Christmas Tree Ornaments

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About Antique and Vintage Christmas Tree Ornaments

Until the mid 1800’s, Christmas trees were mainly decorated with homemade ornaments or items like fruit and nuts. Then German entrepreneurs began producing decorative blown glass tree ornaments, and in the 1880s F.W. Woolworth imported the first of these into the U.S., triggering the American love affair with ornaments.

The 1920s and 1930s brought a surge in popularity for glass ornaments, many imported from Germany. Vintage ornament collectors often focus on various themes from this period, collecting glass ornaments of certain shapes or colors for 'theme trees.' Examples include patriotic ornaments (red, white and blue) and those depicting animals or musical instruments. Silvered ornaments from this period, which reflect light, are also popular...

In the U.S., Shiny-Brite became a major manufacturer of mass-produced ornaments, but was surpassed by the Corning Glass Company after World War II. With the British Blockade of 1939, no ornaments were imported from Europe until after the war. Ornament shapes became fancier in the 1950s.

Collectors today prize antique and vintage tree ornaments and toppers from a variety of eras, made of materials ranging from crystal to glass to sterling silver to pewter to plastic.

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Top eBay Auctions    (get weekly Christmas Tree Ornaments email)

Status       Display       How this works
67 Danbury Mint Gold Christmas Ornaments Original Boxes$201.00 Ends in 5 hours 5 bids 11 watchers
Italian Opera Series Ornament Set- 5 Total -blown Glass$150.00 Ends in 5 hours 12 bids 10 watchers
1900s German Christmas Ornament Santa With Xlegs $138.50 Ends Sunday 11 bids 40 watchers
5 Hand & Hammer Sterling Christmas Ornaments Set Santa $110.50 Ends Sunday 7 bids 26 watchers
Antique German Cotton Scrap Miniature Snowgirl Ornament$69.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 14 watchers
49 Vtg Stripe Lanterns Shapes Glass Xmas Tree Ornaments$66.99 Ends Sunday 11 bids 25 watchers
Vtg Glass Beatles John George Christmas Ornament Italy?$65.00 Ends in 11 hours 9 bids 37 watchers
House Of Hatten Christmas Ornament Elf On Flying Goose $51.01 Ends Sunday 4 bids 13 watchers
Nwb Sterling Silver Spode Christmas Tree Ornament$48.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 4 watchers
Koestel German Vintage Wax Angel Ornament/tree Topper$48.99 Ends Sunday 6 bids 7 watchers
Vintage Shiny Brite Stenciled-scene Christmas Ornaments$42.00 Ends in 12 hours 7 bids 15 watchers
Lot Of 6 Vtg Sterling Silver Christmas Tree Ornaments$41.99 Ends Wednesday 6 bids 20 watchers
Hallmark Frosty Friends Ornament 1983 Fourth Series$40.00 Ends in 17 hours 1 bid 12 watchers
Old German Cotton Scrap Girl, Bonnet, Flowers Ornament$39.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 15 watchers
24 Vtg Mercury Glass Beaded Christmas Icicle Ornaments$38.50 Ends in 17 hours 4 bids 13 watchers
Vintage Cotton Girl Candy Container Christmas Ornament$36.99 Ends Wednesday 6 bids 32 watchers
Wallace Candy Cane 1997 Ornament "home And Holly" W/box$35.99 Ends in 9 hours 5 bids 7 watchers
House Of Hatten Christmas Tree Topper Ornament Rare ! $35.11 Ends Sunday 4 bids 13 watchers
Jay Strongwater Butterfly Clip Ornament$31.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 15 watchers
Pink Vtg Mercury Glass Bead Xmas Tree Icicle Ornament$31.00 Ends Monday 9 bids 12 watchers
Mummy Halloween Ornament By Pat Benedict$29.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Vintage Mercury Glass Train Christmas Ornament$27.89 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 7 watchers
24 Vtg Mercury Glass Beaded Christmas Icicle Ornaments$27.50 Ends in 17 hours 4 bids 13 watchers
Vintage Christmas Glass Dog Ornament Lauscha Germany $26.00 Ends in 11 hours 3 bids 6 watchers
Gorham Annual Snowflake Ornament 2000 Sterling Silver$26.00 Ends in 18 hours 6 bids 11 watchers
Vintage 1940s Christmas House Ornaments Light Up 6 Pc$26.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 12 watchers
Huge Lot Vtg Christmas Feather Tree Glass Ornaments A+!$25.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 14 watchers
Group Of Snoopy Christmas Ornaments$25.00 Ends Thursday 6 bids
Vtg Sterling Silver Christmas Tree Ornament~cazenovia$24.50 Ends Tuesday 4 bids 16 watchers
Halloween Blowmold Frankenstein Empire Yard Ornament$24.00 Ends in 13 hours 4 bids 17 watchers
Vintage Poland? Indent Glass Christmas Ornaments$23.49 Ends in 18 hours 4 bids 13 watchers

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