Over the years Fontanini has produced a wide range of Nativity figures in many sizes, 2.5", 4", 4.5", 5",6.5", 7.5" and on and on, most of us ebay  collectors are most familiar with the 5" line, which make up 99% of the listings on eBay, it is by far the most popular with close to two hundred figures and a mountain of buildings and accessories. This year when they added 7 new figures and a number of buildings and accessories, I thought WHERE AM I GOING TO PUT THESE ! I know what you're thinking,  there's no law that I needed to have every item ever made for the 5" line, but as an obsessed collector I felt I did need to have them to make my collection complete, they had quickly taken over the whole house with no end in site, I asked myself, where would it end ? would 5" Fontanini end up like Precious Moments or Cherished Teddies with a thousand plus 5" figures someday and even more accessories to go with them, would I need to rent a stadium to display them all ? What's the answer ?  Well the answer for me was to sell them all and switch to the 7.5" line, with around 50 figures and a dozen or so building that are impossible to find , this line just made more sense for me as a collector. Now I know this might get some boos from the audience, but I always liked the sculpting on the 7.5" figures better anyways, I think you would be hard pressed to find a 5" figures more beautiful  than the 7.5" Darius, Cyrus, John or my favorite Ezekiel, they are truely some of Simonetti's best work, and can stand alone in a curio cabinet as a work of art.

  The 7.5" Fontanini figures were first released in the US in 1968, two years after the first 5" Resin figures, The Holy Family , The Three Kings and The Standing and Kneeling Angels were the first, it was almost 10 year before Fontanini added any figures to the line, 1979 brought Gabriel, Reuben, Daniel, Josiah and Samuel to the line along with the The Sheep, The Donkey, The Ox and a Seated Camel.

  In the 80's along with Ronald Regan, Discos, Spiked hair and bad clothes came a number of new 7.5" figures, I believe the 80's were Fontanini's Golden Years, Simonetti not only produced some of his most beautiful work for the 7.5" line, but also began changing the overall look of the 5" and.12" lines, the figures became less stylized and  more realistic looking.

   The first Buildings for the 7.5" Line were released in 1997, The Kings Tents, 50353, 50712, 50713, and in 1998, The Fish Market 50714 for Hiram and Simon, these building are super rare, so rare I can't find a picture to show you here,but  in three years I have never seen one listed on eBay or anywhere on the Web, that being said, I decided to just make my own.

 I've always been a "Crafty Person" and loved model building, you don't need an Art Degree to pull this off,  one 4' x 8'  sheet of 5/8" plywood, a hammer, nails and a bucket of Pre-Mixed Stucco is all it takes and of course some paint and patience. I used 5" line buildings as my guide, you might notice the the large center building ( The Inn)  looks allot like The City Walls Two Story Building for the 5" line, I just made a copy around 25% or so larger for the 7.5", you'll find that Dollhouse Accessories work well with the 7.5": Fontanini figures, Food, Dishes,Tools ect. are a perfect scale for a display and the accessories ment for the 5" line look much better with the 7.5" line, you'll need to make your own  furniture , because Dollhouse and 5" line furniture is too small.

  I have had so much fun building my village and adding accessories to the different vender stalls and at the same time found a solution to my space problems with  the ever expanding 5" line. 

 If you would like more information on how build you own village please feel free to send me a message, I don't have a set of plans, I just started in the middle and worked my way out from there, but I might be able to give you a few pointers.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and small amount of history I have on the 7.5" line ( wish someone would write a book on Fontanini) 

Be sure to check out my eBay store Discount Village Outlet , I have a hugh selection of 7.5" figures for sale along with all the other Fontanini lines.