Ceramic Christmas trees make a comeback
The decorative tabletop trees that were a hit in the '60s and '70s are striking a nostalgic chord
Christmas is often a time of nostalgia and for a lot of people that's encapsulated in vintage, ceramic, tabletop trees that light up a room.
The decorative pieces, which were popular in the '60s and '70s, have made a comeback in recent years. The vintage trees with colourful bulbs that light up have moved from bygone days to shelves in big box stores.
"They can run anywhere from six to eight inches and all the way up to 14 inches," Ada Bennett, managing director of YQR Vintique Market, told the Morning Edition. "They sit on a table top made out of ceramic and usually have snow on the edges of each branch.
"It's a beautiful, little decoration."
Bennett said back in the '50s and into the '70s, it was a popular pastime for people to take classes at ceramic studios. At these classes, you could choose whatever shape of tree you wanted and glaze the tree yourself. She said there are very few people who have the original moulds and still prepare these vintage items.
Bennett said the resurgence of the ceramic trees is in part due to their charm.
"People in their 30s and 40s are now looking back. Some of them are inheriting it from their grandparents. It harks back to what they saw in childhood at a relative's house," Bennett said.
"That age group is getting very interested in vintage and antique items like these because of many reasons, sustainability and their interest in the environment being some."
Rare finds
It's "a little bit hard" to find original vintage ceramic ones as the supply is limited but demand is increasing, Bennett said. The vintage and antique community looks for them with hopes of finding something unique and it consequently impacts prices.
"They are running anywhere from $140 to $200 depending on what size it is," she said. "The ones that are quite desirable are pure white. They are being sold at retail prices because they are valuable."
LISTEN | Ada Bennett talks about the trees:
Even ceramic ones with a cracked base are being advertised for $200 on platforms like Facebook Marketplace.
She said it is common for big companies to follow vintage trends making a comeback. Today, corporations like Costco and Canadian Tire sell their own modern versions of the ceramic trees.
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With files from Morning Edition