Why would a company that is shipping product weigh the product down? Wouldn't that cost more?
That added 10% weight at most to the completed shipping weight? I'm guessing less but hard to tell based on the information I have. They probably have a shipping company and the space the boxes take is probably more of a factor since I'm sure they could fill a shipping container without over weighing it. If you think about the cost of material this would save them plus the cost of disposing with broken or defective items, in most cases it would be a clear win.
Why would a company throw a more expensive item into an "cheap" item?
From the pictures those do not look expensive. The clearest picture is of the lighthouse and it looks like cheap trinkets you can buy at any home good store. I used to decorate for a hospital and I've put up a lot of junk that looked very much like that. Again, you get a better look at the items than I do but they look like broken junk to me.
Why wouldn't the company just have a "Blow-out sale" or sell the piece as a factory second?
I see parts that look broken to the point of uselessness. Also those would be considered decorative items. I don't think there is a market for ugly, deformed or broken things to decorate with.
Also the piece inside the butler is VERY OLD. And I can almost swear that I saw it in the past when I lived in my grandfathers funeral home.
Are you certain they are old? I can't tell that by the pictures.
The "Butler" is made with a mold that spins, much like how chocolate companies make "Hollow Bunnies"
It's not unlikely they use pour molds in the same facility which is what the others look like.
It would be cool if it's something special, but it looks like broken leftovers to me. Perhaps you can tell more than I can by having them in hand.
