ORNAMENTS FIND NICHE AT CHRISTMAS TIME

The Merry Maker, right, and two of the All Through the Night decorations.

Fitz and Floyd after offer Christmas decorative giftware made of china.

It used to be that decorations for Christmas were simple -- a tree cut down from the nearby woods, a simple string of lights in a few simple colors, a smattering of glass bulb ornaments, maybe some garland on the banister or candles in the window and, of course, the stockings hung by the chimney with care.

But today, Christmas decorations are as varied as they are unconventional. Ornaments that used to be fairly uniform in their shapes and colors have been joined, if not replaced, by decorations that seem to have little to do with the holidays.

"This year cartoon characters have become quite popular," said Rick Werner, one of the owners of Holiday Happenings, mentioning in particular ornaments of Betty Boop, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse and characters from Looney Tunes and from Dr. Suess books.

Also, on sale at Holiday Happenings, a Cape Girardeau business that sells Christmas decorations year-round, are ornaments in the shape of everything from Power Rangers to personal computers.

Hallmark ornaments for this year include a new Marilyn Monroe series and figurines of famous sports stars, such as racing's Jeff Gordon, hockey's Wayne Gretsky and football's Joe Namath, according to Reggie Reed, manager of Kirlin's Hallmark in the West Park Mall.

One of the year's most unusual Hallmark ornaments was the motorized showboat that featured flashing lights and a turning paddlewheel. The ornament, which carried a $42 price tag, sold out quickly, Reed said.

Christmas ornaments and decorations have become big business for retailers. Kirlins begins selling their ornaments in July, hosting a gala Premiere Day on a Saturday late in the month.

"It's no big deal to ring up $500 to $1,000 in ornaments for a single purchase," Reed said.

Many of the purchasers are collectors who belong to the Hallmark Ornament Collectors Club. Club members receive a "Dream Book" in March which tells of the ornaments to be added to the Hallmark Collection that year. On April 1, club members can put their names on a waiting list for the new ornaments, Reed said.

Reed anticipates that 1998, the 25th anniversary of Hallmark ornaments, will be a big year for collectors, many of whom will purchase the ornaments and never take them out of the box.

Collecting Christmas ornaments and decorations has become as profitable for the collectors as it has for the retailers.

An ornament in Hallmark's "Holiday Barbie" series, which offers a little number of a new ornament in the series each year, generally doubles in price from the first year to the next. The ornament, which sells for $15.95, will be worth twice that much in the second year, Reed estimates.

A complete set of the Frosty Friends series, now in its 19th year, is worth close to $2,000, Reed said.

But it isn't only the tree ornaments that are of interest to collectors. Holiday Happenings' Rick Werner mentions as well the popularity of the Seraphim Angels and the Bristol Township.

The makers of the Seraphim Angels, a limited edition of collectible sculptured angels, routinely retire sculptures from the line, thus making the value of the sculpture jump in price. An angel that originally sold for $55 may sell for up to $200 when retired. A $159 angel may jump to $350 in retirement.

Because of their popularity as collectibles, Christmas ornaments and decorations do not always stay in the stores long. And retailers cannot always predict what will be popular with the consumer. The Lone Ranger on a little tin lunch box was a Hallmark ornament that no one thought would be a great seller.

"It just blew out of here," Reggie Reed said. "We ran out in October."