Since its release in January 2000, Willow Tree Angels has become a collecting phenomenon, with thousands of avid collectors around the world. At the time of writing, there are about 40 Angels in production, giving collectors a wide variety of figurines to choose from.
Each year Demdaco, the makers of the Willow Tree range, recall a certain number of angels that will never be available again. It is this act of retiring successful models that keeps the thriving collector market so healthy, but equally important, it is this act that frustrates so many people who find it difficult to complete their collections. Those people who have been buying the angels since its launch in 2000 have been able to buy each piece the moment it launched, but if you are one of the thousands of people who have discovered the Willow Collection in the years since , you will know how difficult it is to find the missing pieces.
As hard as it is to find the last remaining pieces, it’s not impossible, but to know where to start, you need to know which pieces are missing from your collection and which pieces you need to complete your game. To help you achieve your goals, I’ve put together a list of all the angels that have retired since they were first created. A total of 27 angels have retired or are so close to retirement that I have included them in my list below. To put into perspective how difficult this has become, Demdaco retired 6 angels in the first year alone; these are the most sought after and the most difficult to find:
Angel….
- of Giving – retired 2001
- from Hearth – retired in 2001
- de Joy – retired in 2001
- of Love – retired in 2001
- de Song – retired in 2001
- of Strength – retired in 2001
- from Comfort – retired in 2003
- of Light – retired in 2003 (relaunched in 2008)
- from Patience – retired in 2003
- of Protection – retired in 2003
- of Beauty – retired in 2004
- of Freedom – retired in 2004 (relaunched in 2008)
- of Kindness – retired in 2004
- from Christmas Spirit – retired in 2006
- Autumn – retired in 2010
- of Hope – retired in 2010
- of Learning – retired 2010
- del Recuerdo – retired in 2010
- spring – retired in 2010
- summer – retired in 2010
- of the Heart (small) – retired in 2010
- of the Heart (high) – retired in 2010
- de winter – retired in 2010
- from Wonder – retired in 2010
- Welcome Spirit – retired in 2010
By far the best way to find any Willow Tree Collectibles you want is to regularly search eBay listings for this range. The vast majority of listings will be for the latest models, but you will always find collectors selling duplicates or figures they no longer want. They’re not easy to find and they’re not cheap anymore, but part of the fun of collecting is in the chase, so enjoy the ride.