Vintage Ornaments | Crazy4Me - The Modern Bombshell Lifestyle by: Yasmina Greco

Thrifting Vintage Christmas Decorations: NOEL Sets from the 1950s-1960s

November 26, 2021 By: Fan

Forget about the new and what everyone else is doing. If you’re a true vintage lover then these old time Christmas decorations are just what you need to create that classic feel in your home this holiday season. Stock up now because most of these items will be gone by the end of November!

Hurry, don’t miss out on all the nostalgia!

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.

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Vintage Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

November 3, 2021 By: Fan

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.

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)

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Holt-Howard Christmas Collectibles and Price Guide: Starry Eyed Santa

October 27, 2021 By: Fan

Holt-Howard Starry Eyed Santa Collection

Collecting vintage Holt-Howard Christmas ceramics is a great way to enjoy the holidays. It was the Holt-Howard company that first began creating and selling the well-known Pixieware collectibles back in 1958. The items were manufactured in Japan for affordability, but they were made from high-quality ceramics that were then sold in the US as affordable giftware. The Holt-Howard company added many different pieces to their catalog that followed the same quirky and fun designs including Christmas ceramics that are still in high demand today. Follow this guide to collecting Holt-Howard like a pro.

Welcome to the 2021 vintage Christmas collecting series. This is our first post in our series for 2021. 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.

You can’t have Christmas without Santa Claus and there is no Santa as whimsical and charming as the Holt-Howard Starry Eyed Santa line of Christmas ceramics. It’s easy to see why, with his amusing charm, Mid-Century atomic starburst eyes, merry whiskers, and gold flecks, Santa Claus exudes wonderful kitschy cuteness, and many can’t wait to grow their collections with this range. The Starry-Eyed Santa has always been incredibly collectible and highly desired by collectors but this year his popularity has dramatically increased, and prices have skyrocketed.

Holt-Howard Starry Eyed Santa Candle Holder Planter

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Vintage Christmas Beaded Ornaments

August 16, 2014 By: Fan

Sales in my area have been terrible; nothing but trash/junk to sift through. I am looking forward to next weekend as their is an antique faire in the neighboring town of Healdsburg and we are very excited to be attending that. We went to a rummage sale this morning at a local church and I had given up all hope of a treasure when I tripped over something poking out from under one of the skirted tables. To my amazement it was a bag of vintage beaded ornaments!! I love the vintage beaded ornaments and have such appreciation for all the hard work and efforts that went into making them. Here is a picture of half the bag of ornaments and I was cleaning them and inspecting them when I brought them home. Only a few beads missing here and there and over all really great. Yay!!

Vintage Christmas Ornaments – A Top Ten Item To Collect

December 9, 2012 By: Fan

Did you know that Vintage Christmas Ornaments are reported to be a “top ten” collectible in the next year? Collectors are seeking these vintage treasures so if you are lucky enough to come across some, you might consider getting them as they are already becoming increasingly difficult to find. Vintage Christmas Ornaments are a great collectable because they can actually still be used for the holidays rather than being a “display only” item. Vintage ornaments have so much charm and detail and evoke the nostalgia of Christmas’s past.

Vintage Ornaments 1

Collectors
There are many different types of ornament collectors, some will select ornaments based on shape, some on manufacturer and some by materials the ornament is made from and some even by date periods. There are also an endless number of figural ornaments such as Santa’s, Snowmen, Elves, Angels, Reindeer, and more that are gaining in popularity. Some vintage and antique Santa ornaments can fetch a pretty penny in today’s market!

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Vintage Christmas Teacups and Cookies

December 13, 2009 By: Fan

Saw this lovely picture of a vintage collector teacup and thought “How Cute”! What a great way to decorate for the holidays and display your vintage teacups and decorations. The teacup pictured is filled with handmade gingerbread cookies but why not add your own vintage ornaments, miniature Santa decorations or even fill a vintage teacup with vintage little mercury glass ornaments. This would also make a very darling party favor or Christmas gift. If you are interested in the cookies visit here.