3072. The Cat Club Artist International McDonald Happy Meal

One way of life:
Everybody needs someone to share the joy of his or her life.
If it happens to be cats, they will make your life fulfilled.
If you are happy, then cats are happy. If cats are happy, then you are happy.
This is the whole concept of "THE CAT CLUB".

“The CAT ” Background

* One of the Japan’s top kitten franchises.
* Art bank includes: 30 different breeds of cats and over 50,000 kitten images photographed at unique angles where heads and bodies are adorably enhanced.
* Strong graphics complimented by a clean, white background sets it apart from all other kitten photography with its contemporary-driven look.

3071. Precious Moments Blue Elephant

Samuel John Butcher was born shortly after midnight in Jackson, Michigan on January 1, 1939. He was the third of five children who grew up in a very poor family. The family moved to Northern California when Sam was quite young, settling in rural Redding.

Most of Sam's childhood days were spent drawing and sketching under the dining room table. At a very early age his talent was recognized by both family members and friends, but because his family was so poor, drawing materials were hard to come by. But Sam was a clever child, and soon his favorite place was a factory dump near his home where he would search for rolls of paper to draw on.

Some of Sam's fondest memories are of his grandmother telling him Bible stories. He always had a deep interest in spiritual things and even from his earliest childhood, he painted scenes from the Bible. During his school years, he studied hard and won awards, but all of that was not enough to fill the emptiness and lack of fulfillment that he felt inside.

Then one night, in a country church, Sam heard the Good News of Salvation. He responded to the invitation and asked Jesus to come into his heart. Since that night, he decided to only use his talent for the Lord.

With his mother’s encouragement, he pursued formal art training following his high school graduation. He won a scholarship to the College of Arts & Crafts in Berkeley. Sam married his college sweetheart and the young family moved back to Michigan where Sam took a job in the shipping department of the Child Evangelism Fellowship. His first position as a real artist came when CEF promoted Sam to the art department. It was while there that he learned how to study the Bible and, as he did, he grew in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. As he began to grow spiritually, so did his desire to reach out to people with a message of God's love.

To convey his message, Sam began drawing the endearing teardrop-eye children he called “Precious Moments” as for family and friends. Then, for several years, Sam was seen on television as the story illustrator for the inspiration children's program, Tree Top House, drawing his teardrop-eyed images to tell the story.

Precious Moments were introduced to the public in 1975 on inspirational greeting cards and posters, and in 1978 the first Precious Moments figurines were unveiled. But even the success of what he created did not satisfy Sam, because in his heart was a desire to honor the Lord by building the Precious Moments Chapel. Since the structure's initial completion in 1989, millions of visitors have come to admire his work and share his faith.

Sam has never forgotten his humble beginnings. Even though he is one of America's most beloved artists, he remains a quiet family man. Nothing means more to him than his children and grandchildren, and he takes advantage of every opportunity to make them an active part of his life and his work.

3070. Intel Bunny People

Name: Intel ™ Bunny People
Make: Intel Corporation ™
Year or Era: 1997
Construction: fabric
Motion: static
Dimensions: The small ones are 8" ( 203.2 mm ) stretched.
The one large one is about 13" ( 330.2 mm ).

Special Comments:
These dolls were part of the Intel ™ advertising campaign for the new, at the time, Intel II chip with MMX technology, which had to do with multimedia. I remember the colorful commercials on television with the dancing robotic figures in bunny suits (read below), assembling the Intel chips. It's hard to believe that much time has passed by. The computer that made this webpage is an Intel Pentium 4, 2.53 Ghz machine. The technology is becoming overwhelming to me, and I feel the best is yet to come!

Why are these robots, and not just men in bunny suits? These are dolls of people in "Bunny Suits", so actually these could be considered people and not robots. However, the labels on the dolls say, "Intel Inside", indicating these are robots. The commercials looked very robotic as well.

The tags on the dolls say:
"The Bunny People tm characters are modeled after the highly trained technicians that manufacture Intel micro-processors in ultra-clean manufacturing environments. Wearing a "bunny suit", protective clothing which prevents even the smallest dust particles from contaminating the microprocessors being manufactured, these technicians manufacture highly complex chips like Intel's newest Pentium® II processor.

The Pentium II processor core has 7.5 million transistors connected by electrical paths called circuits, which are thinner than a strand of human hair. The Pentium II processor is capable of processing millions of pieces of information and is the highest performing Intel microprocessor available today."

3069. Pillsbury Doughboy

Poppin' Fresh, more widely known as the Pillsbury Doughboy, is an advertising icon and mascot of The Pillsbury Company, appearing in many of their commercials. Many commercials from 1965 until 2004 (returned in 2011) conclude with a human finger poking the Doughboy's stomach. The Doughboy responds by rubbing his stomach and giggling (Hoo-Hoo!, or earlier on, a slight giggle).
The Pillsbury Doughboy was created by the Leo Burnett advertising agency's copy writer, Ryan Tanttila , as he was sitting in his kitchen in 1962, under pressure to create an advertising campaign. Tanttila imagined a living dough boy popping out of a Pillsbury Crescent Rolls can. To distinguish the dough boy from the rolls, he gave it a scarf, a chef's hat, two big blue eyes, a blush, and a soft, warm chuckle when poked in the stomach. The Doughboy was originally drawn by Martin Nodell and brought to life using stop motion clay animation. Today, CGI is used. The first CGI commercial was directed by Tim Johnson who at that time was working for PDI.
Perz originally conceived the Doughboy as an animated figure, but changed his mind after seeing a stop motion titling technique used in the opening credits for The Dinah Shore Show. A three-dimensional Doughboy doll of clay was then created at a cost of $16. Paul Frees was chosen to be Fresh's voice. Since then, Pillsbury has used Poppin' Fresh in more than 600 commercials for more than fifty of its products. He also appeared in a MasterCard commercial, with the Jolly Green Giant, the Morton Salt Girl, and Count Chocula, as some of the ten merchandising icons, depicted as having dinner together.

3068. Lawyers Staffing Inc. Bear

Founded by attorneys in 1997, Lawyer's Staffing, Inc. is Virginia's premier legal staffing company, providing attorneys, lawyers, paralegals, and legal secretaries in Richmond, Hampton Roads, Northern VA, and the Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, NC areas. Temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct hire job/career staffing needs are our specialty.

"By our unwavering commitment to excellence, service and superior value, we are recognized by our clients, candidates, and competitors as the preeminent provider of legal staffing services."

3067. Scorchio (Red)

Scorchio is a Neopet species similar to a western dragon. (Hissis are more
similar to "Eastern" dragons. Draiks are also dragon-like.) Scorchios can breath fire.
As mentioned above, Scorchios look like Earth dragons -- in Western Europe and the Americas. They come in the standard, basic colors: red, yellow, green and blue.

3066. M and M Purple

M&M's (named after the surnames of Forrest Mars, Sr., & Bruce Murrie of Hershey's) are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated. The candy shells, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case on one side, surround a variety of fillings, including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, crisped rice, mint chocolate, peanuts, almonds, orange chocolate, coconut, pretzel, wild cherry, and peanut butter. M&M's originated in the United States in 1941, and are now sold in over 100 countries. They are produced in different colors, some of which have changed over the years.

In 2000, "Plain" M&M's (a name introduced in 1954 when Peanut M&M's were introduced) were renamed "Milk Chocolate" M&M's, and pictures of the candy pieces were added to the traditional brown and white packaging.
In July 2001, Dulce de Leche M&M's were introduced in five markets with large Hispanic populations: Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA, Miami, FL, Mcallen-Brownsville, TX, and San Antonio, TX. The flavor never became popular with the Hispanic community, who preferred existing M&M's flavors, and it was discontinued in most areas by early 2003. The flavor was widely panned for containing 36 grams of fat per serving.
In 2002, Mars solicited votes in their first ever "M&M's Global Color Vote" to add a new color from three choices: aqua (turquoise), pink, and purple. This time, purple won and was featured for a limited time.

3065. Coke Seal

Coca-Cola Grey Seal (Sea Lion) Holding Coke Bottle.

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States since March 27, 1944). Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century.
The company produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company, produce finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. The bottlers then sell, distribute and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores and vending machines. Such bottlers include Coca-Cola Enterprises, which is the largest single Coca-Cola bottler in North America and western Europe. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for soda fountains to major restaurants and food service distributors.
The Coca-Cola Company has, on occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke brand name. The most common of these is Diet Coke, with others including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special versions with lemon, lime or coffee.
Based on Interbrand's best global brand 2011, Coca-Cola was the world's most valuable brand.

3064. Pumbaa from The Lion King Musical

As with many characters in Lion King, Pumbaa's name derives from the East African language Swahili. In Swahili, pumba (v.) means "to be foolish, silly, weakminded, careless, negligent".

The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical.
The musical debuted July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Orpheum Theatre, and was an instant success before premiering on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater on October 15, 1997 in previews with the official opening on November 13, 1997. On June 13, 2006, the Broadway production moved to the Minskoff Theatre to make way for the musical version of Mary Poppins, where it is still running after more than 5,350 performances. It is now Broadway's seventh longest-running show in history.
The show debuted in the West End's Lyceum Theatre on October 19, 1999 and is still running. The cast of the West End production were invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance 2008 at the London Palladium on December 11, in the presence of senior members of the British Royal Family.

3063. Mr. Happy

Mr. Happy is the third book in the Mr Men series. Mr Happy discovers Mr. Miserable (who looks exactly like him) and helps him become happy.
Mr. Happy in the 2008 TV series The Mr. Men Show looked exactly as he did in the books. He co-hosts a morning show called "Good Morning Dillydale" with Little Miss Sunshine. His catchphrase: "Wonderful!" He also has a deepish voice, sounding like a stereotypical game show host. In the US and UK versions, he is voiced by Sam Gold, Simon Greenall (Season 1) and Rob Rackstraw (Season 2). Mr. Happy spent many years as the official face of Glasgow's Miles Better campaign.
Mr. Happy appears under the titles Monsieur Heureux (French), Don Feliz (Spanish), Mr. Hapus (Welsh), Unser Herr Glücklich (German), Meneer Blij/Meneertje Vrolijk (Dutch), Ο Κύριος Χαρούμενος (Greek), 快樂先生 (Taiwan), 행복씨 (Korean), Fætter Glad (Danish), Gubben Lycklig (Swedish) and Senhor Feliz (Portuguese).

3062. Morocco Mole

Secret Squirrel is assisted in his adventures by fez-wearing sidekick Morocco Mole (also voiced by Paul Frees impersonating Peter Lorre). The pair fights crime and evil enemy agents using cunning and a variety of spy gadgets, including a machine gun cane, a collection of guns kept inside Secret's trench coat, and a variety of devices concealed in his fedora (which he almost never removes).

3061. Mr. Jelly Belly

The company's official mascot is Mr. Jelly Belly, an anthropomorphic cartoon jellybean character with a face. He appears on the packaging and marketing since his introduction in 1996.

The Jelly Belly Candy Company, or simply Jelly Belly, is a maker of jelly beans and other candy, formerly known as The Herman Goelitz Candy Company. The company is based in Fairfield, California and produces more than 34 million pounds (15,000 tonnes) of candy annually at its Fairfield, North Chicago, Illinois, and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin facilities, which have nearly 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) of production space between them.

David Klein, who is the subject of the 2010 documentary film Candyman: The David Klein Story, created the marketing concept of a new kind of jelly bean to be sold in single flavors in 1976. David approached Herman Goelitz Candy Company and appointed them as his only contract manufacturer. David told them to make him a mini gourmet jelly bean that he would call Jelly Belly. David asked his manufacturer to make this jelly bean using natural flavors if possible and to flavor the inside as well as the outside shell. Kathy Fosselman designed the Jelly Belly logo which is still being used today. David became Mr. Jelly Belly for the next four years. The product got off to a very slow start because the $2 per pound retail price was considered very high. The product achieved a great deal of exposure due to a nationwide publicity campaign including an article in People magazine which featured a full page photo of David taking a bath in Jelly Bellies and several appearances on national television shows such as Mike Douglas.
In 1980, Klein and his business partner sold the trademark to Jelly Belly for $4.8 million. The payout was spread over a twenty year period and was based upon future sales with a cap of 120,000 pounds per month. As part of the original contract David had to sign a 20 year non competitive clause which meant he could not be involved with another jelly bean until the year 2000.[8] David Klein has his own candy company Can You Imagine That Confections in Covina California where he is making Sandy Candy a product created by his daughter Roxanne. David is back in the jelly bean business with a new line of mini gourmet jelly beans ( David's Signature Beyond Gourmet) which are being made by two sons of Marinus van Dam who developed the original formula for Jelly Belly. These jelly beans will only contain natural flavors. Fourth generation Goelitz descendent Herman G. Rowland, Sr., and his parents had decided to expand the company's products more than a decade before. The company was the first American manufacturer to make a gummi bear for the US market. They also made candy corn, mellocremes, gummi worms, giant jelly beans and mini jelly beans, which were the precursor to the famous Jelly Belly jelly bean. Confectioner Marinus van Dam was employed by the company to manage the plant and oversee new product development with Herman Rowland. Marinus van Dam was born in Ooltgensplaat, a township in Oostflakkee, Netherlands, on October 24, 1929. After obtaining a candy manufacturing degree in the Netherlands, he emigrated to the United States and went to work for the Herman Goelitz Candy Company in the 1960s. He rose to the level of vice president before moving on to other companies and finally starting his own business, Marich Confectionery.
Traditional jelly beans started out with plain, uncolored pectin centers that were merely sweetened with sugar. Only the outer candy coating was colored and flavored. The third and fourth generation of the candy family decided to produce a superior jelly bean to set itself off from traditional jelly beans. The centers for the company's mini jelly bean were colored and flavored. This flavor enhancing process was also used on the outer candy shell. With the new generation of Jelly Belly beans the company used real fruit juices and natural flavors when possible to boost the taste experience further. The finished Jelly Belly beans contained about half the sugar of the regular jelly bean, and were more flavorful than the generic jelly beans sold in stores.
David Klein sold the first Jelly Belly jelly beans in an ice cream parlor, Fosselman's, in Alhambra, California in 1976. The first flavors were Very Cherry, Tangerine, Lemon, Green Apple, Grape Jelly, Licorice, Root Beer, and Cream Soda. Total sales for the first seven day period was $44. The product was selling for $2 per pound which was considered a very high price at the time.
Jelly Bellies were most famously endorsed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who kept a jar of them on his desk in the White House and on Air Force One, and who also made them the first jelly beans in outer space, sending them on the 1983 Challenger shuttle as a surprise for the astronauts.

3060. Sustagen Mascot

Sustagen is nutritional supplement beverage brand, manufactured by Mead Johnson Company for the Australian and New Zealand markets. Sustagen is equivalent to the Boost Energy Drink sold by Nestle in the United States and United Kingdom (not to be confused with the energy drink Boost sold by the company of the same name) It is also well known in Brazil and Latin America.

The product comes in five varieties:
Sustagen Ready To Drink: pre-mixed with milk and sold in a Tetra Pak in four flavours: Dutch Chocolate, Mega Choc, French Vanilla and Mocha Choc.
Sustagen Ready To Mix: in powdered form for mixing with milk or water. Sold in a can in three flavours: Dutch Chocolate, French Vanilla and Mocha Choc.
Sustagen Sport: special sport formulation, sold in powdered form for mixing with milk or water. Sold in a can in two flavours: Chocolate and Vanilla.
Sustagen Hospital Formula: special hospital formulation, sold in powdered form for mixing with milk or water. Sold in a can in two flavours: Chocolate and Vanilla.
Sustagen Plus Fibre: special hospital formulation with added dietary fibre, sold in powdered form for mixing with milk or water. Sold in a can in two flavours: Chocolate and Vanilla.

3059. Barkley

Barkley is a full-bodied Muppet dog who appears on Sesame Street. Barkley was originally called Woof-Woof when he first appeared in Season 9. In the 10th season premiere, the cast voted to rename him Barkley.
Barkley is energetic and playful, but is not anthropomorphized in the way that Rowlf and other characters are. While he may exhibit human-like emotions, he communicates only through barks, yelps, and physical contact. He was Linda's dog and understood the American Sign Language signs for "sit" and "stay." However, Barkley also had a close relationship with Big Bird. Indeed, in the 1993 book Imagine... Big Bird Meets Santa Claus, the large bird refers to Barkley as his dog. Although Linda has since moved on from Sesame Street, Barkley has remained, presumably becoming a ward of the community as a whole. The book A Bird's Best Friend shows that Granny Bird brought Barkley as a puppy for a present for Big Bird.

Barkley's appearances in television specials include the 1978 A Special Sesame Street Christmas and the 1979 A Walking Tour of Sesame Street. More prominently, he accompanied Big Bird on his trips to China in 1982 and Japan in 1988. He also appeared with the Muppets en masse on Night of 100 Stars. Additionally, for many seasons (until 1992), the Sesame Street closing credits depicted Barkley running through a park with the Kids.

Barkley somewhat disappeared in the series after the start of the 21st century, but returned in the 40th season premiere, being walked (or ran) by Bob. He also made a cameo in one episode the following season.

3058. Little Caesars Pizza Mascot

Little Caesars is a pizza chain, estimated to be the 4th largest in the United States.

Little Caesars is a pizza chain, estimated to be the 4th largest in the United States. The Little Caesars headquarters is located in the Fox Theatre building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.

Little Caesars Pizza was founded by Michael and Marian Ilitch on May 8, 1959. The first location was a strip mall in Garden City, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Mike wanted to call it simply "Pizza Treat," but Marian wanted a name that suited Mike. Marian considered Mike her "little Caesar". Mike ultimately relented, and the store opened as "Little Caesar's Pizza Treat." The original store is still open today.
The company is famous for its advertising catchphrase, "Pizza! Pizza!" which was introduced in 1979. The phrase refers to two pizzas being offered for the comparable price of a single pizza from competitors. Originally the pizzas were served in a single long package. In addition to pizza, they served hot dogs, chicken, shrimp, and fish. Little Caesars has discarded the unwieldy packaging in favor of typical pizza boxes. Currently, the chain is best known for its "Hot-N-Ready" pizzas, large pizzas with popular toppings. Crazy Bread, eight bread sticks covered in garlic spread and Parmesan cheese, is also a staple item on their menu and a popular side-dish.
On November 1, 2010, Little Caesars introduced Pizza! Pizza! Pantastic, denying that the return of "Pizza! Pizza!" had any relationship to the recent success of Domino's, plus they deliver at some locations.

3057. Jacob

In 1994, Mattel took over the Cabbage Patch brand, including production.
The Mattel Cabbage Patch dolls are not limited to cloth bodies and included dolls made from vinyl, which produced a more durable play doll. The Mattel dolls are mostly sized 14" or smaller, and most variants were individualized with a gimmick to enhance their collectibility, e.g. some dolls played on water-toys, swam, ate food, or brushed their teeth.
Some memorable Mattel lines include the updated Kids line of basic cloth dolls that came with birth certificates, the OlympiKids that were made to coincide with the 1996 Olympics, and the Cabbage Patch Fairies. Additionally, to celebrate the dolls' 15th anniversary, Mattel created a line of exclusively female dolls, dressed in period outfits and packaged in collectible boxes. These were the first Mattel dolls to be 16 inches tall, the same measurement of the original Cabbage Patch Kids.
Most of the Mattel Cabbage Patch dolls are still available at online auction sites such as eBay.

3056. Chipper

Eckerd Corporation was an American drug store chain that was headquartered in Largo, Florida, and toward the end of its life, in Warwick, Rhode Island.
The chain had approximately 2,800 stores in 23 states as far west as Arizona. In 2004 it was the fourth largest drug chain in the U.S. In April 2004, the company (then a subsidiary of J. C. Penney) was broken up in a $4.52 billion deal, with approximately 1269 stores in Florida, Louisiana and Texas, along with Eckerd's $1.3 billion mail order pharmacy, sold to CVS Corporation, now CVS Caremark., The deal enabled CVS to leapfrog past rival Walgreens with some 5,400 stores.[4] Because CVS already owned 74 stores in Florida at the time, including 19 in the Tampa Bay Area, many duplicate locations were closed. The remaining stores were sold to the Jean Coutu Group and merged with its Brooks Pharmacy chain. The Eckerd name and corporate headquarters, which housed 1,000 administrative workers at the time in Largo, Florida would remain temporarily intact while under the Coutu ownership. The sale erased the chain's name among its 622 Florida stores, where it had been synonymous with the pharmacy business since Jack Eckerd bought three old drugstores in the Tampa Bay area in 1952. Brooks Eckerd, Jean Coutu's U.S. operations would eventually be sold to Rite Aid. In return, a stake in Rite Aid was ceded to the French-Canadian company. The remaining Eckerd locations became Rite Aids.
For CVS, Florida's older population is a crucial pharmacy marketplace in its ongoing competition with Walgreens. After a major building binge in the Sun Belt prior to 2004, Walgreens dislodged Eckerd as Florida's drugstore market share leader a few years prior to that. CVS needed Eckerd's real estate to mount a credible performance quickly.

3055. Nilla Wafers Gorilla Mascot

Nilla is a brand owned by Nabisco that is most closely associated with its line of wafer biscuits. The name is a shortened version of vanilla, a flavor common to all Nilla-branded products (Nilla wafers have been flavored with synthetic vanillin since their introduction).
Nilla wafers are round wafers that are often eaten with milk as a snack. "Nilla wafer" is used colloquially as a genericized trademark for similar products. The brand was registered in the United States in 1968, having been first used in late 1967.

Several varieties of Nilla wafers are manufactured, including a reduced fat version. Nilla wafers are often used in homemade recipes as an ingredient, particularly for banana cream pie or with banana pudding. A banana-flavored Nilla wafer was also offered at one time. The wafers are also used in icebox cake which is a no bake cake made by layering wafers with cream and pudding. Nabisco also offers Nilla-branded pie crusts designed to save time for cooks who would otherwise have to crush the wafers by hand. The pie crust brand was registered in 1993. Nabisco also sponsored the "B'Nilla Bowl" game in 2001.

Briefly owned by Philip Morris, Nabisco was combined with Kraft Foods and spun off from Phillip Morris in 2007.

3054. Marching Band Pig

Walt Disney was a pioneer in character animation. He was one of the first people to move away from basic cartoons with just "impossible outlandish gags" and crudely drawn characters to an art form with heartwarming stories and characters the audience can connect to on an emotional level. The personality displayed in the characters of his films and the technological advancements remain influential when animating today. He was also considered by many of his colleagues to be a master storyteller and the animation department did not fully recover from his demise until the late 1980's in a period known as the Disney Renaissance. The most finacially and critically successful films produced during this time include Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992) and The Lion King (1994). In 1995, Walt Disney Pictures distributed Pixar's Toy Story, the first computer animated feature film. Walt Disney's nephew Roy E. Disney claimed that Walt would have loved Toy Story and that it was "his kind of movie". With the rise of computer animated films a stream of financially unsuccessful Traditional hand-drawn animated features in the early 2000s emerged. This led to the company's controversial decision to close the traditional animation department. The two satellite studios in Paris and Orlando were closed, and the main studio in Burbank was converted to a computer animation production facility, firing hundreds of people in the process. In 2004, Disney released what was announced as their final "traditionally animated" feature film, Home on the Range. However, since the 2006 acquisition of Pixar, and the resulting rise of John Lasseter to Chief Creative Officer, that position has changed with the largely successful 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. This marked Disney's return to traditional hand-drawn animation and the studio hired back staff who had been laid-off in the past. Today, Disney produces both traditional and computer animation.

3052-3053. Precious Moments Little Angel and Bear

It all began more than thirty years ago, when Precious Moments® creator Sam Butcher began drawing the endearing teardrop-eye children he called "Precious Moments" as gifts for family and friends. Today, his Precious Moments artwork is among the most recognized art in the world, sharing messages of loving, caring and sharing with collectors from around the globe.

A man of deep personal faith and conviction, Sam demonstrated artistic talent at an early age and, encouraged by his Mother, he pursued formal art training following his high school graduation. His dedication earned him a scholarship to the College of Arts & Crafts in Berkeley.

In the early 1970s, Sam and a friend, Bill Biel, started a small company to produce his Precious Moments art on a line of cards and posters, calling their company Jonathan & David. They took their goods to the annual Christian Booksellers Association Convention in Anaheim and their tiny booth was filled with enthusiastic retailers wanting to order the new line. The crowd became so large that neighboring vendors came over to help the two young men write orders.

Shortly thereafter, Sam was approached by Enesco Corporation to develop a three-dimensional figurine based on his artwork titled “Love One Another.” Sam was so overwhelmed when he saw the first porcelain sample that he fell to his knees and wept. It was the beginning of a phenomenon for both Sam and the gift industry.

By the end of 1978, the first twenty-one original Precious Moments figurines were introduced to the market. The response to the collection was incredible. People began to write to Sam, telling him about how the Precious Moments figurines had touched their lives in a moving and heartfelt way. In less than a year after their introduction, demand was overwhelming. The success of the Precious Moments figurines was amazing, yet Sam never lost touch with his original purpose to create art which combined his heartfelt emotions with his abiding faith.

The collection is now well over 1,500 pieces with new introductions offered each year. Members of collector's clubs continue to be found throughout the world. Even more telling, since its opening in 1989, Precious Moments Park in Carthage, Missouri has welcomed approximately 400,000 visitors every year.

In 2005, a new chapter in the Precious Moments story began, as the collection “came home” to join the rest of the Precious Moments family at Precious Moments, Incorporated. No other collection has touched as many hearts as Precious Moments, and no other group of individuals has the same love and passion for this product line as the team at Precious Moments, Inc. We are more committed than ever to expanding the success and vision of the Precious Moments legacy.

3051. Jelly Belly Berry Blue

The Jelly Belly Candy Company, or simply Jelly Belly, is a maker of jelly beans and other candy, formerly known as The Herman Goelitz Candy Company. The company is based in Fairfield, California and produces more than 34 million pounds (15,000 tonnes) of candy annually at its Fairfield, North Chicago, Illinois, and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin facilities, which have nearly 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) of production space between them.

David Klein, who is the subject of the 2010 documentary film Candyman: The David Klein Story, created the marketing concept of a new kind of jelly bean to be sold in single flavors in 1976. David approached Herman Goelitz Candy Company and appointed them as his only contract manufacturer. David told them to make him a mini gourmet jelly bean that he would call Jelly Belly. David asked his manufacturer to make this jelly bean using natural flavors if possible and to flavor the inside as well as the outside shell. Kathy Fosselman designed the Jelly Belly logo which is still being used today. David became Mr. Jelly Belly for the next four years. The product got off to a very slow start because the $2 per pound retail price was considered very high. The product achieved a great deal of exposure due to a nationwide publicity campaign including an article in People magazine which featured a full page photo of David taking a bath in Jelly Bellies and several appearances on national television shows such as Mike Douglas.
In 1980, Klein and his business partner sold the trademark to Jelly Belly for $4.8 million. The payout was spread over a twenty year period and was based upon future sales with a cap of 120,000 pounds per month. As part of the original contract David had to sign a 20 year non competitive clause which meant he could not be involved with another jelly bean until the year 2000. David Klein has his own candy company Can You Imagine That Confections in Covina California where he is making Sandy Candy a product created by his daughter Roxanne. David is back in the jelly bean business with a new line of mini gourmet jelly beans ( David's Signature Beyond Gourmet) which are being made by two sons of Marinus van Dam who developed the original formula for Jelly Belly. These jelly beans will only contain natural flavors. Fourth generation Goelitz descendent Herman G. Rowland, Sr., and his parents had decided to expand the company's products more than a decade before. The company was the first American manufacturer to make a gummi bear for the US market. They also made candy corn, mellocremes, gummi worms, giant jelly beans and mini jelly beans, which were the precursor to the famous Jelly Belly jelly bean. Confectioner Marinus van Dam was employed by the company to manage the plant and oversee new product development with Herman Rowland. Marinus van Dam was born in Ooltgensplaat, a township in Oostflakkee, Netherlands, on October 24, 1929. After obtaining a candy manufacturing degree in the Netherlands, he emigrated to the United States and went to work for the Herman Goelitz Candy Company in the 1960s. He rose to the level of vice president before moving on to other companies and finally starting his own business, Marich Confectionery.
Traditional jelly beans started out with plain, uncolored pectin centers that were merely sweetened with sugar. Only the outer candy coating was colored and flavored. The third and fourth generation of the candy family decided to produce a superior jelly bean to set itself off from traditional jelly beans. The centers for the company's mini jelly bean were colored and flavored. This flavor enhancing process was also used on the outer candy shell. With the new generation of Jelly Belly beans the company used real fruit juices and natural flavors when possible to boost the taste experience further. The finished Jelly Belly beans contained about half the sugar of the regular jelly bean, and were more flavorful than the generic jelly beans sold in stores.
David Klein sold the first Jelly Belly jelly beans in an ice cream parlor, Fosselman's, in Alhambra, California in 1976. The first flavors were Very Cherry, Tangerine, Lemon, Green Apple, Grape Jelly, Licorice, Root Beer, and Cream Soda. Total sales for the first seven day period was $44. The product was selling for $2 per pound which was considered a very high price at the time.
Jelly Bellies were most famously endorsed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who kept a jar of them on his desk in the White House and on Air Force One,[2] and who also made them the first jelly beans in outer space, sending them on the 1983 Challenger shuttle as a surprise for the astronauts.

3050. KMB Mascot

The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd.

Our mission is to contribute to the economic and social development of Hong Kong by providing residents and visitors with an efficient, reliable and user-friendly bus service that gives excellent value for money.

Our vision is to be the best public bus operator in the world.

The bus fleet
When KMB was founded, its bus fleet consisted of 106 small, single-deck buses. Today KMB is the largest bus operator in Hong Kong with 3,835 buses, of which 97.9% are air-conditioned. With more than 12,000 staff, KMB operates a network of 394 bus routes transporting about 2.55 million passengers every day. Having played an active part in the development of Hong Kong over the years, KMB has become one of the world's largest public bus companies and has gained recognition as an international leader in public bus transportation.

An Extensive Network
KMB has been a partner in Hong Kong's growth and expansion. As the population has grown and more new towns have been developed, the company's bus routes have increased in number. KMB's franchised bus network now extends from the Lok Ma Chau boundary across the New Territories and the Kowloon Peninsular to Hong Kong Island. With interchanges at the Tai Lam Tunnel and the Shing Mun Tunnels, and the Octopus Bus-Bus Interchange packages, KMB carries passengers to places all over Hong Kong. No other public transport system in Hong Kong runs a network on a similar scale. The Group also established Long Win Bus Company Limited to provide bus services to Hong Kong International Airport and neighboring Tung Chung.

Modernised Operations Facilities
Besides KMB's four main depots, each equipped with the most advanced facilities to handle daily operations and servicing, there are 11 other depots that provide parking and minor maintenance services. The KMB Overhaul Centre at Tuen Mun is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest of its type in the world. The Lai Chi Kok Bus Depot was built in line with environment-friendly concepts and incorporates many modem facilities that enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. Since 1973, KMB has run its own apprentice training school to foster the professional development of its maintenance and repair staff. The numerous awards won by KMB apprentices in the last few years in the Vocational Training Council's Best Apprentice Competition testify to their excellent performance.

Up To Date Traffic Information
KMB has installed closed circuit television (CCTV) systems with wide-angle cameras at Tsim Sha Tsui, Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan and Shatin Central Termini, to monitor and respond to traffic conditions in and around the bus termini. KMB is considering introducing similar systems at other bus termini as part of its strategy to enhance operational efficiency.

Performance Pledge
KMB uses an internal assessment mechanism to review annually the two core competencies of bus operations, mechanical reliability and operational capability. KMB's statistics show that in 2010, the fleet achieved 48,023:1 on mechanical reliability against a target of 45,000:1. For the same period, the operational capability achieved by KMB was 97.2%.

As a result of the improvements achieved by its bus fleet, operations facilities and front-line staff, KMB's accident rate is continuously decreasing.

Service Enhancement
To promote KMB's quality service culture, KMB runs an annual Outstanding Service Award programme to reward staff for outstanding performance. In addition, Annual Good Service and Safe Driving Awards and Annual Good Service and Attendance Awards are presented to bus captains and terminus supervisors/assistant terminus supervisors respectively in appreciation of their dedication and contribution.

KMB provides training programmes for all grades of staff to maintain and upgrade the quality of its human resources. The KMB Bus Captain Training School provides comprehensive training and improvement courses for new and existing bus captains to ensure that they are well qualified to provide passengers with a safe, comfortable and reliable service. In early 2008, KMB introduced the state-of-the-art Driving Simulator Studio – Hong Kong's first – which simulates real-world driving environments to train bus captains and improve their decision-making and performance across a wide range of vehicle manoeuvres.

The KMB Technical Training School provides a four-year apprentice training course to ensure an adequate supply of skilled maintenance workers. The school also offers maintenance staff training in the latest bus transport technology.

3049. Sid, the mouse

Lenny & Sid who have very different personalities, Lenny (the rabbit) quiet and reserved and Sid (the mouse) very outgoing and out spoken, deal with school life and everything it throws at you including bullies. Throughout the first day at school together they learn that God loves everyone despite their differences.

Anthony Bancroft is an American animator and film director who frequently colloberates with Disney. He is founder and owner of Christian animation company Toonacious Family Entertainment. Tony currently serves as the Executive VP Creative Development and Production for Mirch Animation.

3048. Goose

Puss in Boots is a 2011 computer-animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation, directed by Chris Miller (who directed Shrek the Third in 2007), executive produced by Guillermo del Toro, and written by Tom Wheeler. It stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris. The film was released in theaters on October 28, 2011 in Digital 3D and IMAX 3D.
The film is a spinoff prequel to the Shrek series, and it follows the character Puss in Boots on his adventures before his first appearance in Shrek 2 in 2004. Accompanied by his sidekicks, Humpty Dumpty and Kitty Softpaws, Puss is pitted against Jack and Jill, two murderous outlaws who discover an ancient power which threatens the world.

"They make it to the perfect spot to plant them, being directed in the right way by Humpty, and plant the beans in a bare, sandy area, right as a storm cloud comes overhead, and a giant funnel of green-lit clouds and wind comes spinning down the place they planted the beans, cracking the sand, then suddenly disappearing, leaving only a small weed where the beans are buried. Kitty suggests Humpty talk to it, which he does, but barely gets a few words out before a giant beanstalk shoots up out of the ground, taking them with it, higher and higher into the clouds before it finally stops. The three got off and surprisingly are able to stand and walk on the clouds without difficulty, although their voices grow higher due to the thin air (their voices return to normal in the normal air pressure of the castle.) They see a castle type building and they enter it, not having to fear the giant, as Humpty says it's been dead for years; although, there is a beast in the castle, which if gazed upon, allegedly turns the gazer to stone. They cross the water far below and get to the island. With only a small run-in with whatever the beast is, they find the golden eggs and a gosling that lays them. They take the gosling because the eggs are far too heavy and make it to the edge of the island before the rope they used to get across is broken, and they fall down into the canyon, the beast not far behind. As they are trying to get away, Kitty falls into the water, unable to pull herself back onto the branch due to her not having claws, but she is saved by Puss. They escape and get back down to the ground, cutting the beanstalk down and rejoicing over getting the golden goose. They briefly dance, and Humpty pulls Kitty aside to tell her to not lose focus, obviously talking about her falling in love with Puss. Kitty leaves to get rest, and Humpty and Puss lay outside with the goose. Puss tells Humpty he is glad to have his brother back, and Humpty goes to sleep with the goose lying on top of him. Meanwhile, Jack and Jill suddenly come up behind Puss and knock him out."

3047. United States Coast Guard Bear Bear 1790

The U. S. Coast Guard is simultaneously and at all times a military force and federal law enforcement agency dedicated to safety, security, and stewardship missions. We save lives. We protect the environment. We defend the homeland. We enforce Federal laws on the high seas, the nation's coastal waters and its inland waterways. We are unique in the Nation and the world.

Our official history began on 4 August 1790 when the first Congress authorized the construction of ten vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling. Known variously through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as the Revenue Marine and the Revenue Cutter Service, we expanded in size and responsibilities as the nation grew.

The service received its present name in 1915 under an act of Congress that merged the Revenue Cutter Service with the Life-Saving Service, thereby providing the nation with a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws. The Coast Guard began to maintain the country's aids to maritime navigation, including operating the nation's lighthouses, when President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the transfer of the Lighthouse Service to the Coast Guard in 1939. In 1946 Congress permanently transferred the Commerce Department's Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation to the Coast Guard, thereby placing merchant marine licensing and merchant vessel safety under our purview.

The Coast Guard is one of the oldest organizations of the federal government and until Congress established the Navy Department in 1798 we served as the nation's only armed force afloat. We protected the nation throughout our long history and served proudly in every one of the nation's conflicts. Our national defense responsibilities remain one of our most important functions even today. In times of peace we operate as part of the Department of Homeland Security, serving as the nation's front-line agency for enforcing the nation's laws at sea, protecting the marine environment and the nation's vast coastline and ports, and saving life. In times of war, or at the direction of the President, we serve under the Navy Department.


Since 1999, HolyBears has been bringing smiles to the faces of people of all ages. With over 150 great "Gifts with Meaning", there is something for everyone. Our bears are superior-quality and perfect for any occasion.

HolyBears, Inc.

8550 Westland West Blvd.

Houston, TX 77041

Toll-Free:

(877) 922-3277

Fax:

(832) 415-2649

Email:

info@holybears.com

Hours of Operation:

9:00am - 4:00pm CST

Shipping Information:

Orders normally ship within 24 hours. For Special Shipping arrangements please call for verification.

3046. Precious Moment's Pink Bear

Precious Moments Foundation and Charity Mission

MISSION STATEMENT:

To glorify God through hope, promise, and celebration; to nurture, develop and encourage creativity; to provide children with the tools to explore the arts through charitable donations, volunteers and special projects.

PURPOSE OF THE PRECIOUS MOMENTS SUPPORTING FOUNDATION:

The Precious Moments Supporting Foundation is a non-profit organization with an emphasis on the arts. It is the Foundation’s purpose to enable children to recognize their God given gifts. Community involvement with churches, local schools, home school groups and other organizations is our primary focus. Creating events to include theater, song, dance and art will provide our youth an opportunity to explore and share their talents. Our facilities are available to the public for events and projects that coincide with the Foundation’s mission statement. The Precious Moments Supporting Foundation welcomes volunteers with a passion for the arts to assist in molding our youth fundamentally, socially and spiritually. To volunteer for an event, please contact us at chapel@preciousmoments.com.


THE PRECIOUS MOMENTS CHAPEL:

The Precious Moments Supporting Foundation is the sole support for the Precious Moments Chapel and grounds. To submit a tax deductible donation, please contact chapel@preciousmoments.com.

3046. Goffa International Corporation's Lady Bug

Since 1981, GOFFA International Corporation has designed, developed, and distributed plush toys to hundreds of customers worldwide. These plush toys include bears, dogs, cats, jungle animals, sea life animals, plush dolls, to our newest line of plush dog toys.

Custom orders are always welcome, and we will deliver your order with the same quality and commitment to excellence that have made us an industry leader for the past 30 years. Our designers can create unique designs to match any specification, and have always exceeded customer expectations.
While we strive to create the best plush toys and provide outstanding service, we also understand that cost is important. Therefore, our prices are always competitive, and among the lowest you will find.

3045.Grand Smart's Green Bell Pepper

Grand Smart has been a Disney License in Hong Kong since its incorporation. We have since developed into one of Asia's largest companies specializing in character merchandise. Our product profile includes soft toys, gift items, decorative home furnishings, household products, stationery and trendy personal accessories. Every year, we can develop more than 3,500 consumer products catering to a greater number of market channels and different age groups and generational families. our company's strength is in our proficiency on product design and development. Today our licensed brands include characters of The Walt Disney, Sanrio, Snoopy, Monchhichi, Pingu & Precious Moment.

3044. Andrei, Cabbage Patch Baby

Once upon a time a young boy named Xavier Roberts was playing in the woods near his home in the Appalachian mountains of North Georgia.
He was playing and daydreaming when suddenly a curious creature buzzed by his head. It looked like a bunny but it flew in the air and buzzed like a bee. Xavier decided to try to catch this little flying puffball so he started following it through the woods. Over streams and up and down hills they went.
Just as Xavier was about to capture the Bunnybee, it flew straight into a waterfall and disappeared. Xavier was sure the Bunnybee had drowned! But no! The Bunnybee flew straight back out of the waterfall and took a spin around Xavier’s head teasing him to follow.
Xavier thought for a moment about what he had seen and decided to take a closer look at the waterfall. Sure enough, the waterfall wasn’t an ordinary waterfall at all. There was an inviting little dry cave behind the water. That’s how the Bunnybee survived! With that discovery, Xavier held his breath and splashed through the water into the hidden cave. He rubbed his eyes to adjust to the dim light and when he looked again he saw millions of beautiful sparkling crystals of all sizes and colors. Xavier was so surprised by the sight that he almost forgot about the Bunnybee! But that didn’t last long. Here came the Bunnybee buzzing him again, flying off deeper into the cave. Xavier took out his flashlight and started to follow. This was really becoming an adventure.
The Bunnybee led the way and Xavier followed. When Xavier stopped to inspect the crystals, the Bunnybee would come back and corral him, moving him deeper into the cave. It wasn’t long before Xavier started to notice that the cave wasn’t getting darker, it was getting lighter. Maybe this cave is actually a tunnel, he thought. He wondered where it would lead. The end of the tunnel finally appeared but the opening was covered with Kudzu vines so you couldn’t see what was on the other side. Xavier took out his pocketknife to cut away some of the vines and poked his head into the bright sunlight once again.
Amazing! Bunnybees were flying all around sprinkling magic dust from the crystals onto the cabbages. Rows and rows of cabbages were everywhere. But, there was something different about them. Xavier blinked his eyes and squinted at what he thought was movement among the cabbage leaves. Xavier moved closer and soon could see that there were lots of small kids and babies sleeping and playing among the cabbages.
From the nearest cabbage a little boy came toward Xavier and offered to shake his hand. He introduced himself as Otis Lee, one of the Cabbage Patch Kids. Xavier smiled and shook hands with his new friend. What is a Cabbage Patch Kid he asked?
Otis Lee explained Cabbage Patch Kids are kids and babies of all sizes and shapes that are born in the secret cabbage patch. The Bunnybees flying all around sprinkle magic crystal dust on the mother cabbages and that magic causes Cabbage Patch Kids to be born in the Cabbage Patch. Did you come to help us find homes of our own, Otis Lee asked? Xavier thought about this question very carefully and then said yes. He promised Otis Lee that he would build a special place called BabyLand General where all the Cabbage Patch Kids and Babies can live and play until someone adopts then and takes them home. After all, everybody should have a family to love!

3043. BB Monkey "Hello my Good Friends"

BB Monkey is a very friendly character. His famous tagline is, " Hello my Good Friends." Now who wouldn't fall for such a greeting? BB monkey is evidently Asian but his message is universal. Perhaps we all can learn a thing or two from BB Monkey whose sincere friendship would make you realize that BB actually stands for BEST BUDDY.

3042. Graphica International Inc Hallmark Cards Cat

The Trick or Treating cat was produced by the collaborative work of Graphica International Inc and Hallmark Cards.

Hallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Joyce Clyde Hall became captivated by a salesman who stopped by his family's store in 1906 in Norfolk, NE. Driven by the postcard craze of 1903, Hall decided to venture from retail of various products to wholesale of postcards. He moved his business to a larger market of Kansas City. As time went on, Hall became more convinced that greeting cards would become more prominent than postcards. Greeting cards, according to J.C. Hall, represented class, promised discretion and "they were more than a form of communication--they were a social custom.”
By 1915, the company was known as Hall Brothers and sold Valentine's Day and Christmas cards. In 1917, Hall and his brother Rollie "invented" modern wrapping paper when they ran out of traditional colored tissue paper. In 1922, the company expanded throughout the country. The staff grew from 4 to 120 people, and the line increased from holiday cards to include everyday greeting cards.
In 1928, the company adopted the name "Hallmark", after the hallmark symbol used by goldsmiths in London in the 14th century, and began printing the name on the back of every card. In the same year, the company became the first in the greeting card industry to advertise their product nationally. Their first advertisement appeared in Ladies' Home Journal and was written by J.C. Hall himself. In 1931, the Canadian William E. Coutts Company, Ltd., a major card maker, became an affiliate of Hall Brothers, which was Hall Brothers' first international business venture.
In 1944, it adopted its current slogan, "When you care enough to send the very best." It was created by C. E. Goodman, a Hallmark marketing and sales executive, and written on a 3x5 card. The card is on display at the company headquarters. In 1951, Hall sponsored a television program for NBC that gave rise to the Hallmark Hall of Fame, which has won 80 Emmy Awards. Hallmark now has its own cable television channel, the Hallmark Channel which was established in 2001. For a period of about 15 years, Hallmark owned a stake in the Spanish language network Univision.
In 1954, the company name was changed from Hall Brothers to Hallmark. In 1958, William E. Coutts Company, Ltd., was acquired by Hallmark; until the 1990s, Hallmark's Canadian branch was known as "Coutts Hallmark".

3041. Copyright Office Cha

The Office Cha character is really a hilarious looking character. The eyeglasses seems to betray a hypnotized man due perhaps by the mountain of work that he was pressured to finish. He is sporting a hitlerlike moustache which makes him even more funny much like the beloved Charlie Chaplin.

3040. Sven Hartmann Schipfe Cat

The Sven Hartmann Schipfe Cat is such a happy cat as though welcoming you and is genuinely happy to see you which is a typical trait of most house cats especially when you have taken very good care of them. I personally love cats. they are such gentle creature and would come in very handy when the are a lot of mice in your house. I have named my cats with Garfield, Heatcliff, Sylvester...and perhaps in the future I might have a cat named...Sven Hartmann Schipfe.

3039. Hen Wen

Hen Wen is the magical pet pig of Taran and Dallben in Disney's 1985 feature film The Black Cauldron.

Hen Wen is a white sow featured in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain. She is an oracular pig - that is, she has the ability to prophesy about future events and reveal hidden information. Originally she belonged to Coll, but most of her maintenance was delegated to Taran when he received the title of Assistant Pig-Keeper in The Book of Three.

Coll was originally unaware of Hen Wen's powers. But when Arawn Death-Lord learned of her, he stole her away to his fortress at Annuvin. Coll followed after her and eventually found her in Annuvin, where her sheer terror from being Arawn's prisoner had made her unable to tell him what he wanted to hear. Coll rescued her and together they returned to his farm.
Unknown to Coll, his farm was maintained by the enchanter Dallben in their absence. He offered to use his powers to protect Hen Wen in exchange for permission to live on the farm, and Coll agreed. From then on the farm was known as Caer Dallben. During this time Dallben devised three letter sticks - rods of ash wood with symbols carved on them, which he used to communicate with Hen Wen.
Years later, on the same day when Taran was dubbed Assistant Pig-Keeper, Hen Wen sensed the approach of Arawn's new war leader, the Horned King, and ran away from Caer Dallben in a panic. She was followed by both Taran and the Horned King's men; she was narrowly saved from the latter when a group of Fair Folk rescued her and conducted her to their underground realm far to the north. She was eventually discovered by Gurgi and Taran, who had happened upon the Fair Folk's realm by accident and took her with them.
Within days of being reunited with Taran, however, Hen Wen ran away from him again. Though Taran believed she ran away because the Horned King was near, she had actually sensed the presence of Prince Gwydion, the only man able to match the Horned King's power. She knew the secret of how to defeat the Horned King: his true name. Gwydion had the ability to understand the speech of animals, and thus needed no letter sticks to understand what Hen Wen told him. After defeating the Horned King, Hen Wen was reunited with Taran and returned to Caer Dallben, where she remained throughout each subsequent story.
At the beginning of The High King, Taran and his companions watched Hen Wen communicate with Dallben for the first time through the letter sticks. The sword Dyrnwyn had been stolen, and Dallben asked for Hen Wen's prophecy concerning its fate. At first she refused to approach the letter sticks, something she had never done before when they were shown to her. Taran eventually coaxed her to action, but her pronouncements about Dyrnwyn's future were discouraging and the sticks shattered before she completed her prophecy. Dallben later surmised that she was about to predict the end of all enchantments in Prydain, and the sticks were unable to withstand such a self-destructive prophecy.
Taran thought of her often throughout his travels. Eilonwy apparently did as well; while she was away on the Isle of Mona she embroidered Hen Wen onto a green cloth. She initially tried embroidering Taran next to the pig, but gave that up when the results proved unsatisfactory and started anew with just Hen Wen. However her portrayal of the pig was imperfect; she gave the pig blue eyes when they were really brown. Intended simply as a keepsake for Taran, it soon found use as his flag when Gwydion sent Taran to raise an army among the Free Commots.
During that winter Hen Wen stayed close to Dallben. She sensed the approach of King Pryderi, sent by Arawn to kill Dallben and take The Book of Three to Annuvin, but kept herself hidden during the king's encounter with the enchanter. At about the same time, a wild boar who lived in the surrounding forest became drawn to the safety of Caer Dallben. Hen Wen had six piglets with him - five white and one black - which were born the next spring just before Taran returned to Caer Dallben.
By that time, Hen Wen's oracular powers were gone. They had begun fading after the letter sticks broke, but Dallben suggested she was relieved to be an ordinary pig. "Power is a heavy burden, for men as well as pigs," he explained. Her piglets had no magical powers either.
Because of the oracular powers she had possessed, it was expected that Hen Wen would journey to the Summer Country with Taran and Dallben. But when Taran chose to remain in Prydain she was allowed to stay with him, since she was happiest living under his care.

3038. Angel Tribe Copyright Art Wood

The Angel Tribe character by Art Wood is such a gentle looking and simple toy. she is reminiscent of the Sanrio Toy characters. This is indubitably am Asian character which could be a perfect decorating accessory for the Christmas tree.

3037. Mummy

Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride

If you dare, face heart-pounding special effects and unexpected twists at every turn as you escape the Mummy's revenge in life-like horror. It WILL change you ... forever!

The ride catapults guests at speeds up to 45 mph in virtual darkness.
Many of the Egyptian hieroglyphics on the walls spell out real words and ancient warnings.

3036. Treats

Trick-or-treating is a customary practice for children on Halloween in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house in order to ask for treats such as candy (or, in some cultures, money) with the question "Trick or treat?". The "trick" is a (usually idle) threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.
In North America, trick or treat has been a customary Halloween tradition since at least the late 1950s. Homeowners wishing to participate in it usually decorate their private entrance with plastic spiderwebs, paper skeletons and jack-o-lanterns. Some rather reluctant homeowners would simply leave the candy in pots on the porch, others might be more participative and would even ask an effort from the children in order to provide them with candy. In the more recent years, however, the practice has spread to almost any house within a neighborhood being visited by children, including senior residences and condominiums.
The tradition of going from door to door receiving food already existed in Great Britain and Ireland in the form of souling, where children and poor people would sing and say prayers for the dead in return for cakes. Guising — children disguised in costumes going from door to door for food and coins — also predates trick or treat, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895, where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money. While going from door to door in disguise has remained popular among Scots and Irish, the North American custom of saying "trick or treat" has recently become common. The activity is prevalent in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Puerto Rico, and northwestern and central Mexico. In the latter, this practice is called calaverita (Spanish for "little skull"), and instead of "trick or treat", the children ask ¿me da mi calaverita? ("can you give me my little skull?"); where a calaverita is a small skull made of sugar or chocolate.

3035. San X Pink Creature

San-X (サンエックス San Ekkusu?) is a Japanese company that specializes in the creation, production and marketing of goods featuring cute characters such as Tarepanda, Rilakkuma, Kogepan and Afro Ken. The characters are usually anthropomorphic representations of animals or inanimate objects; the character Tissue-san was modelled on an ordinary box of tissues. Each character has its own quirky traits. For example, Momobuta is a pig with a head shaped like a peach, who enjoys karaoke and painting her nails. San-X head designer and creator of Tarepanda, Hikaru Suemasa said in 1999: "It's not just being cute. There is something different - a relaxed look, powerless".
San-X characters can be found on stationery sets and pencils, as small figurines, keychains and stuffed toys. They are sold as blind boxes, gashapon and in UFO catchers and other prize machines in Japan's arcades. There are also anime series, video games and children's books featuring the characters.

San-X was founded in April 1932 as a privately-owned business under the name Chida Handler. In October 1942, Chida Handler became a limited company. Chida Handler's name was changed to San-X in May 1973. The name San-X derives from an earlier logo which was a row of three X characters. San is three in Japanese.
Before Tarepanda became a hit, most of San-X products did not rely on characters. They continue to sell products like stationery with scenic shots and illustrations. In 1987 San-X created Pinny-Mu, their biggest character until Tarepanda was created in 1995. After Tarepanda became a success in 1998 San-X turned into a full-scale character development and licensing company. In 2003 Rilakkuma was created and in 2005 Mamegoma, which was adapted to an anime series in 2009.
According to The New York Times, San-X is a smaller, nimbler company that is usurping the Sanrio corporation. The San-X characters Tarepanda and Rilakkuma have been described as "huge hits in Japan" that are rising in the Character Databank character popularity charts while Sanrio's Hello Kitty character has slumped in popularity, especially in Japan.

3034. HB Pencil

The No. 2 / HB grade pencil is the middle grade and is the most commonly used pencil for generic use. Harder grades are used for drafting and engineering, while softer grades are used usually by artists.

A pencil marked "HB" is hard and black; a pencil marked "HH" is very hard, and a pencil marked "HHBBB" is very hard and really, really black!

3033. The Crayon Box Pig

The Crayon Box has produced this unusual looking yet cute fat porcine. Not much information can be gathered about the crayon Box which I thought was an affiliate to the Crayola company but I am not certain about it. Nevertheless, the fact that Crayon Box was able to produce this exquisite character is manifestation that it is such a great company that produces lovable character toys that children the world over will enjoy and cherish.

Equity Toys division manufactures toys that are sold by retailers, including such national chains as Toys R Us and Wal-Mart. Equity has relationships with major entertainment companies such as Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, and Universal Studios, as well as The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), to manufacture licensed products. Its clients include Burger King, Shell Oil, Pepperidge Farm, Coca-Cola/Latin America, Kelloggs and a number of others. Equity has shown steady annual growth since its founding, and continues to diversify its product line and customer base each year.

3032. EE and EE Puppy

EE and EE Puppy is most probably a Japanese produced toy. He looks like a typical San X character with the very Japanese looking strawberry on top of his head. The Puppy is soft and cuddly and a delightful addition to my Asian character toys.