I love all things vintage. Perhaps it’s the sense of history that beautiful old things have.
Or maybe its my appreciation for designs that still resonate with me decades after they were made.
I like classic things with plenty of soul, like my ceramic Christmas tree. I have my grandmothers that she made back in the 70’s.
Back in the 1960-1970′s, our mom or grandma wanted to create their own gifts, keepsakes, pots, and dinnerware so they went to learn how to paint their own ceramics.
This lead to holiday decorations and – you maybe guessed it – ceramic trees. You may remember seeing one of these in your house or your grandmother’s house when you were younger?
Several ceramic mold companies started producing their own version of the now classic ceramic Christmas tree and the earliest versions of trees had tiny electric bulbs that lit individually.
Vintage trees from this era are painted in a variety of colors, styles and textures. Some are glazed, some finished in acryllic paint, some with snow and many without.
As technology developed in plastics and lighting, the older versions of tiny individual bulbs were replaced by trees that lit from within using only one lightbulb to light and entire tree that is decorated with small, colorful plastic “bulbs.”
Went out of style by the ‘80s
Ceramic Christmas trees pretty much went out of style by the ‘80s and several ceramic shops have gone out of business or merged with others due to a decline in interest for ceramics; mainly due to the influx of ready-made ceramics from Japan and later China.
But many people held onto these Christmas tree and, today, the retro decorations are making a comeback.
So if you have a ceramic tree collecting dust in your attic, and it doesn’t hold any sentimental value, it could be a nice opportunity to make a little extra holiday cash.
For example, design expert Bob Richter urges you to do it now. At this time of year, vintage ceramic trees could fetch a few hundred dollars, depending on the type and condition.
The time to sell them is right now
Richter recently sold several of the ceramic trees for between $100 and $200, according to Today. The design expert recommends selling them on eBay with a three-day listing and including an incentive like “Get in time for Christmas” in the title.
“The time to sell them is right now. Like, right now,” Richter said. “The truth of the matter is, they’re not incredibly valuable at other times of the year.”
To get the most from your sale, also make sure your tree is in good condition, take excellent photos, and post an accurate listing.
Personally, I wouldn’t part with mine. It was my Grandmothers. If you are already a proud owner of a vintage tree, you may just want to keep it in the family for the next few generations.
Do you own a ceramic Christmas tree or did your family own one of these trees when you were growing up? Would you sell yours or keep it?
Please share this article and your thoughts with me!
