Frog of the Day

Radko - Courtin Cutie Gem
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino.

Christopher Radko has been producing wonderful glass blown ornaments for just about 20 years. And along the way he has produced a number of wonderful frogs.

This ornament is called Courtin Cutie Gem. It is from the Little Gems Collection. The ornaments in this line are smaller, this one stands about 3 1/2 inches high. Its Radko number is 1011288. Courtin Cutie is a new release for 2005 and is readily obtainable for now.

A note on Radko Ornaments - Christopher Radko has taken a new stance on his ornaments. Instead of ordering large production runs of his ornaments, he depends on the dealers to drive the production. So sometimes if an ornament does not go well with the dealers, it may be almost impossible to find - so if you see a froggie that you just have to have, realize that it may not be availble later on. I had this experience with 2 radko ornaments this last year. I had seen them and then held off, looking to get them in a post-Christmas sale. Only by sheer persistence and a whole lot of luck was I able to finally find them.

If you decide to buy a Radko a couple of collecting tips. Leaving the tag on makes it worth more. Some come wrapped in a cellophane bag and then wrapped in cotton. Keeping it in the bag may make it more valuable, but the cellophane can damage the paint of the ornament. The ornaments are painted with a water based paint, so never clean them with anything wet. The final thing I'd say is regarding storing your items - don't store them in a basement, attic, or anyplace unheated. It's best to take a spare bedroom closet that is not against an outside wall and store them there.