How to Collect Antique Christmas Ornaments

Antique Christmas ornaments can add an Old World or vintage touch to your holiday décor. Begin a collection of antique ornaments and look for pieces throughout the year. This way, you can bring Christmas into your home during any season!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Books On Collecting Antique Christmas Ornaments
• Christmas Trees
• Antique Christmas Ornaments
• Antique Christmas Tree Lights
• Goose-feather Trees
• Ornament Storage Boxes
• Memberships In Antique Ornament Collectors Club

1. Become familiar with the antique ornament market. There are a wide variety of ornament types, from German, blown-glass ornaments to papier-mâché ornaments, from goose-feather trees to antique Christmas lights. Once you know what you like, you'll know what to look for.

2. Read up on the subject of collectible and antique Christmas ornaments. You'll want to be able to spot a treasure when you see it! You'll also want to be knowledgeable enough to distinguish an antique ornament from a reproduction.

3. Search the Internet and local antique stores, garage sales and flea markets for antique Christmas ornaments.

4. Expect to pay anywhere from a few dollars to thousands of dollars for antique Christmas ornaments. The price will vary greatly with the ornament's age, color, condition and manufacturer.

5. Display all of your antique ornaments during the holidays. Some ornament collectors set up as many Christmas trees as it takes to hold their collection.

6. Learn more about antique ornaments and stay in touch with fellow collectors of antique Christmas decorations through organizations such as the Golden Glow of Christmas Past collectors club. Groups like this one send out newsletters to their members and sponsor conventions as well.

7. Store your antique ornaments carefully. Wrap delicate ornaments in tissue paper before you pack them away and use stiff cardboard or plastic containers in which to store them. Look for storage units made especially for Christmas ornaments.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose reproduction ornaments as an inexpensive ($5 and up) alternative to collectible antique ornaments. This is an especially viable option if you want an Old World or vintage look to your ornaments, but aren't that concerned with their age or authenticity.
• Hang ornaments from the early 20th century on an antique goose-feather tree. These trees were one of the first types of artificial trees on the market and date from the early 1900s.