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Why Are Vintage Christmas Decorations So Desirable?
Vintage Christmas decorations are among the most cherished antiques for collectors and enthusiasts. Their appeal lies in the nostalgia they evoke, their unique vintage charm, and the superior craftsmanship of bygone eras, making them highly desirable.
The allure of vintage designs is so strong that modern manufacturers and retail chains dedicate entire sections to reproductions. From vintage-style Christmas trees to ornaments and other festive accents, these timeless designs remain in high demand.
While some are fortunate enough to inherit an attic brimming with vintage Christmas decorations, others actively seek them out at stores, sales, and online marketplaces. Items ranging from pristine vintage tinsel trees to used Christmas cards and wrapping paper are prized finds. Imperfect or damaged trinkets are particularly popular with crafters and upcyclers, who transform them into unique holiday creations like ornaments, snow globes, and wreaths.
Many of these coveted antique decorations trace their origins to German manufacturers, with some of the most popular mid-20th-century pieces hailing from Japan. Collectors often search for location stamps or tags from these countries, as well as from other regions in Europe and Asia, including Taiwan.
Collectable Vintage Christmas Decorations To Look For
Although all vintage Christmas decorations hold collectable potential, certain items are especially sought after and highly valued. Below are some of the most coveted and popular vintage Christmas decorations that continue to captivate collectors today:
Christmas Trees
Ceramic Christmas trees were incredibly popular as tabletop trees. They vary in size and embellishment (colour, the shape of light pegs, use of mica snow, etc.). While older versions from the 1970s and 1980s are popular for collectors, they are often missing light pegs. However, replacement pegs are available for both vintage and contemporary ceramic trees.
Bottlebrush trees are also a perennial favourite of fans of vintage Christmas décor. Vintage bottlebrush trees pre-decorated with ornaments and glitter are rarer and typically more expensive. You can easily find plain versions, with or without artificial snow. Crafters, who often prefer to embellish them with beads and glitter, seek out plainer versions, whether they have artificial snow or not. These older bottlebrush trees (and modern reproductions) are essential to Christmas villages, DIY snow globes, and other craft projects, such as wreaths and ornaments.
While Christmas tree shopping for traditional evergreen trees is a favourite element of Christmas for some. Using artificial trees is also popular with collectors. One of the most coveted vintage Christmas decorations is the aluminium or tinsel tree from the mid-20th Century. Most were silver in colour, but pink aluminium trees also existed. Corresponding colour wheels that lit up and bounced colourful light off the metallic trees are also in high demand.
Fairy Lights
Historically, Christmas trees were outfitted with candles to provide illumination. However, Thomas Edison changed all that with the advent of Christmas lights.
The most common vintage Christmas lights are the C7 and C9 incandescent light bulbs, which are large and teardrop-shaped. These lights are not plugged in for various safety reasons. Instead, the vintage bulbs are used as vase- and bowl fillers during the holidays.
Vintage bubble lights, with their bright colours and bubbling liquid, were also popular in the mid-20th Century. While modern buyers may look at them through nostalgia-coloured glasses, they were pretty dangerous to use due to the chemicals in the liquid.
Christmas Decorations and Ornaments
As popular and desirable as vintage Christmas trees are, vintage ornaments are arguably the most popular Christmas decoration. And while there are older ornaments made from cardboard and wood, blown glass ornaments are what most collectors and buyers seek out.
Shiny Brite is the most recognized name in vintage Christmas ornaments, dating back to mid-19th Century Germany. However, Shiny Brite as a brand name has become synonymous with any vintage glass ornaments, regardless of the manufacturer.
From the vibrant colours to the intricate blown-glass designs, Shiny Brites are highly prized. Anyone with an affinity for nostalgic Christmas décor collects them. Vintage Christmas fans treasure the ornament boxes for their graphics. They are incorporated into holiday vignettes, and broken ornaments are ground down into glass glitter for many craft projects.
Christmas Fabrics and Linens
Decorating for Christmas seems incomplete without stockings on the mantel and a decorative skirt under the tree. Unsurprisingly, vintage holiday fabrics are another treasure antiquing shoppers and collectors look for.
Collectors favour vintage stockings, particularly those made from felt or flannel and decorated with retro graphics. Even homemade stockings made from felt or crocheted yarn are considered heirlooms.
Other linens, such as older Christmas tablecloths, napkins, and placemats, are collectable favourites. Like other vintage Christmas decorations, crafters and sewers favour these to repurpose them into new creations.
Figurines
Regarding Christmas figurines, Santas are always the most cherished and prized of any Christmas character. Ceramic Santa Claus and other Christmas figurines made by notable brands such as Holt Howard, Napco, and Lefton are some of the more valuable ceramic collectables. But other vintage figures made from ceramic, plaster, spun cotton, and resin are also in high demand.
Non-Santa figurines are collectable favourites, including vintage nutcrackers, elves/pixies, angels, and reindeer.
Unsurprisingly, vintage nutcracker soldiers made in Germany or Austria are some of the most collectable versions. Knee-hugging elves, which inspired Elf on the Shelf, are trendy vintage pieces. Plastic reindeer are especially popular with crafters, who use them in decorative Christmas craft projects.
Putz Houses
Vintage Putz houses, those little cardboard Christmas village houses, are a treasured favourite of many vintage buyers. Like anything miniaturized, they are exceptionally charming. Embellishments include mica snow, tiny bottlebrush trees, and colourful cellophane stained-glass windows.
It’s important to note vintage Putz houses that still have their bottlebrush trees intact are more collectable than others. The trees typically fell or broke off over time or from too much handling.
Paper Ephemera
When it comes to vintage Christmas decorations, many are made from paper or cardboard. Crafters have a particular affinity for paper ephemera. From Christmas cards and wrapping paper to old children’s books and vintage advertisements. These paper elements are ideal craft supplies. You can use them for numerous projects, including new cards, ornaments, and other mixed-media crafts.
Vintage Christmas cards and retro giftwrapping paper use graphics that feature retro fonts and imagery. Collectors highly prize older paper ephemera, particularly Victorian postcards. Rare and valuable postcards often feature Santa Claus. But some vintage Christmas postcards are downright peculiar and, therefore, collected for their quirky graphics and provocative sayings.
Outdoor Christmas Decorations
Unsurprisingly, most vintage holiday decorations are used inside our homes. But there are specific outdoor decorations that vintage shoppers look for.
In particular, vintage blow moulds are rare and regularly fetch extravagant prices. Large plastic Santas, snowmen, candles, and reindeer are popular. It is getting increasingly more challenging to find them too, especially if they still light up.
Collectors and decorators also favour vintage wooden sledges. They are often used as porch decorations during the holiday season, with wreaths and vintage ice skates as embellishments.
Other Collectables
There are several other collectable vintage decorations worth noting. These include artificial flowers and greenery, glass Christmas tree toppers, mercury glass beaded garlands, and vintage Nativity sets.
Vintage toy trucks have also become very popular in modern-day Christmas decorating. The image of a vintage pickup truck bringing a Christmas tree home is incredibly iconic. Modern manufacturers often incorporate imagery onto items such as throw pillows, decorative signs, ornaments, Christmas cards, and wrapping paper.
Where To Buy Vintage Christmas Decorations
As collecting vintage Christmas decorations grows in popularity, so does the number of places that sell them. Advertising the availability of these festive collectables is a surefire way to attract buyers. You’ll see older holiday décor is regularly displayed front and centre.
Buyers looking for vintage holiday decorations should look at any of the following locations when building their collection:
- Car-boot sales
- Antiques shops
- Estate sales
- Online auctions
- Online resale stores (eBay, Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, etc.)
- Second-hand stores
- Yunk-shops
- Family homes and attics (if applicable)
Because of the rising cost of these decorations, rummaging through a parent or grandparent’s attic for vintage pieces is not to be missed if the opportunity presents itself.
But when all else fails, secondhand sellers are the best bet when looking for vintage holiday treasures. There are also dedicated sellers on sites like Instagram. Search the VintageChristmas hashtag (and similar variations) to locate their accounts.
Storing Your Vintage Holiday Décor
While previous generations regularly stored their holiday decorations in attics, basements, and backyard sheds, store them in a climate-controlled environment for the best protection.
Many vintage Christmas decorations are fragile (glass, ceramic, paper), and some embellishments (glitter, mica, flocking) can deteriorate or rub off when not stored properly.
Waterproof storage containers such as plastic tubs with locking lids are ideal for more delicate decorations. Keep the tubs away from extreme temperature changes or high humidity.
The most delicate ornaments, such as bubble wrap and cardboard dividers, may need additional padding and protection. Store Christmas fabrics in sealed plastic tubs to protect them from potential pests (mice, insects, etc.) and mold/mildew.
Vintage Decorations For Every Budget
While some vintage Christmas decorations are more valuable than others from a resale perspective, that doesn’t need to be a decision-making factor while shopping for them. There are vintage decorations for every budget and decorative style, conjuring different memories in all of us.
From heirloom pieces passed down over generations to nostalgic treasures found while antiquing, vintage Christmas decorations have a unique, sacred place in our memories and homes. Enjoying them in your home is the best way to keep memories of the past alive while making new ones with your loved ones each season.
Sarah Ramberg
Sarah Ramberg is the owner ofSadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
