This page consists of how Annalee Elves have become part of the holiday tradition. Here is a couple of "Elf Moms" comments about Annalee elves.
"I would just like to share a special tradition that I began with my children several years ago, incorporating the Annalee Elves. We use them in place of the licensed Elf on the Shelf for many reasons, but we especially love their expressions, the fact that the bodies are fully poseable, and my children can TOUCH them. These elves have brought much mischief, many memories, and more love into our holiday traditions than I ever expected when I made this purchase 5+ years ago. I believe that the Annalee Elves are helping me to prolong the magic and wonder of the Christmas season just a little longer for my children."
Mandy from Atlanta, GA
"I introduced the Annalee Elves to my daughter Natalie in 2008 at the age of four. We named them Candy Cane and Pepper Mint. They have brought so much joy and excitement to our family; as well as our holidays. I prefer the Annalee Elves over the licensed Elf on the Shelf elves because I've always encourage my daughter to love and play with her elves. This has given me many wonderful photos to look back on and the smile on her face says it all! She still believes in Santa and his elves and has passed this on to her younger sister as well. We will continue this tradition for many more years to come and with the durable Annalee Elves I have no worries at all."
Christina from Washington, PA .
Be sure to visit the Annalee Magical Elf Facebook Album and the gallery below to see all the photos that Christina and Mandy have graciously shared with all of us. YOU WILL BE AMAZED..their elves have come to LIFE!
Its that time of year again when the Annalee elves begin to appear. Their arrival is magical, although milk and cookies have been known to entice their appearance. They enjoy traveling to school in backpacks, attending sleep overs, going for walks, and just being part of the family. Children enjoy their presence and the stories of their travels since they last appeared. The pom at the end of their hats contains the magic and must be treated with love and care. Children get so excited wondering, wishing and watching for their Annalee Elves. Rumor has it that they arrive around the beginning of December and that Santa takes them back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
People have been doing the "Annalee Elf thing" for over 25 years. The Annalee elves range in size from 3 inches to 4 feet tall. SueCoffee.com has Annalee elves dating back as far as the 1950's when they were first produced and over 750 Annalee Doll Elves in stock - the largest inventory in the world!
Be sure to order your Annalee Elves now so they can make their appearance before the holidays. Imagine the joy your children will have sharing their Annalee Elves with family and friends. The perfect Holiday Tradition!
Please feel free to share your photos and stories of your Annalee Elves and Traditions. Please use the Contact Us page. You can also shop Annalee Elves on suecoffee.com
It was great talking with you this morning. Attached are some of the photos I had available here at work. They include the beds that were delivered one night from the Northpole because the elves missed sleeping in their beds during the day, they were tired from all of their elf antics throughout the night. At night while the children are asleep they come to life and create all types of mischief. It’s been a lot of fun through the years. The beds were made to match each elf, complete with sheets, mattress cover, comforter and pillows and trimmed with candy canes for Candy Kisses and Snowflakes for Snowflake. Jingles sleeps with his sister Snowflake at this time, but will eventually get his own bed, I am currently converting a Disney Pixar toy car from the movie Car’s to match my grandson’s room for his elf while he is still small, but will make a more substantial bed to fit him as he grows.
Thanks for helping to keep the magic alive for so many. Pam
As I was growing up (I was born in 1960), my mother always had 2 elves with adorable faces in the kitchen at Christmas time looking down from the decorative shelf over the kitchen sink. I never really paid that much attention to them, other than the fact that they were so cute and always a part of the Christmas decor. As I grew up and started shopping for myself, I began to see other dolls like the elves in our neighborhood gift shop, and still later at Hallmark stores. One day, before the days of the internet, I asked my Mom about the elves and she gave me a brief history of Annalee dolls, telling me about how all the faces were hand painted with a wide variety of expressions, and how that's what made them so special, and why you only find them in upscale gift shops.
When my mother passed away a few years ago, just after Christmas, and I was cleaning out her house, there was an old faded Annalee elf hanging from the chandelier and I brought it home. When I went to put it out the following Christmas, it was so faded from our Florida sun, I was embarrassed, but I put it out anyway, because it was so special to me. However, the following year, I decided to replace it, but I didn't like any of the newer ones and I really wanted the exact same one. So began my search for that one particular red elf with green trim from 1999. I'm guessing she finally had to throw out the ones from my childhood. I finally found it at Sue Coffee's Annalee website and 2 more from the past that I absolutely adore. Thank you Sue Coffee for preserving the older and, in my opinion, more adorable Annalee elves. I'm saving up for one of the signed museum dolls!
Heidi E.
Dear Sue, I'd like to share our Annalee Doll holiday experience. Our holiday traditions with Annalee Dolls are just beginning and I have never been more excited to share Christmas with my family. This year my two daughters - 3 1/2 yr and 9 months old have received Annalee Elves for Christmas from their aunt - a long time collector of Annalee Dolls.
Now that our oldest is really starting to get excited about the holidays, we have introduced the Annalee Christmas Elves. She and her younger sister each received a 5" Snowflake Annalee Elf the first Sunday of December to mark the beginning of Advent. We placed a boot under each of their windows with a letter to Santa attached. The next morning the Christmas Elves magically appeared in the boots. Every day my oldest daughter would search for the Elves as we would relocate them somewhere in our house in whimsical positions. To acknowledge each additional week of Advent, we put the boots along with the Annalee elves under their windows. The next morning, the elves would appear holding a little toy in their arms. Our three year old truly loved this magical event!
The biggest treat for me was when a 30" Annalee Christmas Elf magically appeared and set up our Christmas tree one morning. This Annalee Elf not only surprised the children with a tree and lights - it surprised their mommy! The Annalee Elf was a huge hit with my littlest - see picture. I loved moving him around the house each night and he loves to hang from our ceiling fans!
Rebecca - New York, NY
Hi Sue, We've corresponded before. Fig, Mint, and Mag visit our children every year. Santa drops them off during his Thanksgiving Parade trip and picks them up Christmas Eve. Of course, we only see them as dolls during the day, but they cause quite a stir each night as they play around the house. The kids find them in some unusual poses and predicaments each morning.
Fig has been visiting us since 1996, Mint since 1998, and Mag (pronounced Madge) since 2000. Their doll bodies are wearing a bit with holes in their feet and hands, so I need to purchase a batch of dolls for the future.
These are 22" elves. The important thing is that the faces of the new dolls must match our current set. The color/style of clothes doesn't matter as that can be explained in several ways: elves like to keep in style - a promotion - a change of job - etc.
Hopefully you can see their expressions clearly in this photo: Fig is on the left with Elizabeth Claire and has a puckered mouth like she's whistling or surprised. Mint is on the right with Norman James and has a subtle smile. Mag is in the middle with Mary Jane and is laughing. If you have dolls that match, I'd welcome the news!!
Thanks, Hank If I remember my first conversation with Hank, he said the dolls were named from "Figment of Your Imagination"
Annalee Elves are magical. Here are the stories of two best friends - Tess and Kelsey and how their Annalee dolls give them so much joy and excitement. As you can tell from the picture, they LOVE their Annalee Dolls. Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me and sharing your magical Annalee experience. With thousands of dolls in my personal collection, I know what you mean about being "obsessed" and the excitement of getting the next one. Yours in collecting,
Sue
Dear Sue, This is how my elf collection started. It all started with my elf on the shelf. I was in third grade at the time and now I'm in 4th. I asked my elf to bring a friend from the North Pole.The next morning, there he was. An Annalee doll. His name was Razzle. He was a green ribon elf. I was sooo excited. 2 weeks later I went to the mall with my sister and my dad. We were looking for Christmas ornaments and all the sudden, I see another Annalee doll! I bought it right away. His name was Curry. He was a red ribon elf. My elf collecting stopped then for that year. Now this year was really awesome.
In late October, I got a call from my friend Kelsey and she said you have to go to the mall! so I asked what for? She said just come on! So I went to the mall with Kelsey that night and there was more then 20 elves! I froze for a minute. I found the perfect elf. Her name was Jolly. She was a pink winter whismy. Then about a month later, I wanted to order an elf so I told my mom. She went on your website and bought my favorite elf, Jingles. She was a white shimmermint elf. Then, I started to get obsessed.
So did Kelsey. Then, my grandma got me 2 more! Peppermint and Twister. Then, I got sick. I had strep throat and I had to get a special treatment called a swab. When it was over I started crying because it hurt. Then my dad took me shopping. I didn't find a good elf but then I asked my elves to bring one. They brought my eighth elf Ally. Then kelsey went to Hershey park. She called and said TESS I FOUND ANNALEE DOLLS! WANT ME TO BUY YOU ONE? I said ya! That was my nineth elf, Chris.t.mas.
Then I got the opportunity to star in a big play at my school. When it was over, I got in my car, and sitting in my seat was my eleventh elf Snowball. I was VERY obsessed now. Then when Christmas was over, my elf on the shelf stopped by. He got me an elf that I wanted for ever! His name was Cookie and he made me cookies because he was a baker elf. Then it was maybe January when I got Kelsey. Kelsey my real life friend had an elf named Tess so I named the one I got Kelsey. Then Kelsey got me Kermit, my spring elf. I bought the rest from your website! I love it so so much!
Please write back,
your biggest fan, Tess
Dear Sue Coffee, Hi! My name is Kelsey, and I love to collect Annalee elves! My first elves were Alfred and AJ, but they were "Elf on a Shelf" elves. My BFF (best friend forever) Tess gave me my very first Annalee Elf in December and her name is Avery. She is a Green Holiday Twist Elf. I wrote Avery a note and told her she could bring a friend to my house if she wanted to...she brought Alex the three-year old elf.
He is so cute, he is the Red Candycane Elf. Tess told me a way to make an elf home, kind of like an elf-catcher. I built an elf house and that is when Austin joined my elf family. He is a Red Shimmermint Elf. My Mom found Auntie Addie at an antique store, she is over 400 years old. We think she is a Sleigh Riding Elf,she is a nanny to all the other elves. I went to Hershey Park right before Christmas, I saw Annalee elves there and had to buy them. I bought one for me and one for Tess because there was one there I knew she really wanted. Ashley is a Pink Winter Whimzy Elf, she is beautiful. Now I have 23 elves in all and two Christmas mice.
My newest elf is from Tess, she just gave me Megan, the Egg-Gathering Elf. I always wanted her. Tess is such a great friend! Tess and I started an elf match-making business. We call it "Elf-Love." So far, we have made four love matches. Our latest was Romeo and Juliet - our Valentine Elves. They are going to get married soon!
I love writing notes to my elves, it is fun because they usually write back to me.Sometimes they leave me a present. My Christmas elves have lost their magic for now, they will get it back around Thanksgiving time, so right now I can write to my Shamrock elf. And on the first day of Spring my Springtime elves will get their magic. It is so fun to have elves to keep me company all year long.
Here are the elves I have: Avery the green 5 inch holiday twist elf, Allison the 5 inch white ribbon elf, RJ the green 5 inch ribbon elf, Austin the 5 inch red shimmermint elf, Alex the 5 inch candycane elf, Snowflake the decorating girl elf, Izzy the 14 inch green corduroy elf, Tess the 9 inch green winter whimsy elf, Ashley the 9 inch pink winter whimsy elf, Megan the 5 inch egg gathering elf, Cornelius the 9 inch candycorn elf, Shannan the 9 inch shamrock elf, Elfonzo 14 inch gingerbread chef elf, Tilly is Elfonzos wife and she is a 10 inch baker elf, Annalee the 9 ince red classic elf, Auntie Addie, Sparky the 5 inch blue patriotic elf, sunny the 9 inch yellow spring elf, Emmy the 9 inch lavendar bunny elf, Flutter the 9" pink spring elf and Romeo the 5 inch message of love elf.
Peanut and Alfie are the names of my christmas mice. I love going to your webite, it is so fun to see all the elves and I keep making a list of all the ones I want. I can't wait to see the new christmas elves when they come out. Thank you for being so nice and letting me and Tess write to you. I have so much fun with my elves every day! I can't wait to see what the next elf will be.
Love, Kelsey