Everybody Loves Annalee: Collector John Halbach

Behind every Annalee collection is a story, a special memory, or a love of the little characters that make us smile. In our Everybody Love Annalee series, we’re celebrating the passionate collectors who bring these playful characters to life in their homes, their hearts, and their own unique stories.

John Halbach is a Los Angeles- based producer of film and digital content — as well as a lifelong Annalee collector. Here’s his Annalee story.

John Halbach and his mother with their Annalee collection.

Can you take us back to the very first Annalee doll you ever owned? Was it a gift, or did you find it yourself?

When I was around 9 years old my grandma, Eileen, went on a trip to visit her cousin in Dallas and came back with three elves, one in white, one in red, and one in green, and I was obsessed.

At what specific moment did you realize you weren’t just a “buyer,” but a “collector”?

I started to want to collect Annalee’s when I was a kid, as soon as I knew they existed. They were hard to come by in Minnesota, and this was before the internet existed as a place to order things, so collecting them was a challenge in the beginning. At one point, I actually got some felt and wire and tried to make my own, but thankfully, they started to become more available in Minnesota and I was able to get the real thing. After I fell in love with the elves my Grandma got, she gave me a Little Drummer Boy for Christmas.

For many, Annalee is synonymous with the holidays. Which season first captured your heart, and how has that tradition grown in your home?

The first Annalees I fell in love with were Christmas elves, but I got into Easter with some dapper bunnies soon after.

If you had to describe the “Annalee Smile” to someone who has never seen it, how would you put it into words?

The Annalee smile is mischievous, sly, sweet, funny, and festive. Sometimes it can also look a little drunk.

The dolls are famously “poseable.” How do you use that feature to give your dolls personality or tell a story in your home displays?

The fact that Annalees are poseable is a big part of the fun. They can hug the top of the Christmas tree, hang from a light fixture, or peek out from behind a picture frame.

Why do you think the Annalee fanbase is so “voracious” and tight-knit compared to other collectibles?

I think Annalee fans are invested because of associations with the holidays, friends, and family members you love and sentimental memories. Growing up, I always loved decorating for Christmas with my mom, and I associate Annalees with those times.

Have you shared your love of Annalee with a friend or younger person? What is it like to see them react to the dolls and their faces for the first time?

It’s been a fun coincidence that some of my favorite people in my life also grew up with Annalees in their homes. My best friend Alexis’ grandmother Flori had a huge collection, my dear friend Kathleen’s family did too. It’s neat to meet other people who “get it,” and fun to give them as gifts when you know someone who loves them. It’s also very fun to give them to kids, knowing that someday they might be walking through a store, and see an Annalee on a shelf and laugh and think about you.

The “Desert Island” Doll: If you could only keep one design from your entire collection, which would it be and why? (What is the story behind it?)

If I could only keep one, I would probably pick the green elf that my Grandma got all those years ago. I remember liking his face the best.

The Wishlist: What theme, hobby, or holiday character would you love to see Annalee create in the coming years?

I live part time out in Joshua Tree, so how about a desert collection? You could do a roadrunner, a coyote, and some mice who are going to Coachella.