- wallace & gromit - promos - products - tie-ins - limited editions -  

    GIFTWARE INTERNATIONAL
    RESIN FRIDGE MAGNETS

   There were 25 regular fridge magnets made by Giftware,
   and one limited edition.

   For a while, the regular editions were mounted upon
   "Wrong Trousers" yellow packaging, then "Close Shave"
   green packaging took over, before a generic blue
   design was brought in. Here's the complete range:

       • Wallace Head                • Shaun the Sheep
    • The Wrong Trousers       • The Scarecrow
       • Gromit on the Train        • Gromit in the Aircraft
    • Wallace in Armchair        • Cyberdog
       • Penguin on the Train      • Shaun in Treacle
    • Penguin with Slippers      • Sheep Wash 
       • Pilfering Penguin            • Motorbike 2
    • Gromit in Raincoat          • Gromit with Bowl
       • W&G Porthole                • W&G Cameo
    • Gromit in Kennel             • Wallace and Sheep
       • W&G on Motorbike          • The Clock Cleaner
    • Wendolene                    • Lost in Big Apple
       • Gromit Knitting  

   Notice how the company refer to "the Penguin" in
   their titling, as opposed to "Feathers"!

   If you're tracking down the set you'll note that the
   original "Motorbike" magnet features Wallace and Gromit
   driving at us, face on. "Motorbike 2" features the duo
   driving past at an angle. The difference isn't all that
   immediate.

   The most interesting of these regular editions was
   the "Lost in Big Apple" Yellow Cab design. This one
   celebrated the famous news story concerning the
   loss of two original Wallace and Gromit figures, whilst
   Nick Park was on a promotional tour of the States.
   It also seemed to be a little harder to find in stores.

    

   THE BUCKINGHAM PALACE VISIT
   FRIDGE MAGNET
    
   The most desirable of all Giftware's magnets was the 26th.
   This was a limited edition created to celebrate Nick Park's
   CBE, and it depicted Wallace and Gromit in top hat and tails,
   bound for the Palace in their motorbike and side-car.
   Only 500 of these were made available via Aardman's 
   Aardmarket store in 1998. They cost £2.49 each
   (+ shipping).  Of course, they were all snapped up
   very quickly, and hence sold out long ago!

   Notice how Gromit is holding a copy of "The Sun".
   This tabloid has always had a particularly close
   relationship with Aardman...

  
   
   4-PACKS

   As Giftware's range grew, editions were grouped together
   in packs of 4. Just like the single pieces, the packaging 
   varied between "Wrong Trousers" yellow packaging, or
   "Close Shave" green packaging, until the collection was
   repackaged in blue as 6 separate packs, containing 24
   of the regular edition magnets.

   Here are those final 6 sets:

    Set A
    Wendolene, Shaun the Sheep,
    Gromit Knitting, W&G on Motorbike

    Set B
    Penguin on the Train, Gromit on the Train,
    W&G Porthole, Wallace Head

    Set C
    Gromit in Raincoat, Wallace in Armchair,
    The Wrong Trousers, Pilfering Penguin

    Set D
    Cyberdog, Shaun in Treacle,
    The Scarecrow, Gromit in the Aircraft

    Set E
    The Clock Cleaner,Gromit with Bowl,
    Penguin with Slippers, Gromit in Kennel

    Set F
    Motorbike 2, Sheep Wash,
    Wallace with Sheep, W&G Cameo

   Funnily enough, the missing magnet was that
   "Lost in Big Appple" edition!    


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