Vintage Christmas: The Ceramic Christmas Tree
Now having a family of my own, I have been giving a lot of thought to our Christmas decorations. I am sure this isn't going to come as a shock to you but I am incredibly sentimental. And while I now have a healthy does of Melissa and Doug Christmas items in my house, I am thinking a lot about what types of items I am going to have in my home for my son to have an attachment to his childhood memories.
For me, personally. It is our Christmas stockings. I have loved them since I was a little girl. They are all hand-made by my mom and are just so special to me. I love that she's been working herself crazy to try and finish new ones this year for our growing family.
This got me thinking about what are some classic Christmas decorations that are instantly vintage Christmas. And without even finishing that thought, the Ceramic Christmas tree popped into my head. This is, in my opinion, quintessential vintage Christmas.
If you have never really inspected one, the ceramic Christmas tree is a large hollow tree that is on a base which holds a light socket. A light bulb is placed in the socket on the inside of the tree on the base. When the tree is plugged in and the light comes on, it illuminates the "Christmas lights" on the outside of the tree. These "Christmas lights" are hollowed out beads made of colored glass.
According to Ebay's Guide to Buying a Ceramic Christmas Tree, most of the vintage trees have been manufactured in the 1970s or 1980s when ceramics were at an all time high. According to the same article, these trees vary in size...from 17 to 24 inches tall.
I also love that the article goes on point out that there is a difference between copyright and production date. If a tree has an embossed date on the underside of the base, it may not necessarily be the date it was produced...it could be the date the mold was copyrighted. The article states that legit vintage trees are usually individually numbered.
Here are some of the more popular ceramic companies that made these lovely trees:
Atlantic Mold
Atlantic Mold copyrighted the first ceramic Christmas Tree in 1958. This one pictured is dated 1974 - but remember the stamp may be the date of the mold, not necessarily the date it was produced.
Arnel's
Nowell's
Do you have fond memories of these trees? Who in your family had one or a collection? Do you have your own collection? I'd love to see pictures of yours! Make sure to tag me on social media at @capitolvintagecharm!