Perfect for young children; handsomely crafted

I just received this Advent calendar and was pleasantly surprised at the quality. It is very sturdily constructed; I expect that this will last for years. Some things that aren't obvious from the picture/description: The inside of each compartment is painted dark blue. The tin manger scene in the center has raised areas and the three dimensions give it a richer look than if it were flat. The nicest surprise was that each of the figures is wood and appears to be hand-painted. The magnet on each is small and embedded into the back of the figure so the figure sits flush against the tin background. The magnets are strong too so each piece securely connects to the background (no sliding down once you let go). Please note that some of the figures are small (e.g. stars) and could present a choking hazard to a very young child. I wish it were a little deeper (I measure the depth at 1 and 5/8th inches) but because of the weight and sturdiness of it it does stand securely on its own. There are two hooks at the top of the back for hanging it. All in all I am very pleased with this calendar - I know my young daughter will enjoy the excitement of opening the doors each day and slowly creating the Nativity scene. And it is beautifully crafted so I'll enjoy seeing it in our living room during the Advent season. It is well worth the cost. And incidently it arrived two days after I ordered it (and I chose the Super Saver shipping so 'didn't expect it to ship for 5 or more days).More detail ...

More than described

The description for this item is sorely lacking... made of porcelain the Joseph figure is illuminated by a C-7 -type bulb and socket with a three-foot cord and inline switch.



The mirrored platform looks a little silly to me so I probably won't use it; the feet on the mirror are also porcelain.



Hand-painted with a rustic look... a bit like a folk-art piece.



I bought on clearance from Amazon for about $7.00 ... definitely a good deal at this price though I would expect my limit on an item such as this to be about $15.00 or so.



Better in person than described and I would buy it again.More detail ...

Mini Illuminated Nativity Music Box

Enjoyed this small music box very much. It was a great addition to my miniature nativity collection.More detail ...

Great Value!

This is a well made Nativity set. The creche is really unique and the figurines are well done. I love it and so do my daughters.More detail ...

My favorite nativity set

My mother bought this set more than thirty years ago and I grew up playing with it. Every year my sister and brothers and I would take out the nativity (ours had a stable with it) and re-enact the whole Christmas story. We never tired of playing with these beautiful pieces. The abrtract simplicity of the figures gave more scope for our imaginations than any fancy carved or painted set ever could. Ever since I married and moved away from my parents' house I've missed this nativity! So when my sister bought one for me this fall I was ecstatic. The pieces are nearly identical to the ones I grew up with (though of course these animals still have all four legs - my mother's no longer do after years of making the donkey carry Mary into the stable!).

I can't wait until I can share this nativity set with my own children. And until then this nativity will still have pride of place in my house at Christmas.More detail ...

Nativity scene

Just as it looked in the pictures. We liked it and had it up all Christmas season.More detail ...

Glad I bought this for my toddler

I bought this along with Tomie's Little Christmas Pageant for my 2.5 yr old. I am happy with both. It is made in China but the box indicates the paint is lead free. The figures are a nice chunky size for my toddler's hands. I believe the figures are bigger than the Fisher Price set.



I think it is a good set for the price but there are 2 things I think buyers will want to consider. First it does not have an actual stable as other sets do(though we will probably make one by painting a shoebox). Second although I like that it is made of wood (makes it very charming) it IS a soft wood and I suspect that with some rough handling it might get dinged and nicked up.

More detail ...