There are a few very important things to consider prior to starting a vintage or antique Christmas ornament collection:
What type of tree will they be displayed on?
Depending on what you are trying to accomplish as far as circa or theme goes, will determine what type of tree will be used. There are German feather trees, firs cedars & spruces, the scotch pine & other evergreens, as well as retro aluminum pom pom and other artificial trees.
What is your budget?
There are tons of affordable vintage & antique ornaments and decorations that can still be found in shops, yard sales, and auctions all across America, but some of the antique & more sought after ones can commend a much higher price tag depending on condition & rarity. Until you can become a lot more informed and educated on the new reproductions on the market, I would stick with the more common ornaments and work your way up. Unfortunately, as in any good collecting niches, there are a lot of people out there that will sell you fake or reproduction goods full well knowing that they are just that...FAKE (Buyer Beware)
What kind of ornaments do you want to collect?
There are an assortment of glass, wax, paper & cardboard, wire wrapped & metal ornaments, with the largest variety being molded or blown glass.
Condition...Condition....Condition!
You would like to find old glass ornaments that are free from cracks and have the original metal caps if possible. The interior mercury or silvering should not be blotchy or see through, and the paint or decoration on the exterior should be in excellent condition as well. If possible try to stay away from heavily fake snow flocked ornaments, as they are almost impossible to clean without destroying the exterior paint and or decoration.
With paper ornaments, look for ones that are free from creases, stains, or tears and have no missing flakes off of the brightly colored graphics. When looking for metal ornaments, look for ones with no rust. There will most likely be some tarnishing which is considered fairly common, and a slight bend is not so bad as this can be bent back.
Telling "The Old" From "The New"
Most of the new glass ornaments today have gold colored metal caps and a heavier glass or plastic like feel to them. The "old" glass ornaments are almost always paper thin and have hardly any weight to them at all. The "old" ornaments are considered pre-WWII 1930's and prior, and the "newer" are considered post-WWII 1940's to 1950's. After a while of collecting these little holiday treasures, you will easily be able to tell the difference between the old and the new, but I always highly advise getting some reference material to hone up on your skills.
Have fun, and please visit The Velveteen Rabbit Antiques for all your vintage holiday decoration needs!
What type of tree will they be displayed on?
Depending on what you are trying to accomplish as far as circa or theme goes, will determine what type of tree will be used. There are German feather trees, firs cedars & spruces, the scotch pine & other evergreens, as well as retro aluminum pom pom and other artificial trees.
What is your budget?
There are tons of affordable vintage & antique ornaments and decorations that can still be found in shops, yard sales, and auctions all across America, but some of the antique & more sought after ones can commend a much higher price tag depending on condition & rarity. Until you can become a lot more informed and educated on the new reproductions on the market, I would stick with the more common ornaments and work your way up. Unfortunately, as in any good collecting niches, there are a lot of people out there that will sell you fake or reproduction goods full well knowing that they are just that...FAKE (Buyer Beware)
What kind of ornaments do you want to collect?
There are an assortment of glass, wax, paper & cardboard, wire wrapped & metal ornaments, with the largest variety being molded or blown glass.
Condition...Condition....Condition!
You would like to find old glass ornaments that are free from cracks and have the original metal caps if possible. The interior mercury or silvering should not be blotchy or see through, and the paint or decoration on the exterior should be in excellent condition as well. If possible try to stay away from heavily fake snow flocked ornaments, as they are almost impossible to clean without destroying the exterior paint and or decoration.
With paper ornaments, look for ones that are free from creases, stains, or tears and have no missing flakes off of the brightly colored graphics. When looking for metal ornaments, look for ones with no rust. There will most likely be some tarnishing which is considered fairly common, and a slight bend is not so bad as this can be bent back.
Telling "The Old" From "The New"
Most of the new glass ornaments today have gold colored metal caps and a heavier glass or plastic like feel to them. The "old" glass ornaments are almost always paper thin and have hardly any weight to them at all. The "old" ornaments are considered pre-WWII 1930's and prior, and the "newer" are considered post-WWII 1940's to 1950's. After a while of collecting these little holiday treasures, you will easily be able to tell the difference between the old and the new, but I always highly advise getting some reference material to hone up on your skills.
Have fun, and please visit The Velveteen Rabbit Antiques for all your vintage holiday decoration needs!
