Every year, someone contacts us in early December looking for that year's dated ornament, and every year we have to explain that it sold out in September. It is the single most common disappointment in ornament collecting, and it is entirely avoidable.
This guide explains how dated and annual Christmas ornaments actually work, what is arriving for the 2026 season and when, and why the people with complete collections are the ones ordering in August. If you collect a sequence, this is the piece of the calendar that matters.
What a dated ornament actually is
A dated ornament carries the year on the design itself. It is produced for that year and that year only, and it is not reissued. That is the entire appeal and the entire problem.
The appeal is that the ornament becomes a marker. Hang one each year and the tree turns into a record of the household: the year the baby arrived, the year someone got married, the year nothing much happened but the ornament is there anyway.
The problem is that a gap stays a gap. Miss 2026 and the only route back is the secondary market, usually at a multiple of the original price and with no guarantee of condition. Collectors who keep a sequence complete do it by reserving early, not by shopping in December.
The 2026 Precious Moments dated pieces
Precious Moments is where most collectors keep a sequence going, and the 2026 dated pieces are already available to reserve.
The dated 2026 girl ornament, "Baking Sweet Memories", shows a girl carrying a tray of festive treats. Porcelain, 3.5 inches high, shipping September 2026.
The dated 2026 baby girl ornament marks a baby's first Christmas, with a little one tucked into a cozy stocking. Porcelain, 3.74 inches, also shipping September 2026. This is the one that gets given rather than kept, and the one people wish they had bought two of.
The annual angel with heart ornament, "Heartfelt Christmas Wishes", holds a holly-adorned heart aloft, finished in soft winter hues with shimmering wings. Porcelain, 3.39 inches, shipping October 2026.
All three arrive in individual photo gift boxes, which matters more than it sounds when the ornament is going straight into storage for eleven months. See the full Precious Moments range.
Beyond the dated pieces
Not every ornament worth collecting carries a year. Our Christmas Ornaments collection runs past a thousand pieces, and the rest of it breaks down roughly like this.
Folk art from Jim Shore. The Heartwood Creek ornaments carry the quilt patterns and rosemaling that define his work, painted at ornament scale, which is harder than it looks.
Licensed character designs. Disney, Peanuts and Harry Potter ornaments, for the trees where the theme is the point.
Jeweled statement ornaments. The Mark Roberts Coastal Christmas line trades the usual reds and greens for turquoise, blue, green and pink, with jeweled seahorse and fish ornaments, garland and finial candleholders. It is the fastest way to give a familiar tree a completely different look.
How pre-ordering works here
A pre-order reserves a piece before it exists in anyone's hands. You pay upfront, and that payment is what allows us to order your piece specifically for you. We are a small business and we deliberately do not overstock, so once a shipment arrives we cannot promise leftover pieces at the same price.
Every listing shows an expected ship month. Those dates come from the manufacturer and they move, so a piece can arrive up to a month earlier or a month later than listed. Pre-orders are non-refundable, and we do not accept cancellations more than 48 hours after an order is placed.
Orders ship first come, first served, and our distributors release stock in batches rather than all at once. The earlier you reserve, the earlier the batch you are in. That is not a sales line, it is simply how the allocation works.
The 2026 ornament calendar
Roughly, this is how the season lands.
September. The dated Precious Moments girl and baby girl ornaments arrive.
October. The annual angel with heart arrives, along with much of the wider Christmas range.
November. Later releases land, including the December Diamonds ornaments.
December. Too late to reserve anything dated. This is when people discover the gap.
If you are reading this in August, you are exactly where you want to be. The Pre-Orders page has what is currently open, and In Stock Now has what ships right away.
Every ornament opened and inspected
Ornaments are fragile and they come out of storage year after year, so how they are handled the first time matters. We open and inspect every piece before it ships and apply a Covert Authentication Mark during that inspection, which means a cracked or damaged ornament is caught here rather than on your doorstep.
Orders over $50 ship free within the USA. International orders go through our eBay store, with rates calculated on weight and destination.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dated Christmas ornament?
A dated ornament carries the year on the design and is produced for that year only. It is not reissued, so collectors buy one each season to keep a sequence complete.
When do the 2026 Precious Moments ornaments ship?
The dated 2026 girl and baby girl ornaments ship in September 2026. The annual angel with heart ornament ships in October 2026.
Why should I pre-order instead of waiting until December?
Dated and limited ornaments are made in set quantities and regularly sell out before December. Reserving early is the only reliable way to secure a specific year's design.
Can the ship date on a pre-order change?
Yes. Ship dates come from the manufacturer, so a piece can arrive up to a month earlier or a month later than listed. We post every arrival on our social channels as we unbox it.
What if I miss a year in my collection?
The only route back is the secondary market, usually at a higher price and with no guarantee of condition. That is why collectors reserve dated pieces as soon as they are announced.
Reserve your 2026 ornaments
The tree is where a collection is actually on display, and the dated pieces are what make it a record rather than a decoration. Browse the Christmas Ornaments collection and reserve the 2026 designs while they are still open.
Still building a Halloween display as well? Our 2026 Halloween collectibles guide covers the same question for October.
