Christmas time is here and that means a visit to one of our favorite places today, Grandma Buddies Christmas Tree Farm. This Christmas tree farm not only has loads of amazing trees, but they have a magical holiday barn decorated with gingerbread, flocked trees and wreaths, and lots and lots of decorations and special holiday touches. You can sip hot cocoa from their cocoa cart and walk around the farm to pick out your holiday tree.
On our visit today the sun came out for a little bit on this chilly December day, and we made the most of it by not only picking out our tree but also doing one last photo shoot of the year.
Grandma Buddies Christmas Trees
The theme for my outfit today was a mix of holiday cheer and half wonderland because my accessories are brooches from the Erstwilder Christmas collection and their brand-new Kitschy Witch collab for the Alice in Wonderland collection.
I wore my crimson red holiday top and matched it up with my Alice in Wonderland vintage-inspired Pinup circle skirt and my turquoise blue coat added the much-needed warmth that day.
Vintage Christmas tips: collecting figurines & candleholders. Learn the tips about manufactures like Holt-Howard, Napco, Lefton, Norcrest, and more. For many, the holiday season is filled with love, warmth, and cherished memories. It’s also a time to appreciate and celebrate traditions, both old and new. One such tradition is the fascination with vintage Christmas noel figurines and candle holders from the 1950s, made in Japan. These collectibles not only add a nostalgic touch to your holiday decorations but also carry with them the rich history and craftsmanship of Japanese artisans.
Today’s post in our 2021 Vintage Christmas Collecting Series features some of my favorite vintage Noel sets that date to the 1950s-1960s and feature candle holders, bells, and figurines. Some of these sets were featured in last year’s Vintage Christmas Collecting Series of 2020 but have been updated with current pricing and colorways. When it comes to vintage Noel collectibles there are so many varieties and themes from Santa Claus, Elves, Poodles, Snowmen, Angels, Candy Canes, and even Pixies that there really is something for everyone and you can easily have a theme each year for your holiday decorating too!!
Note: Blog post has a lot of photos and pricing source is recent Ebay, Etsy, Worthpoint, and my own personal sales data.
One sure way to any collector’s heart is items that come with their original boxes. For me, the box can also be used as part of your vintage holiday decor as they usually have timeless graphics that add so much charm to your displays. Since these vintage items are usually 70 yrs old, if you do find an original box it will probably have some wear and tear or even water damage from being stored in basements and attics and that is completely okay and in my opinion, adds that much more to the story and history of the item.
Here are some of my very favorite Noel sets from my personal collection and I think they are just dynamite. Each set is so unique and has loads and loads of vintage Christmas charm. I actually have them up year-round in my cabinet and they always make me smile when I stop and admire them.
Stacked Santa’s NOEL Totem Pole Candle Holders
Vintage Christmas NOEL Santa Candleholders Napco Brinns
Near-and-dear to my heart are these vintage Santa Claus stacked NOEL totem pole candle holders. These have such fun, witty, retro charm. Pictured are two matching pair made by Tilso in Japan in the 1950s. The Santa’s have gold little curly-q’s in their beards, have expressive eyes, and each hold a letter to spell NOEL. Tilso sets (sometimes referred to as Brinns) tend to fetch $225-$300 each, having the original box really can impact the price.
Get ready for a festive post Sourpuss Clothing: vintage Christmas meets kitchmas delight. I unveil the fabulous world of Sourpuss Clothing, a brand that marries vintage charm with retro fun.
This size-inclusive brand caters to a diverse range of tastes, from pinup and punk rock to tattoos, kustom culture, monsters, rockabilly, and kitsch. Join me on this exciting journey to explore the one-stop shop that is Sourpuss Clothing!
Today’s post is about the most famous reindeer of all – Rudolph. The reindeer with the shiny red nose that leads Santa Claus on his sleigh ride around the world in just one night. Rudolph has been sharing his charm with us all since 1939. It wasn’t too long after, that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer would become a part of Christmas for families all over the world. If you are interested in collecting Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer then keep reading for the best tips!!
Welcome to the 2021 vintage Christmas collecting series. This is our second post in our series for 2021. Our first post is all about Holt Howard Starry Eyed Santa and you can find it here. If you’d like to review our 2020 six-part guide you can find that here and learn about vintage Christmas collectibles from the 1950s-1960s.
Rudolph was created by Robert L. May, who worked as a copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department store chain and published the story in a brochure for promotional purposes in 1939. The store began preparing for Christmas almost one year earlier when they hired May to write a Christmas story that could be purchased by customers.
Christmas giftware, decorations, and ceramics were at their peak of cuteness (my opinion) in the 1950s-1960s. And it was George Zolton Lefton who founded the Lefton China Company in 1939 in Chicago, Illinois and produced many items from dinnerware sets to Christmas decorations and everything in between and, that includes the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer set.
Lefton’s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer set includes:
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer bowl
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer mug
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer salt and pepper shakers
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer planter (Rudolph’s nose lights up)
