I get my obsession with Christmas and collecting Christmas stuff from my mother and grandmother. I have several collections of ornaments, but I wanted to tell the tale of one collection that is actually one I gave my mother and may have been the beginning of collecting the series ornaments. The collection is called the Norman Rockwell Cameo by Hallmark. It was introduced in 1980 but I found out about it with the second in the series. They were round and looked like Wedgewood I really like them and so did Mom. I began Mom’s collection with the second in the series, and then each year I gave her the new one. I was bother by the fact I did not have the first ornament in the series. It was the early 1980’s and there was no Internet that I could look for the missing first in the series ornament. I tried looking in all the places that were available like the newspapers, the resale shops etc. but was having no luck. Finally I saw an announcement in one of the local papers for a Hallmark Christmas exhibition and sale being held at a local hotel. I was so excited! I did go and I found it to be a little underwhelming. It was in one of the conference rooms and each of the vendors had tables set up with there items on it for sale. The exhibit looked more like an indoor garage sale. I did walk around the entire exhibition, and I did find one person that had one of the first in the series, the Santa’s Visitors still in the box but the box had some wear and was torn a little. All of that does matter to a collector. I found it I can now complete Mom’s collection or at least bring it up to date. And then the price, $330.00 for an ornament that cost about $6.00 when it was brand new. I tried to negotiate with him but nope that was the price if I wanted it. I did not buy it at least not at that time for that price. Without knowing what to expect, I kept my search up and then finally the Internet was working and Ebay was kind of new. I did find the ornament and I believe I paid about $15.00 for it. I was finally able to complete the collection for Mom and at a price I was willing to pay. My Mother did end up with the entire collection.