Collecting categories for Vintage / Antique Christmas items

The 20th Century saw the rise in American glass Christmas tree ornaments. Many companies produced American glass including: Shiny Brite, Premier, Colby, Heidt, Corning, Santa Heim, and others.

Angels have made their appearance in a myriad of forms of Christmas lights, ornaments, and decorations. From tree toppers to Nativity Scenes, Christmas is not Christmas without a few Angels in the mix! Shown are two 1930s Angels from Marolin in Germany.

From the first German goose feather trees to mid-century American Visca and modern PVC trees, the artificial Christmas tree has seen many changes over the last century.  These classic trees are the perfect backdrops for vintage and antique Christmas ornaments!

German Belsnickle candy containers are based on the stern, old-style European and Pennsylvania Dutch Santa Claus. These figures were made from cardboard as a container for hiding candy (inside) for children. Today, surviving pieces command great pieces by collectors. The name Belsnickle is derived from "Peltz Nicol" combining the Dutch word for fur "pelt" and the name of Saint Nicholas. 

From Sunday School candy boxes to cornucopias to Belsnickles, Christmas candy containers came in a wide variety of styles. Many candy boxes and containers were made in the late 1800s and early 1900s and have amazing beautifully lithographed imagery. 

Celluloid was first used to make toys in the late 1800s. German artisans perfected the art of creating all kinds of novel toys made of celluloid, including rattles and dolls. Around 1900 the Viscoloid Company in Leominster, Massachusetts, was founded and soon became one of America's premier producers of celluloid toys. Christmas items were also made of celluloid including Santas and reindeer figures. These lightweight Christmas pieces are a great collecting category. Just be careful, as celluloid is fragile and also quite flammable!

Legend has it that Saint Nicholas inspired the tradition of hanging stocking by the fire on St. Nicholas Eve or Christmas Eve.  The story goes he dropped three bags of gold down a chimney, to help a poor family, and they fell into stockings hanging by the fireplace to dry. 

Christmas stockings have gone from beloved personal childhood items to an entire category of Christmas collectibles. The early stocking printed on muslin and other fabrics are particularly beautiful and highly treasures by collectors today.

In the mountains of the old Czechoslovakia, glassblowing towns flourished in the 1800s. In the town of  Gablonz. now called Jablonec nad Nisou, the glass bead industry grew flourished. From this came the beloved "Gablonz" beaded Christmas ornaments that some say were created by using up leftover beads and turning them into whimsies. 

From spiderwebs to snowflakes and bells, Gablonz ornaments are one of the more unique areas of collecting old Christmas. 

We will be adding more collecting categories as time permits. Stay tuned!