The tradition of building miniature Christmas village landscapes (‘putz’), including houses, animals and other hand-crafted wooden figures, began with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the late 1800s. Mass-produced cardboard Putz houses, sold in dime stores, became popular in the mid-20th century, and have also become highly collectible.
These creative and colorful cardboard houses were initially imported from Japan in the late 1920s, a logical outgrowth of the candy/surprise-box houses the Japanese had been making for some time. As whimsical, delightful "eye-candy" on open dimestore counters, they were an immediate sensation. The finest houses were produced for less than ten years, because the onset of WW2 brought a trend toward more "realistic" toys and trains. However, Christmas village houses have continued to be produced in some form up to the present.
Interviews & Articles
Vintage Christmas Ornaments, From Cardboard Dresdens to Silvered Kugels

About 42 years ago, my wife, Darla, went to a very large white elephant sale and found a box of antique Christmas ornaments. She t… [more]
The Charms of Christmas Ephemera and the Changing Face of Santa Claus

I grew up in a home without any antiques. As a small kid, I started decorating my parents’ home for Christmas. I don’t know what i… [more]
A History of Dimestore Christmas Village Houses

The following is a history of these wondrous little artifacts called cardboard Christmas village houses - a history devoted to est… [more]
A Guide to Christmas Antiques and Vintage Christmas Decorations

Ever wonder about that box of vintage Christmas decorations in the attic? From wooden nutcrackers to glass Christrmas tree ornamen… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Papa Teds Place

Theodore H. Althof, Jr's beautiful collection of vintage dimestore cardboard Christmas 'putz' village houses. Start… [read review or visit site]
Antique Christmas Lights Museum

George Nelson's incredibly detailed chronicle of vintage Christmas tree lighting. Browsable by decade and special t… [read review or visit site]
Bohemian Christmas Decorations

This simple site showcases over 500 artistic Gablonz glass bead antique and vintage Christmas tree ornaments, made … [read review or visit site]
Old Soviet Christmas Cards

This site showcases over 1000 old Soviet Christmas and New Years cards from 1950 to 1990. Browse through page after… [read review or visit site]
Vintage Guru Reveals Her Glamour Secrets
The Killer Mobile Device for Victorian Women
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The Beautiful Chaos of Improvisational Quilts
Our Dad, the Water Witch of Wyoming
This 1959 Goggomobil Is Insanely Cute and Gets 55 MPG. Why Can’t Detroit Do That?
California Cool: How the Wetsuit Became the Surfer's Second Skin
The Unfiltered History of Rolling Papers, Plus Tommy Chong's Big Fat Jamaican Vacation
World's Smallest Museum Finds the Wonder in Everyday Objects
Fightin’ Femmes: Unmasking Female Superheroes with Author Mike Madrid

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