The AVON Nativity Collectibles series designed by (Ms.) Michael Whitaker Arike began in 1981 and was completed in 1993. The complete set consists of twenty-one (21) pieces in all-white porcelain, a three-sided wood stable and a display stand with a star on top. Each piece comes in fitted white foam inserts inside a box with the piece pictured on the outside. All but the last two pieces come in a dark blue box; the last two came in a white box. As seen below, the pieces are marked "AVON Nativity Collectibles" on the bottom. Besides the copyright notification, the initials "M A" are handwritten in script with a year.

The pieces are:

            The Holy Family            (includes Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus in the manger boxed as a single unit)

            Balthasar
            Kaspar
            Melchoir

            Standing Angel
            Creche Angel
            Cherub
            Gabriel

            The Innkeeper
            The Shepherd       (holding staff)
            Shepherd Boy      (holding lamb in arms)
            Boy with lamb      (across shoulders)
            The Poor Man
            Woman with Water Jug
            Children in Prayer

            Sheep
            Camel
            Donkey
            Cow

            The Stable                        (when hung in place the Creche Angel makes it unstable and it can tip over)
            Display stand with star      (triforum with circular base)


The pieces were released:

             1981   Holy Family
             1982   Wise Men
             1983   Shepherd, Shepherd Boy, Sheep
             1984   Donkey, Camel
             1985   Stable, Angel
             1987   Standing Angel, Cow
             1988   Display stand, Innkeeper
             1989   Cherub
             1990   Woman with Water Jug, Poor Man
             1991   Children in Prayer
             1992   Angel Gabriel
             1993   Boy (teen) with Lamb (on shoulders)


Individual pieces are offered for sale on ebay throughout the year. From time to time complete or near-complete sets are offered, however, they are often priced at a premium as someone has gone through the effort to assemble a set. Partial sets make for a compromise for those interested in getting a quality Nativity set in a hurry. Only those very knowledgeable with the set will know that you might be missing a piece or two.

Beginning in late October the number of pieces offered for sale increases substantially. Unfortunately, so does the number of people vying for them. If you can, be patient and buy pieces throughout the year. Less competition means lower prices, sometimes half that of the busy season.

If you have a larger display area available, an extra sheep or two or a second cow adds quite a bit. Just don't put them right beside each other.
 
They are porcelain and subject to breakage if handled roughly. A gentle wipe with a clean cloth before putting them away will help keep them looking great. One of the best defenses against staining is to not let anyone handle them while on display. Body oils will gather and hold dust. If put away with finger-oily dust, the pieces could develop unwanted discoloration during the eleven months they are put away in a hot, stuffy attic or a closet with poor air circulation.

The entire set will fit inside two apple boxes that you can get from the supermarket. Just ask the produce clerk to save a couple for you. These bushel boxes are double-sided, designed to hold a lot of weight on the top and have enough area to write "AVON Nativity" on the end panels. (In fact, putting all of your decorations in these same-size boxes makes storage much easier and offers maximum protection. Labeling the ends will make retrieval much easier next year.)

If your children are old enough to assist safely, involve them in the set-up. This simple involvement will make the set more memorable to them as they grow up. Explaining why you prefer to put them away after a wipe down will impress the importance of proper care not only for this set but for your other valuable collectibles, too. After the pieces are boxed, your child will enjoy the challenge of fitting all of them into the apple boxes.

Feel free to print a copy of this list to keep in the box with your collection.

I am not a dealer and I do not sell.

Ralph Vaughan