Jul 5, 2012

PMI Mid-Year Launch Loaded With Exciting Introductions

With brands like Disney… MLB… Hello Kitty… Elvis… Pipka… Ne’Qwa and Precious Moments, it’s no surprise that the 2012 Midyear introductions from Precious Moments, Inc. are show stoppers! Buyers at June markets and consumers visiting the www.PreciopusMoments.com website enthusiastically agree: this is one of the most exciting product releases to date.

The recently announced addition of Hello Kitty and Elvis to PMI’s licensed lines is in keeping with the company’s strategic plan to expand its footprint in the marketplace with lines and licenses that complement the legacy of the original Precious Moments Collection. Today, PMI offers a broad range of gifts, home décor and collectibles that are designed to fit today’s lifestyle and become tomorrow’s heirlooms. All items in the midyear launch will begin shipping to retailers in early November 2012.

With 80 percent brand recognition among women of all ages, Hello Kitty remains a vital license for gifts for every occasion. In its initial launch, PMI offers retailers a line that is designed to bring multiple sales, as consumers find “exactly the right Hello Kitty piece” for that special occasion and for simple remembrances with family and friends.

The new line includes a delightful Hello Kitty Train to commemorate a little girl’s first five birthdays. Each interconnecting porcelain train car portrays Hello Kitty wearing a different outfit with matching bow and the number 1 thru 5 is sculpted on the side. Hand painted in bright colors, each figure is between 4.0 and 4.5-inches high, and is guaranteed to delight the little girl fortunate enough to receive this charming set. Sold individually, each train car has a suggested retail price of $30.

Imagine celebrating a wedding with Hello Kitty! PMI introduces an adorable bridal couple – Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel – in a loving vignette that would make a great cake topper on the big day and a lasting keepsake for years to come! Beautifully sculpted in porcelain bisque and delicately hand painted, this popular pair is 4.25-inches high and has a suggested retail price of $65. There is also a single Hello Kitty Bride figurine and the newlyweds in a car – no doubt headed for their honeymoon.

For the serious Hello Kitty enthusiasts and those who want to own a very special piece, PMI introduces the Hello Kitty Mermaid Collectible Bisque Figurine. With a limited edition of only 3,000 worldwide, this beautiful figure rests atop a frosted glass base of rolling waves. She stands 5.5-inches and has a suggested retail price of $65.

The new Elvis license begins with three of his most memorable scenes – and with a Precious Moments interpretation that adds to its wide appeal. The King of Rock is portrayed in his flamboyant costumes, sculpted in porcelain bisque with a sense of motion and capturing a time when Elvis was a part of our daily life. All this, and with a Precious Moments touch that makes each piece unique.

Sure to be a favorite is Takin’ Care of Business™, with Elvis wearing a white and gold outfit and holding on to his microphone as he performs. Each of the figurines stands atop a sculpted gold-trimmed base surrounded with musical notes and a TCB logo. Each is 5.5-inches high, with a suggested retail price of $45.

The Precious Moments touch extends to the beautiful Disney Collection, which portrays some of the most beloved scenes from Disney films – with that inimitable teardrop-eyed interpretation. This year is the diamond jubilee of the release of Snow White, and to celebrate the event, PMI releases a fantastic limited edition of Snow White and her Prince Charming. He is on one knee, holding her hand, alongside a flower-covered wishing well. This highly detailed vignette includes a beautiful white stallion and small forest animals watching the scene.

Sculpted and cast in fine porcelain bisque, the palette is reminiscent of the film itself – delicately hand painted in lovely pastels. Titled You Are My Wish Come True, the vignette measures 11.5 H x 13.0 W x 12.0 D. It is limited to only 1,937 pieces worldwide – in honor of the year Walt Disney released this trend-setting film. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first full-length cal-animated film in history, and would set the standard for future Disney productions. This unique scene has a suggested retail price of $550.

This very special scene is repeated in a deluxe musical that captures the same richly sculpted setting and is cast in porcelain-based resin. Only 5.5-inches tall, the high quality musical movement plays Some Day My Prince Will Come. It has a suggested retail price of $70.

Other new additions to the Precious Moments Disney Collection include Rapunzel, Mary Poppins double figurine, Cinderella with her Prince Charming, and a 100mm musical water globe with Buzz Lightyear inside. It plays You’ve Got A Friend In Me.

Charming additions to the Disney Showcase Collection include two heart-tugging scenes from The Lion King. Both show Simba and Nala sharing a beautiful moment and titled Feel The Love. One is a porcelain-based resin musical with a colorful base that depicts a panoramic scene from the show and plays Can You Feel The Love Tonight? The other is cast in porcelain bisque. Suggested retail price for the musical is $40; for the double figurine it is $55.

The newest Precious Moments Collectible Bisque selection captures a beautiful romantic ride in a gondola. The Precious Moments couple is guided along a waterway by a gondolier with his pole pressing the little boat forward – or so it seems. This loving vignette includes small animals that have hitched a ride on the little boat. Exquisitely sculpted and hand painted, the piece is titled simply Amore!, and is limited to 3,000 worldwide. Measuring 7.75-inches, it will retail for $225.

Love and inspiration have always been important elements of the Precious Moments line, and the June launch includes a major portion of both. There is a new Communion series; expanded Love collection, including new Wedding and Anniversary pieces; additional Friendship introductions; and a brand-new series of inspiring little boxed angels called Precious Treasures.

The new angel series features porcelain-based resin figures with real feathery wings. The 3-inch figurines come in a beautiful satin lined box with an uplifting message on the box front. The initial introduction includes five subjects: Blessings Angel, Peace Angel, Lord’s Prayer Angel, Serenity Angel, and Love Angel. The ideal gift to say “I care”, each boxed angel has a suggested retail price of $15,

More whimsical couriers of good wishes include porcelain bisque Precious Moments Clowns in a series of loving messages appropriate for any occasion. Each is set atop a circus-like base, and the clowns each display a unique personality. Wearing a curly pink wig, oversize shoes and holding a heart-shaped happy face balloon, this adorable girl clown is inspirationally titled You Fill My Heart With Smiles. She is 7-inches tall and has a suggested retail price of $40.

The new Communion series includes porcelain crosses with bas-relief figures of a boy or a girl, trimmed in gold and with the message Blessings On Your First Holy Communion. The 7-inch cross has an easel back and can be set on a table or hung. Each will retail for $20.

There is also a porcelain covered cross box that holds a rosary – white for the girl, black beads for the boy. The cover design is the same as the larger easel-backed cross, with a boy or girl in bas-relief. The 4.25-inch cross box with rosary has a suggested retail price of $17.50. There are also photo frames and battery-operated LED lighted votive with a girl or boy figure standing in front of the beautifully sculpted vessel.

The full midyear lineup can be viewed on the PMI website – www.PreciousMoments.com. Retailers can place orders through their Precious Moments sales representative; by calling (888) 878-8148; by visiting Retailer.PreciousMoments.com or PMorders@PreciousMoments.com. Consumers are encouraged to visit their Precious Moments retailer to reserve favorite selections.

For editorial information, contact:
Pat Shaw – PCSA – (815)334-9019 or E-mail: patcshaw@aol.com