Few items evoke childhood nostalgia like a snow globe.
Putting your heart and soul into shaking the spherical trinket and watching the tiny specs of glistening snow fall is a captivating experience for all. When your young, the more kitsch, the better, ideally collected on holiday or sourced at the local Christmas market. Yet there’s considerable demand for snow globes among adults.
For the latter, snow globes make for excellent desk companions. What’s more, with some luxury editions boasting high resale price points, the collectibility of the objects is not to be underestimated. Guinness World Record holder Wendy Suen estimated that she has spent $165,000 (£124,000) buying snow globes over the past 20 years. The collector claims that her most expensive purchase in the 4,328-strong archive is a Louis Vuitton snow globe which cost £7,500. Do with that information what you will.
The snow globe dates back to approximately 1878, when the glass ornament came to light at the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle. The miniature snowstorm imitations gained popularity in the 1940s, where in America they were often used in the name of advertising.
The collectables have appeared in several films of note, such as Orsen Wells’ 1941 classic Citizen Kane and Henry Selick’s 2009 fantasy-horror hit Coraline.
The 2000s saw luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Ladurée, Sonia Rykiel and Maison Margiela create their own lines of designer snow globes for luxury lovers to collect. The designs would typically bear the house logo shrouded in sugar-like snow particles.
Whether you’re an avid snow globe collector or simply mesmerised by the sentimental value of the ethereal pieces, there are ample options to discover. Browse the edit below and add a charmingly snowy timepiece to your desk composition.
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Dior Snow Globe
The love story between the designer and his pet continues. Giving Karl Lagerfeld and his beloved cat Choupette a run for their money is Christian Dior and his pooch Bobby. The designer’s canine companion is depicted in Dior’s collectable snow globe, which comes in a variety of colourways including green, red, yellow and blue.
Buy now £290.00, Dior
Chanel Snow Globe Red Chanel Number 5
Chanel’s snow globes are hot property among luxury snow globe collectors. Depicting the iconic house emblem and a petite bottle of best-selling Chanel Number 5, this designer trinket is a fierce favourite among fashion fiends.
Buy now £663.93, 1stDibs
Supreme Snowman Snow Globe
Snow globes take street style! Legendary streetwear label Supreme is known to dabble in homeware, and the brand’s snow globe is an example of this venture. It showcases a cheery snowman set on a red base that has been emblazoned with the distinctive Supreme logo.
Buy now £116.00, Farfetch
Wedgewood Love Glass Snow Globe
Available to buy via Selfridges, Wedgewood’s refined snow globe offering is for the lovebirds among you. Inside a spherical glass dome, a miniature cherub stands ready to strike with his romance-imbued bow in hand.
Buy now £130.00, Selfridges
Versace Medusa Snow Globe
Infuse your home with a bolt of glitzy glamour. Versace is a house renowned for garish prints, unmissable metallics and fiery Italian attitude. It comes as no surprise then that the brand’s snow globe is a showstopper. A gold base, the iconic Versace Medusa head and plaque detail take centre stage.
Buy now £233.00, Farfetch
LOVE Snow Globe
Spread the love with a nostalgic snow globe offering. A niche wedding gift, the lavish piece will ignite the recipient’s inner child with its heartfelt motif and shimmering snow droplets.
Buy now £122.70, 1stDibs
Louis Vuitton Air Balloon Snow Globe
The highly desirable Louis Vuitton snow globe is a highly cherished collectable. Inspired by French designer Pierre-Emilie Legrain, the globe depicts a man sleeping in a Louis Vuitton trunk serving as the gondola of a hot air balloon. The valuable item is a limited 2013 Christmas edition and was initially reserved for VIP customers of the luxury fashion house.
Buy now £1310.39, 1stDibs
F*ck Snow Globe
Picture this. You’re working from home and having a disaster day. You look to your side and the bold, red F-bomb stares right back at you, camply covered in glitter and mirroring exactly what you’re thinking. The day is instantly improved. Gift it to potty-mouthed friends and family who love a cheeky curse word.
Buy now £69.47, Etsy
David Shrigley Ridiculous Swan-Thing Snowdome
If David Shrigley made it, we want it. The beloved artist has gained a cult following for his deadpan pieces. The Ridiculous Swan snow globe is a hilarious random piece for your mantle or desk when a touch of ridiculousness is needed.
Buy now £48.50, Third Drawer Down
Cartier Diabolo De Cartier Snow Globe
If you have £1000 to drop on a snow globe, then you must be doing something very right. Indulge with Cartier’s uber-refined desk topper which is meticulously crafted from marine lacquered wood base and gilded mother-of-pearl decoration. Inside you’ll discover a black panther playing with gifts and boxes in the snow.
Buy now £1140.00, Cartier
