Recreational Holidays

The Magic of Collecting Snow Globes

If you are looking to pick up a new hobby or start one with a child, you may want to consider snow globe collecting. With such a small investment to start, collecting these treasures is a wonderful addition for the kid in all of us. Children too love to collect souvenirs so this can be a collection for you, for your child or an interest the both of you can pick up together.

A snow globe is a souvenir that consists of a glass sphere holding a little world of its own. The globe is filled with water, and when it is still, a fine layer of white particles cover the landscape of the scene. When the glass is shaken, these little white particles are dispersed swirling into the water of the globe and resemble a little snow storm. Many snow globes also come with a music box that jingles a little tune as the flakes settle back over the landscape.

Snow globes have alternative names such as snow dome, water dome, snow shakers and water balls and they appear to date from France in the early 1800s. They appeared in relation to glass paperweights which were popular only a few years prior. Today’s snow globes are made with a mixture of water and glycerin, in which glycerin makes the ’snow’ fall slower.

Snow globes feature a wide variety of scenes ranging from well-known holiday scenes, animals, popular icons, Disney characters and even military figures. There is no shortage of scenes to be collected with new figures often being added. Many stores especially around the holidays sell snow globes and they can easily be acquired even on sale.

When deciding to collect snow globes, you need ample space and sturdy shelving. Over time your area may become weighed down, so do not cut expenses by putting your wonderful displays on unstable shelving as they are difficult to repair. It is also equally important to store the globes in an area that does not see extreme heat or cold, as the glass will bust with extreme temperatures. In addition you should also be aware that over time the liquid inside of your snow globes may evaporate, time may fade colors, which may cause the snow to clump.

Snow Globes have a magical look to them and when shaken have the ability to take a person to different place that is quiet and serene or in the case of a Halloween globe, creepy and fun. They make a wonderful collection as it is hard to resist admiring them and picking them up to shake them. They have a very universal appeal to adult, and children.

There are a huge number of snowglobes to start with, consider a Pinocchio snow globe or Monsters Inc snow globes.

categories: snow globes,collecting snow globes,collections,hobbies,holidays,gifts,family