Hello, angel enthusiasts! Welcome to our cozy corner of the internet, where we’ll embark on a heavenly journey with 5 expert tips for collecting vintage Christmas angels. These celestial beings have been a beloved part of holiday celebrations for centuries, symbolizing hope, joy, and the spirit of giving. With their timeless beauty and intricate details, vintage Christmas angels hold a special place in the hearts of collectors around the world.
Today’s blog post is for week four in our Vintage Christmas Collecting Series and today it is all about collecting vintage Christmas angels as Christmas and angels really go hand-in-hand. The majority of vintage angels in my collection date to the 1950s and were made in Japan by Napco, Norcrest, Ucago, Holt-Howard and Lefton when mid-century modern and kitsch were all the rage. Some angels have no markings and some are marked Japan or have a paper label that says Japan.
Vintage Christmas angels have a lot of the similar spaghetti trim detailing with sponged gold accents like the Christmas decorations made during the era. Some angels are in the form of bells, Noel sets, salt and pepper shakers, and others are figurines. So far, in all my years of collecting, I have only ever come across only a couple of brunette angels and all the others have been blondes so, the brunette haired ones are the rarer ones.
Here is a super darling trio of baby angel boys made by Lefton and they each hold a holiday element like a present, candy cane and stocking and a wreath.
This brunette beauty is made by Napco and she has her eyes lowered, holds a lovely Christmas greetings wreath and presents. This angel is quite fancy with so much spaghetti trim on her robe that has the lovely gold sponged details and her wings are one of the most ornate pair I have seen on an angel as they are highly detailed and so very intricate.
These are one of my all time favorite sets!! This set is made by Napco in 1956 and they are candy cane angel girl bells. I was so fortunate to find mine with their original box. They are so cute with their bright rosy cheeks and they each hold a candy cane with holly berries.
This Noel set is by Lefton and the angel girls are actually bells that have their hair done up in pony tails and hold bright red letters to spell Noel and have holly berries decorating their outfits.
Aren’t these Noel angel girls so cute? They are a pair of salt and pepper shakers made by Napco. Each angel girl holds a musical banner and part of the word “NOEL”. This set is also from the 1950s and they have such sweet faces with their little mouths open as they sing.
Here is a collage of choir boys and musical angels, some made by Napco and others made in Japan.
How cute are these two!! A boy and little girl angel pair that are bells made by Lefton. I love their adorable little faces and expressions that hint at mischievous things to come from these two children.
Prices for vintage Christmas angels can vary and as with all collectibles, condition of the items is important. If the item has a maker mark or tag from Napco, Lefton, Norcrest, Holt-Howard or other manufacturers from the era then it will command a higher price. Single angels can be purchased for $50-$75. Some Angels come in sets of 2 or more and a complete set can set you back $125-$150.
5 Tips for Collecting Vintage Christmas Angels
1. Be sure your angel’s wings are not cracks or repaired
2. Angel girls that may have pony tails, check them as the tips can chip off
3. Also check the spaghetti trim to ensure not much has chipped off over the years
4. Check any decorations your angel is holding like wreaths and packages as those can chip and ding over the years.
5. And many of these vintage angels have cold paint (painting technique that was done where it was not fired in kiln) and the paint flakes off over time, so check how much paint is intact
Upcoming Vintage Christmas Collecting Series:
- Collecting vintage NOEL Christmas candleholders, figurines, and bells – November 27, 2020
- Vintage Holt-Howard Christmas collectibles
- Pretty Ladies – Vintage Christmas Head Vases and Planters
- Collecting vintage Christmas angels
- Have yourself a Mid-Mod Christmas – December 24, 2020
- Collecting vintage Christmas year-round – January 2, 2021
If you found this post engaging and are considering embarking on your own journey to collect vintage Christmas ceramics, I’d be thrilled to help!
Visit my Etsy shop, where I showcase a carefully curated selection of vintage Christmas pieces, perfect for both new and seasoned collectors alike. Let’s share the joy of these charming treasures together!
