I have a sister that collects all things rust, dented, well-loved, and vintage. If it hasn’t seen 20 or more years, she doesn’t want it. When I shop with my sister at an estate sale, all I see is junk. Her eyes immediately highlight the five treasures in the whole house. Christmas ornaments are not the exception. Keep reading to glean a bit of history behind the shiny glass and her three expert tips for collecting these sought after ornaments.
During the ’50s and ’60s, astronauts were pushing the limits of space travel, and the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth. This race for space captured people’s imagination, and Christmas ornaments began not only reflecting light but the outer limits of our universe.
Some of them even resembled the satellites in motion.
West Germany produced many hand-painted ones with glitter and mica. You might even find “West Germany” printed on the top of the metal hangar.
Indents were first popular when candlelight was used on a Christmas tree. They made a reappearance during the ’50s with all kinds of colors emanating from the center of the indent.
3 Expert Tips for Collecting
- Shop early and shop often.Β I know the kids may be swimming in the pool, and you are sweating just thinking about shopping, but grab a pina colada and hit the keyboard. The best time to buy is during the offseason. When no one else is thinking about Christmas, this is the best time to pick up fantastic deals.
- Buy online.Β eBay or other similar sites like Craigslist are a great place to start.
- Buy in bulk.Β You might have to spend $100-$150 at a time, but there are “lots” available for search on resell sites.
Diorama ornaments like these can go for $20-30 each, but the average price for ornaments are $1-$3.
Decorating Tip:
Make an ornament garland with rope and sturdy wire. Make sure each one is securely attached before you raise the strand. And since they are as fragile as an egg, handle with extreme care.
That way you can enjoy each one side by side. When my sister first started collecting, she would buy them whenever she saw them. She always had $10 in her pocket, and it always went to ornaments if she spied them at the local antique market.
So break out the brownies and invite the family over to enjoy the collection you have been working hard on since summer and your pina colada.
Interested in learning more about the ins and outs of collecting, bargaining, and buying vintage ornaments? Check out this post from Treetopia.
I absolutely love the space themed ornaments. I didnβt even know they made those that coincided with history. Very interesting topic. Thanks for sharing.
I know! It is interesting how the ornament manufacturers capitalized on history making events. I think that is what makes collecting vintage things alluring, in that you can learn the history of each item and ponder the memories it has seen. For example, what was life like and how captivating it must have been to see a man land on the moon the FIRST time. Wow!