them by clicking on the Bryant Park label below. All of today’s penguins came in one fateful trip to the park a couple of years ago. I didn’t go there looking for penguins, but found plenty.

All acquired December 17, 2008, Bryant Park, New York

Two hugging porcelain penguins in colorful scarves and hats

Number: 0579

Size: 3.25 inches tall

Price: $12.99

Flattish ceramic penguins balancing on big round mints

Number: 0580 0581

Size: 4 inches tall

Price: $10.99 each

Big silver jingle bell with plastic head, springy wings and dangling “butterfly” feet

Number: 0582

Size: 3 inches tall

Price: $13

Pear-shaped glass penguin with tall, glittery top hat, red sequined bow tie and long dangly legs

Number: 0583

Size: 6.5 inches tall

Price: not recorded

Three large glass penguins on blue ice blocks holding ornament, gift and tree

Number: 0584 0585 0586

Size: 6 to 6.25 inches tall

Price: $14 each

Three flattish glass bulbs, painted and filled with snow, green hat with candy cane, blue hat with gift,  and red hat with tree

Number: 0587 0588 0589

Size: 4.5 inches tall

Price: $14 each

Bewitching stitching

The needlework on this penguin makes it one of my favorite ornaments. I’ve found some beautiful ornaments at the annual holiday market in New York’s Bryant Park.

Stuffed felt penguin with nice embroidery and holly-trimmed hat

Acquired: December 7, 2007, Jesterbal, Bryant Park, New York City

Number: 0436

Size: 7 inches tall

Price: $18

Big and little brothers

These two skiing penguins look an awful lot alike, but the one on the right is considerable shorter than the other one. Both are on 5.125-inch long skis. The tall one has the distinction of being ornament number 200, at which point it became clear to me that I needed to start cataloguing the collection to keep track of which ones came when and from whom. There is a big mystery surrounding No. 200. It was left in my mailbox at work with a note that said “From a secret Santa!” It’s kind of fun having a mystery, but I really wish I could tell the generous giver that this was a big milestone in my penguin tree collection. I bought the smaller one myself about three years later at the Holiday Shops in New York City’s Bryant Park.

Tall wooden penguin on old-fashioned style “popsicle stick” skis

Acquired: 2002

Number: 200

Size: 4.75 inches tall

Short wooden penguin on old-fashioned style “popsicle stick” skis

Acquired: Dec. 21, 2005, Holiday Shops at Bryant Park

Number: 282

Size: 4.25 inches tall

Price: $15