Last October (2024) Department 56 revealed that two new additions were being added to their Hocus Pocus line and these were Max's House in Salem (or the Dennison House as I prefer to call it) and Max And Dani Trick or Treating and finally they're here!
The house is a fantastic piece to their Hocus Pocus line and a must for any fan of the films or even of Salem, due to how popular this location is (thanks to the original film) and the addition of Max and Dani is a really nice touch.
With that being said this isn't a perfect release, so let's get into it.
The house is a fantastic piece to their Hocus Pocus line and a must for any fan of the films or even of Salem, due to how popular this location is (thanks to the original film) and the addition of Max and Dani is a really nice touch.
With that being said this isn't a perfect release, so let's get into it.
This house is a thing of beauty, the little pumpkins outside and all of the autumnal leaves that are dotted around the house and on the roof really give it a nice cosy appearance. The tree to the left and the attachable weathervane are a really nice touch too and overall, this house is a must for any Hocus Pocus fan.
As soon as the included light is attached and turned on, it immediately gets you wondering what the Dennison's might be up to inside, are they carving pumpkins, planning their Halloween costumes or is Dani just winding Max up again?
It's not 100% accurate, compared to the real house in Salem, but as miniature models go this is possibly the best we're going to get. The house also measures 7.83 inches high and 8.3 inches wide, so a great size and it doesn't take up too much space at all.
With that being said, this is definitely not a perfect release from Department 56 and I say this because of two things.
As soon as the included light is attached and turned on, it immediately gets you wondering what the Dennison's might be up to inside, are they carving pumpkins, planning their Halloween costumes or is Dani just winding Max up again?
It's not 100% accurate, compared to the real house in Salem, but as miniature models go this is possibly the best we're going to get. The house also measures 7.83 inches high and 8.3 inches wide, so a great size and it doesn't take up too much space at all.
With that being said, this is definitely not a perfect release from Department 56 and I say this because of two things.
The first is the paint job. Compared to last years Sanderson Sister's Cottage, the paint job on Max's House is quite sloppy in parts, areas are missed and it looks like it's been rushed. I'm unsure if this is intentional and it's meant to give it more of a weathered/aged look to the house, but it just doesn't look right in some parts and is a little disappointing to see, especially when this house alone costs $240.
The other issue is the window frames, apart from the small lookout in the roof, all of the window and door frames are also painted white, whereas on the Department 56 website and even the packaging, the windows are grey, which also adds to the possibility that these might have been rushed and these small details have been missed.
The other issue is the window frames, apart from the small lookout in the roof, all of the window and door frames are also painted white, whereas on the Department 56 website and even the packaging, the windows are grey, which also adds to the possibility that these might have been rushed and these small details have been missed.
Moving over to the Max and Dani Trick or Treating ornament, I honestly cannot fault it. It measures approximately 3.5 inches high and features Max and Dani holding hands, Dani with her pumpkin pail and Max with a Trick or Treat bag.
Although they don't look exactly like their real life characters, I do really like how they look and the paint job is nice too. Dani is definitely my favourite of the two and her little hat is adorable. Max and Dani are priced at $45.
Overall I would definitely recommend these to any fan of Hocus Pocus and to anyone who has already got the Sanderson Sisters and their cottage too, together they look amazing and I hope we see even more Hocus Pocus releases from Department 56 in the very near future.
You can pick up Max's House in Salem right here and Dani and Max Trick or Treating here, along with the Sanderson Sisters and their cottage.
Although they don't look exactly like their real life characters, I do really like how they look and the paint job is nice too. Dani is definitely my favourite of the two and her little hat is adorable. Max and Dani are priced at $45.
Overall I would definitely recommend these to any fan of Hocus Pocus and to anyone who has already got the Sanderson Sisters and their cottage too, together they look amazing and I hope we see even more Hocus Pocus releases from Department 56 in the very near future.
You can pick up Max's House in Salem right here and Dani and Max Trick or Treating here, along with the Sanderson Sisters and their cottage.
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