Dig This Treasure!

Sorry to leave you all in suspense!  I got in late from a trip to New York this weekend.  Here now are the winners of our HUGE Herend giveaway!  Herend will be contacting all winners about receiving their prize.

Lauren M. of Utah

Suzanne C. of California

Bette W. of Washington

Jennifer Rachel M. of Texas

David F. of Michigan

Hilary R. of Nebraska

Tiffany L. of Florida

Again, thank you to Herend for your generosity!  To check out all of their collectibles, visit HerendUSA.com.

Congratulations to all the winners and stay tuned for our next giveaway!

-Erin

If someone would have told me a couple years ago that my biggest collecting obsession would be high-end porcelain, I never would have believed them.  That said, Herend isn’t your great-grandma’s porcelain.  Ok ok, technically, it is (they’ve been around since 1826).  Still, there is something about Herend pieces–particularly their “fishnet” painted figurines–that transcends across generations.  On the one hand, Herend is classic, high-brow artistry, and at the same time, feels young and fun.  

And remember when we interviewed Marsha Bemko, executive producer of Antiques Roadshow?  She told us that the most coveted collectibles are those that were always finely made and were passed down through families because of their extraordinary quality.  Well, that’s Herend.

So if you’re like me, you’ve started asking for Herend pieces at Christmas, birthdays, and baby showers (hint, hint, they’ve got a whole baby line).  Or if you’re like me a year ago, you are simply perusing eBay listings and drooling over the fantasy of just owning one Herend piece.  Well, worry no more.  Whether you’re an established collector or just starting out, Dig This Treasure and Herend USA has got you covered.  We are giving away SEVEN Herend figurines, each from this month’s new releases.

But before we tell you how to win, here’s some insider info on (and my review of) all the pieces:

Herend already has several swan designs in their collection, but wanted a less stylized depiction of the bird.  The new figurine presents the swan in “all its grace and glory.”  I say “hooray” because this bird looks incredible.  A perfect gift for a wedding anniversary or Valentine’s day.  Or for the classiest of ladies (and gents of course!)

Two members of the Herend USA product team visited the Maison et Objet show (France’s largest design expo) in 2012, and voila, inspiration struck.  While the Eiffel Tower figurine is perfect for any Francophile, I’m pretty biased towards Herend’s typical animal designs.  Still, an interesting concept I’m sure many will love.

Yes, now we’re talking.  A hot air ballon riding bunny?  Perfection.  (Perhaps the Eiffel Tower design should have an added animal friend too.)  A Herend team member visited Arizona and saw some hot air balloons.  The idea for a figurine was refined by the product development team, who added one of Herend’s signature bunnies.  Love this.

This snowman evokes my inner Rachel Zoe, and makes me say things like, “This is BEYOND.”  Seriously, this snowman has got to be my most favorite Herend design of all time.  I know, I know…it’s not an animal, but it is SO cute and SO perfectly detailed.  It is also a genius design by Herend because all of us collectors will want this little guy for Christmas.  What’s shocking is that Herend almost didn’t release this design!  It went through TWO whole summers of waiting before being approved for release.  Please Herend, make an accompanying Santa Claus and Rudolph.  

This baby elephant might make you do a double take.  He was part of the Herend 2012 Kingdom Classic collection, where he appeared with his mom.  Here he is, now “weaned.”  Herend has a mighty assortment of elephant figurines, so I assume lots of people collect and love them.  I’d rather see some more exotic animal designs, like Herend’s kiwi bird or koalas.  However, this is coming from the person who has five pieces of Herend, THREE of which are bunnies.

This fox design has a great, folk art kind of look.  Very whimsical, but still traditionally Herend.  The guilded paws are adorable of course.  And while he looks simple, this fox was quite a challenge for the Herend factory.  The placement of the legs made them unstable during firing, and some retooling was needed before the final version was perfected.

And of course, the corgi!  I actually won this piece during Herend’s “Name the Introduction” contest.  It was probably the best day of my life.  Herend’s British distributor requested this design, as any fan of British royalty knows this dog breed is a favorite of Queen Elizabeth.  I love this design because it’s cute, first off.  And because no matter where you are from, you probably have at least a little British mania.  (Gotta love that Kate Middleton!)  Herend nailed it on this one.

So there you have it!  All 7 designs.  So how can you win one?  It’s pretty simple:

1. Visit HerendUSA.com and at the bottom of the page, click Contact.  

2. In the email form, tell Herend what your favorite design is (new or old).  

3. Include your name, address, and email.  That way, if you win, Herend can reach you.

And that’s it!  Herend will randomly select 7 prize winners from all of the entries.  We will announce the winners here in TWO WEEKS on August 5th.  (Herend will also email all winners.)

What are you waiting for?  Go enter!  And be sure to tell your mom, husband, friends, hair dresser, and anyone else who loves Herend!  Good luck!

-Erin 

This is a big ol’ teaser to let you know that our biggest giveaway yet is happening on Monday!  DTT is teaming up with a huge brand to bring you SEVEN (yes, seven!) prizes.  I don’t want to give too much away, but trust me, you’ll want to be HERE before all of the fun ENDS.

See you Monday!

-Erin

It’s a long weekend, and you’re probably at a family BBQ, or at the beach, or the mall, or playing video games.  Maybe you’re out fishing, or in napping.  Whatever you are doing, be sure to check out DTT’s very first prize giveaway.

And a reminder to commenters on the digthistreasure.com website, you don’t have to leave your full name.  We respect your privacy, yo.  So keep those comments coming!

Remember, you can win your very own Beefy!  Here he is, probably in a Memorial Day parade!

-Erin

Dig This Treasure is hosting our very first prize giveaway!  Thanks to all of you readers, Dig This Treasure is a totally hoppin’ internet place to be!   

Remember Beefy?  Well, Erin just re-discovered him during her tour of eBay world last Friday. Now you too can own your very own Beefy!  For free!  Just for enjoying this blog.  

DTT is giving away TWO of these Beefys, one to a Tumblr follower and one to a reader on digthistreasure.com.

Here’s how to enter:

Tumblr followers:  Reblog this post!  We will choose one of you at random as the winner!

Website readers: Leave us a comment!  Just say hello, tell us what you collect, or let us know your favorite DTT post.  Be sure to leave your email address (it won’t show up on the website, don’t worry!)

We will announce the winners in ONE week!  So get to sharin’ or sayin’ hi!  And THANKS to all of you for reading.

-Erin and Sarah