Bidspirit auction | Department 56 Village Animated Skating

Department 56 Village Animated Skating Pond Item 5229-9 in Original Box - Department 56 Village Animated Skating Pond, item number 5229-9. This holiday village accessory is an electric-powered animation piece designed to simulate ice skating. The unit is constructed with a plastic pond base containing an internal motor and a magnetic drive system intended to move figures across the surface. The product was manufactured in China exclusively for Department 56, Inc. under a license agreement with Ruck Engineering, Inc. of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, citing U.S. Patent No. 4,177,592. The base features an electric power cord with an inline switch and carries a UL listed mark. According to the printed contents list on the packaging, the set includes one skating pond base, four magnetic skaters, one snowman, and one dog. The list also indicates the inclusion of sisal trees and a bird. All components are housed in the original color-illustrated cardboard box. The original cardboard box exhibits significant signs of age and shelf wear, including multiple creases, corner abrasions, and small tears. Several areas of the packaging are reinforced or sealed with aged, yellowed adhesive tape. The internal components have not been removed for inspection or verified for completeness against the contents list. The electric motor and magnetic mechanism have not been tested for operational functionality.