The "Heritage Village" Collection actually consists of several different villages and some sub-collections within each village. The Dickens Village was the first launched in 1984, followed by the New England and Alpine Villages in 1986. Christmas In The City came out the following year. Given the devotion of collectors to "their" Villages, pieces are categorized with their own village. The term Heritage Village has come to refer to pieces that can fit into any of the other villages without seeming out of place. For the most part, these are accessory pieces.