Santa’s image is associated with a broad range of Christmas antiques and vintage decorations, from dolls and figurines to snowglobes, chocolate molds, dinnerware, Christmas tree ornaments, assorted paper and even Coca-Cola Christmas items (the company featured Santa prominently in its ads in the 1930s and beyond). Companies like Waterford and Woolco mass-produced Santa figurines for decades. And many other vintage Santa decorations are unique works of folk art, having been hand-crafted from paper mache and other materials.
Interviews & Articles
Santa Claus and His American Debut

The following piece tells the story of how Santa Claus came to be, from his debut in 1844 to his evolution from New Year’s icon to… [more]
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]
If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: My Afternoon with the Ace of Swords
'The Great Gatsby' Still Gets Flappers Wrong
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
Forget TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World
Coveting The Craziest Cat-People Collectibles

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