Skip past the masthead
Fox Valley Traders
On the front step

Dressing the goose for the season

A porch goose by the front step is a familiar sight across the Midwest. The bird stands near the door, and somebody in the house changes the outfit when the weather turns. We keep three sizes of white plastic birds on our pages, along with the wardrobe that fits each one throughout the year.

124 pieces on this page, from $7.64.

Matching the statue size

Our wardrobe is cut to fit specific birds, and the page names the size beside each piece. The large statue stands on the front step, while the baby statue is the smaller bird that stands beside it outdoors. The desktop goose lives indoors on a desk, a mantel, a windowsill or a bookshelf. Most outfits are cut for the large bird, but the baby goose has outfits of its own, and the desktop bird arrives with a set of its own.

Single outfits and year bundles

You can pick an outfit for one holiday or choose a bundle that arrives packed for a full turn of the calendar. A single costume might be a raincoat for April, a witch for October or a Santa suit for December. Bundles gather several changes into one package, which suits someone setting up a bird for the first time or giving a collection to a neighbor who already keeps a goose outside on the walk.

What arrives in the package

Every piece shown with an outfit arrives in that package. There are no separate hats or props to hunt down on another page. A few outfits are sewn as one piece, while others arrive in parts, such as the butterfly which comes in two. When an outfit includes a hat, a thin elastic strap usually holds the brim in place over the head so it stays through a brisk afternoon breeze.

Setting up a bird outdoors

The large bird and the baby statue both stand outside in the weather. Each one is molded from white plastic and is light enough for one person to carry out to the walk alone. Underneath the base, a rubber stopper pulls out so you can pour in clean dry sand. That gives the bird its weight right where it stands, so it holds its footing when the wind sweeps across the yard. The large bird also has a drainage hole so rain does not collect inside the body over the summer.

Outfits stay on the bird through damp grass, autumn rain and winter drifts. Some people wipe the plastic clean with a damp cloth when changing from the pumpkin to the turkey in November. If you are picking a sign to hang around the neck, a name goes on in one spelling and stays there. The desktop bird stays inside where it is dry, sitting on a counter or shelf with the smaller wardrobe that fits its frame.

How the porch goose gets dressed

Other pages in the catalog

Personalized keepsakesKitchen and tableAround the houseYard, porch and gardenEveryday easeSlippers, readers and wearablesClosets, laundry and tidyingPaper, planners and pensThe car and the roadMrs. Kimball's candy counter