Holt-Howard Starry Eyed Santa Salt and Pepper Shakers
In our exclusive, best Holt-Howard Christmas collectible insider guide, learn why these ceramics are so collectible and why prices are skyrocketing for these treasures. Holt-Howard’s vintage Christmas collectibles are renowned for their captivating charm and nostalgic allure, transporting us to a bygone era of festive celebrations. Join us in uncovering the stories behind these cherished pieces and learn how to build your own remarkable collection.
I have a blog post about collecting Holt-Howard Pixieware you can read that has information and some history about the Holt-Howard company and how it started, why they moved their ceramic manufacturing to Japan and has some neat pictures of the famous Holt-Howard Pixieware collectibles if you want to learn a little bit about the company.
Last week we published post number 1 in our Vintage Christmas Collecting Series on collecting vintage NOEL sets and this week’s post is all about collecting Holt-Howard Christmas goodies so grab your favorite beverage, sit back and relax as I share some of my favorite Holt-Howard collectibles with you.
Yasmina Greco with her Vintage Christmas NOEL Collection
Vintage Christmas Noel Sets: The Ultimate 5 Tips for Collectors for collecting Noel figurines and candle holders from Santa Claus, Elves, Poodles, Snowmen, Angels, Candy Canes, Holt-Howard. You may have noticed that Christmas is in the air. That feeling of festivity and joy that comes with this time of year can be attributed to many things, but one of them surely has to be all the vintage kitschy decorations.
Vintage 1950s NOEL Angel Girl Bells – Japan
For me, one of my favorite things to do is pull out the vintage NOEL sets that I have been collecting for years and display these treasures as I get my home ready for Christmas. If you love a touch of nostalgia with some Mid-Century flair then you’ll want to curl up with your cocoa and read our new blog post on Collecting Vintage Christmas: Noel Sets for tips on buying, selling, and searching for these treasures.
Today’s blog post features some of my vintage Noel collection that dates from the 1950s-1960s and features Noel candle holders, Noel bells, and Noel figurines. 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 Clowns, that there really is something for everyone and you can easily have a theme each year for your holiday decorating too!!
Vintage NOEL Sets – Picture from The Golden Glow of Christmas from Pinterest
Experiencing “Vintage Christmas in Antique Booths” is truly a journey back in time. As the festive season looms, it’s the perfect moment to give your booth that nostalgic Christmas makeover. This transition doesn’t just resonate with the charm of bygone eras but also magnetizes holiday shoppers. Dive into our guide, brimming with “Holiday Success Tips” for your booth. Uncover which classic items are holiday hits and the best ways to display them, creating an ambiance that recalls cherished memories and kindles the Christmas spirit!
Picture is from my collection
Vintage Christmas Noel Angels – My Personal Collection
Today I am thrilled to share one of my passions with you all – collecting vintage Spaghetti Poodles! These little guys are positively precious, and they add a wonderful sense of cuteness while perfectly fitting into my mid-century modern aesthetic.
My favorite pieces from the collection have got to be the 1950’s Norcrest poodle trio in glasses & bows on the tray plus Lipper & Mann’s ‘NOEL’ set for Christmas time. Also included in this beloved assortment is an array of delightful lipstick holders, planters, vases – it just can’t get any better than that!
UPDATE: You can ready about my collections on a recently published piece in the Antique Trader
Take a step back in time and revel in the kitschy cuteness of 1950s poodles! Back then, these furry four-legged friends were everywhere – from classic Poodle skirts to intricate spaghetti art ware figurines. Ceramic artists crafted unique pieces using a special technique that mimicked the pup’s fur and sparked an excitement for all things “spaghetti” poodle!
Spaghetti art wear is made from clay, porcelain, and ceramic which is applied as “fur” to form various textures of a poodle’s hairdo. To accomplish the spaghetti look, ceramicists and designers would have different techniques like using tea strainers to push the material through to form strands that were then attached to the poodle giving it a pom-pom look or they would swirl it onto to the poodle for a curly look. The spaghetti is very fragile and tends to break or chip over the years.
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.
I have been hearing from you my dear blog followers and you have been asking when am I going to get in some vintage Christmas Noel sets; well, I have good news, I just got in some really amazing Noel sets for you all!! Vintage Christmas is not easy to come by this year and I have had to search, I mean really search but these Noel sets are amazing and they are all in excellent condition and many have their original boxes too!! Looking at these Noel sets, I just want to go back to yester-year when there was such as thing as the ‘good-old-days’ and people really cared about each other and it was a safer place. These Noel sets have are associated with so much nostalgia and really have vintage charm and character.
I found this incredibly rare, very hard to come by late 1940s Grimco Japan NOEL Bells set of the most adorable little girls and boys with big eyes, long eyelashes, and red hats. I adore this set very much, it will be hard to part with it. Also, this cute set of vintage Lefton Christmas angel girl Noel bells with their rosy cheeks and cute blonde ponytails. Holt Howard is always fun not just at Christmas time but, this winter green Holt Howard Noel Santa figurine is so mid-century charming!! For those that like to ‘clown around’ during the holidays, this vintage 1950s Noel clown set is a must!! The Noel clown set another one of those really hard-to-find sets and they are charming with their expressions and handstands. Finally, this exquisite Noel holly candleholder set of vintage Christmas angel girls are so cute, they will surely add so much vintage charm to your holiday decorating.
I will add a few more Noel sets to my eBay and Etsy store as well as some charming vintage Christmas figurines and decorations in the coming days. But as you know, these sell out fast so don’t wait too long or they will be gone.
