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                                                                      Exhibit 5
                                                                      ------- -

                                Hale and Dorr
                               60 State Street
                         Boston, Massachusetts 02109




                                       December 22, 1995


CML Group, Inc.
524 Main Street
Acton, MA  01720

Re:  1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
     ---------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

        We have assisted in the preparation of a Registration Statement on Form
S-8 (the "Registration Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission relating to 975,000 shares of Common Stock, $.10 par value per share
(the "Shares"), of CML Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
issuable under the Company's 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan").

        We have examined the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended,
of the Company, the By-Laws, as amended, of the Company, and originals, or
copies certified to our satisfaction, of all pertinent records of the meetings
of the directors and stockholders of the Company, the Registration Statement
and such other documents relating to the Company as we have deemed material for
the purposes of this opinion.

        In examination of the foregoing documents, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted
to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents
submitted to us as certified, photostatic or facsimile copies, and the
authenticity of the originals of any such documents.

        Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been
duly authorized for issuance under the Plan, and that the Shares, when issued
and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Plan and at a price per share
in excess of the par value per share for such Shares, will be legally issued,
fully paid and nonassessable.

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        We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and
Exchange Commission in connection with the Registration Statement.

        Paul P. Brountas, a partner of this firm, is Secretary of the Company.

                               Very truly yours,



                               HALE AND DORR
