The 2016 Spooky Town/Halloween Village Thread

53128 Views 365 Replies 51 Participants Last post by Shadowbat, Dec 7, 2016

Shadowbat

Discussion Starter · Jan 6, 2016

Guess it's time to start a new thread for the new year. In just a few months we should see the 2016 Lemax releases for Spooky Town.

I'm currently trying to figure out how to keep my one cat out of the display. I have a permanent set up in the basement and it has never been bothered until a couple weeks ago. I have some clear pvc bordering it but it's only a bout a foot tall. Guess I'm going to have to figure something else that's higher. She already broke one piece and I really don't want to take it down.

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thisdougsforu

· #10 · Jan 11, 2016

Last year was my first year and I really loved finally building a Halloween Village. What's nice about this year is that I got all the "start-up" stuff last year so this year more of my budget can go to buildings!

Department 56 has started announcing new stuff for 2016 already. You can see a few items here -

https://www.department56.com/catego...40&pp=15&sortby=newArrivalsDescend&sortType=1

There is also another site that has a few houses (like a house made entirely of Candy) from 2016 but I cannot find the link. Someone posted it on a facebook group over the holidays and I can't find it, sorry :\

Lemax does all of their announcing in March typically, yes?

One thing I'd love to see is spider themed stuff. It seems neither company has really done much with that motif.

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thisdougsforu

· #27 · Feb 26, 2016

Kenneth said:
I loooooooove the "America's Most Haunted" house idea, would buy it in a heartbeat but i've read horror stories on the Bradford Exchange so
that really put me off on buying from them....anyone ever buy anything from them?

I was excited for Stalking Dead County last year but was leery because they don't just show everything up front and what is shown came off as fancy renderings and not actual product. I saw pictures of the pieces from people who did purchase them and they were pretty underwhelming considering what the original artist depictions looked like on the website. They also look pretty small.

While that isn't technically personal experience, I would wait until you see pics from someone else here or on a Facebook group. Good ideas yes, but seeing the Barn and Cornfield from Stalking Dead County they were pretty lame.

thisdougsforu

· #31 · Mar 1, 2016

Does Dept 56 announce their new stuff around this time as well? I know it goes on sale in June so I'd think so.

Last year I decided sort of late that I was going to finally build a Halloween Village and therefore was sort of all over the place. This year I plan on getting various Spooky Town pieces as well as one whole collection of D56 stuff. It's either going to be the train OR a new set they offer if one is particularly cool.

I just wish someone would make something spider themed already!

thisdougsforu

· #33 · Mar 2, 2016

mariab1299 said:
Department 56 already announced their new 2016 stuff.......you can see it all on their official website!!!

I must be missing something. I see Christmas 2016 but I don't see the Halloween stuff. What's on there is from 2015.

EDIT - I see it now, I just had to download the PDF of their catalog. Hmm. Looks like I'll be starting on the train I guess as not a lot interests me this year save for a couple pieces that they sold last year which I already own.

thisdougsforu

· #36 · Mar 17, 2016

One of the "insiders" on the tiny village group facebook alluded to the fact she knew what was coming but couldn't say anything (hate those kind of "neener, neener!" posts and implied that early April was when we'd see it.

thisdougsforu

· #40 · Mar 28, 2016

The Lemax 2016 Spookytown Collection is getting revealed this Friday, April 1. Sounds like they put the youtube videos up today and a few people saw them before they made them hidden. Sounds like one building has flying ghosts!

Only a couple days to wait, at least.

Reactions: 3

thisdougsforu

· #42 · Mar 28, 2016

Someone who saw the video before it was pulled also saw a cool looking swamp themed piece.

thisdougsforu

· #47 · Mar 29, 2016

I guess this is over my head, but what is "Fear the Date?"

thisdougsforu

· #51 · Apr 1, 2016

Bummer that almost everything "new" on the building front are just the Michael's exclusives. I guess we will have to wait for Michaels to release their stuff to see what really is new.

At least the Belfry is very cool though. I'll be picking that up for sure.

If you look at the banner pic on the SpookyTown 2016 page there appears to be a couple unlisted pieces including a trick or treater house.

thisdougsforu

· #53 · Apr 1, 2016

Shadowbat is that train completely new? I know I've seen a train in the Lemax lineup before.

thisdougsforu

· #57 · Apr 1, 2016

Kenneth said:
I guess i'm a bit confused as this is my first year really looking at starting a Spookytown collection. How are these new if they were in Michael's stores?

Last year was my first year getting into Spooky Town (its freaking awesome, by the way) so let me explain -

Lemax has their standard 2016 items, which were announced today. Spooky Town hits Michaels stores in late July, and at that time the "Michael's exclusive" pieces are announced. You cannot buy them anywhere but Michaels. Going by the past two years patterns, in 2017 many of those exclusive pieces will get slight recolors and be part of the standard line then. Rinse, repeat. Hopefully that makes sense!

For reference, last year's michael exclusive's that are rebranded as "new" for this year are Wanda's Wicked Cupcakes, the Zombie Fortress, the Clown building, and the bumper cars.

thisdougsforu

· #63 · Apr 2, 2016

Boy, Lemax is really taking it on the chin in social media land for the mediocre lineup. The bizarre thing to me about it is they wanted to sort of make a big deal and have a "reveal" date and then pretty much just use retreads. I work in marketing for a product company and...uh..yeah it was a weird choice.

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thisdougsforu

· #74 · Apr 20, 2016

Where is a good place to find display backgrounds?

thisdougsforu

· #76 · Apr 21, 2016

Thanks Shadowbat, I looked them up and I've found some good stuff. I'm building a permanent display table for them this year with a back to hang a background.

So I'm scouting my new pieces this year and I'd really love to nab that Ghost Containment Unit (lights are freaking cool!) but I can't really figure out what the heck it would go with. Did they make any specific accessories for that piece?

thisdougsforu

· #80 · May 2, 2016

Organism Adaptation Adventure game Fiction World

This pic was show off on a facebook group. I guess its from some kind of ad Lemax recently did. That house hasn't been announced yet to my knowledge and looks like a Swamp style getup. I really like it. I'm guessing that's the swamp piece that some who saw the 2016 Lemax Release Day videos early claim they saw before everything was pulled down. The alien lights as well.

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thisdougsforu

· #84 · May 3, 2016

Tree Vehicle House Art Plant

New D56 Haunted Rails car for this year (as well as ghost catcher figure)! These look badass. I guess I need to finally start collecting the Haunted Rails set as I've been meaning to. This is gonna get expensive.

https://www.enescobusiness.com/category/d56+-+brands/villages/snow+village+halloween.do

A couple other new pieces (and more pics of the train car) at the link above.

EDIT - Just scored the pumpkin and CaBOOse train cars for 100 together on ebay. And so it begins. hehe.

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thisdougsforu

· #85 · May 3, 2016

Sorry for the double post but I forgot to put on here the piece I scored several weeks ago! A friend of mine from out of town had this piece and traded it to me for some car parts lol. I work in the racing industry and look forward to picking up all the spooky town cars/trucks to go with it as well as the gas station.

Looks like this season its all Trains & Hot Rods.

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thisdougsforu

· #89 · May 9, 2016

I scored the D56 Haunted Fun House last weekend at a garage sale! What a killer piece!

You know, that and the discussion about Lemax's 2016 stuff on the last few pages makes me ask this question- as a person who has really only been into this hobby for less than 2 years it definitely seems like all the cool stuff is from previous years. Why is this? While their are certain exceptions, it sure seems like both companies were really firing on all cylinders in years past. So many awesome looking, intricate pieces. Are the good ideas just all used up? I don't necessarily buy that theory, but even if that was true couldn't they re-release some of the best ones? Just odd to me.

Reactions: 1

thisdougsforu

· #101 · May 14, 2016

The only piece I've seen of D56 that has sound is the Haunted Rails Train Station...and maybe Monsters of the Deep?!

I'm really excited for the coming season as well as once Memorial Weekend passes that means early Halloween stuff starts to pop up! My local D56 dealer gets their 2016 stock in early June, and then obviously Michaels in July. I'm really hoping that several of the new exclusive pieces are nice!

And hey, I've been working on a pet project of mine the last couple weeks and I'm finally ready to show it off on here - SpookyVillages.com! I'll be reviewing a different piece at least once a week and hopefully can get a few other contributors on board to help with content from time to time. It gives me an excuse to talk Halloween Villages 365, as well as shoot detailed pictures/video!

Since we are in "off-season" right now and waiting on the new stuff to release, my first review is of the classic Dr. Stretch & Pull's Torture Factory. Take a gander if you would. I also just did a small right up on the My Village background that I just purchased recently. I have several infamous pieces coming up for review the next few weeks while we wait!

http://spookyvillages.com/

Again, anyone looking to contribute detailed reviews in a similar style and/or anything else would be appreciated. Within a couple years I'd like it be a great database for someone looking to get a specific building, but that isn't sure what exactly one does. Some of you guys & ghouls have rare pieces so sharin' the knowledge is always great!

Thanks!

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thisdougsforu

· #104 · May 16, 2016

I'm local to a big D56 dealer and their Halloween stuff is due in late May to early June. The Witch Hollow stuff is very nice!

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