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| A
Bright New Future With Enesco |
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 Enesco
had a huge task to perform and in a very short
period of time. Once it was announced that
David Winter Cottages would continue and that
David would be at the forefront with the range
returning more to its roots there was a desperate
time to salvage as much from the original
company and to satisfy existing collectors.
These changes not only affected the way David
worked and they way his pieces were to be
produced but The Collectors Guild as well.
Luckly for all concerned a large number of
the production moulds were salvaged and so
many of David's more recent releases could
be continued to be made. One such piece St
George's Castle was re-released with a
new name, St George and the Dragon,
and a different colour for the dragon (from
red to green). The Collectors Guild however,
took longer to sort out and it wasn't until
the early Autumn that the Guild was able to
re-open with the release of the first Cottage
Country for nearly a whole year. In recognition
for the patience of the Guild members a special
"Thank You" plaque was given to all members
who remained in the Guild over the troubled
year.
With
Enesco's timely intervention the future of
David Winter Cottages looked as if it was
now secure. As stated by David himself in
1998:
"For me, Enesco
arrived at a critical moment in my career - at a moment of uncertainty. Not
only have Enesco showed faith in my art, but also belief in me as an
individual. Since our association commenced, I am proud that David Winter
Cottages are, once more, in full production. Furthermore, these 'new' models
are much closer to my vision than before."
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Certainly
by the look of the cottages David is creating
and the fact that the release of new pieces
has returned to their original levels demonstrates
that Enesco have a long term interest in David's
work. The release of "The Mystical Castles
of Britain Collection", The Tickled Trout
and Casterton Railway Station demonstrate
that David is now back in his element. But
the collector of his smaller pieces has also
not been forgotten with the release of "The
Pilgrims Way Collection" in 1998 and "The
King Arthur Collection" in 1999.
As
the current Millennium was drawing to close
and with Enesco releasing, in a more controlled
manner, some interesting and much more detailed
pieces this unique period of time was gearing
up to be something really special and not
just because it was the new Millennium. |
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