Collectible series of two-dimensional wooden
handcrafted buildings and accessories. Many pieces commemmorate
historical places and other
points of interest, mostly within the
United States with a few international pieces.
Cat's Meow Village was created by Faline Fry Jones in the fall of 1982, when she offered twelve designs in two Ohio gift shops; less than twenty years later CMV has expanded to thousands of designs sold nationally. In addition to the souvenir pieces depicting famous places, there are also holiday pieces, boxed sets, accessories, licensed products, and themes including lighthouses and nautical collections. Each piece includes a small black cat somewhere in the scene: he is Casper, Faline's pet who has joined her at CMV conventions. The Cat's Meow Collectors Club began in 1989, and offers an annual piece exclusively for members and a newsletter among other benefits. FJ Designs, the company behind CMV, supports non-profit organizations including Feed the Children, the American Red Cross, and United Way; there is also a special Make A Wish Foundation piece whose profits go to that organization.
CMV lines include the Bible Stories Collection, California Gold Rush, Famous Street Signs, the Hershey's Village (pieces are chocolate-scented and Casper is brown instead of black), Key West, the Mid-Atlantic Tavern Series, Route 66, and the Space Flight Series among many others. Custom pieces are also available; pricing schemes are different for residential pieces and those depicting a business.
Official website: http://www.catsmeow.com/