Starting a Vintage Christmas Ornament Collection

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Vintage Christmas decorations are continuing to grow in popularity, especially vintage Christmas tree ornaments. The holiday season is the perfect time for nostalgia, and vintage decorations can add a special touch of magic and whimsy to your home. 

If you are looking to start your own vintage Christmas ornament collection, I’ve got some tips and history to share with you today that can help get you started.

 Brief History of Vintage Glass Christmas Tree Ornaments

The first glass tree ornaments were made in Germany in the mid 1800’s. There were two main types of glass ornaments–heavy, blown glass designs called kugels and thinner mass-produced glass ornaments. The thinner kind was produced primarily with mercury glass, a thin glass coated on the inside with a mixture of mercury and tin. 

Starting in the 1870’s, the popular American retailer FW Woolworth began importing mercury glass ornaments to the US, where sales steadily grew. Max Eckardt, a German immigrant to the US, also took notice of the growing trend and founded his glass ornament company, Shiny Brite, in 1937. 

Shiny Brite reigned as the American-made glass ornament king throughout the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s.  During the 1960’s, plastic ornaments started growing in popularity and the production of Shiny Brites began to decline. 

in 2001, the designer Christmas Radko purchased the Shiny Brite trademark, and began reproducing some of the most classic designs. 

You can always tell a Shiny Brite because the name will be stamped on the metal ornament cap. 

Balls are the most popular design, but you can also find Shiny Brites in the shape of bells, teardrops, and other swirled shapes. This gorgeous set of Shiny Brites is currently available in my online shop. 

You can find a more detailed history of the Shiny Brite company here at this fantastic article by Antique Trader. 

Other Vintage Glass Christmas Ornaments

Kugels

I mentioned kugels earlier, they are another great collection you could start. The word “kugel” translated from German means “ball” or “sphere,” so blown glass ornaments were all called kugels–it’s not necessarily a name of a specific company.

These types of ornaments are characterized by the thickness of their glass. You can find them often in the shapes of grapes, apples, and teardrops, along with a standard ball. They will also have an ornate brass or bronze metallic cap. 

In recent decades, kugel reproductions have been made around the world. This article here can be very helpful in determining if a kugel is an original, hand-blown German piece, or a more recent reproduction. 

I was lucky enough to find a kugel ornament last Christmas in a thrift store grab bag! It’s a treasure now that I hang on my tree with the rest of my ornament collection.

Other Mercury Glass Ornaments

Not all thin mercury glass ornaments were made by Shiny Brite. Santa Land is another popular company that produced ornaments in the US during the 1960’s and 70’s. 

In this Santa Land vintage box, I actually found a mix of ornaments made by Shiny Brite, and other makers dating from the 1930’s.

This fantastic collection of 6 vintage ornaments with box is for sale in my online shop! It would make a great start to your vintage glass ornament collection. 

I have also found this set of icicle swirl shape vintage glass ornaments, made in the 1970’s. These were likely made by the Rauch company out of North Carolina.

Wooden Vintage Christmas Tree Ornaments

Wooden ornaments also became popular during the 1970’s. These were small figures produced in mostly primary colors, some of them resembling Alpine figures and locations.

Initially they were produced in Germany, but as time went on production areas began to vary. I have some newer ones in my own collection that are likely from the 1980’s and have a sticker “Made in Hong Kong.”

Many of these types of ornaments were made by novelty store B. Shackman in New York City. If you can find some in original Shackman bag or with a sticker, they can be more valuable.

With these ornaments, you’ll see a lot of animals, toy soldiers, Santas, rocking horses, small cottages, angels, bells, and trees.

Since wood is sturdier than glass, many more of these ornaments have survived, so their prices are a bit lower than their glass counterparts. 

I have a collection my grandmother gave me, and we use them on our “kids tree” in the kitchen.

Where to Find Vintage Christmas Ornaments

My first vintage ornaments were hand-me-downs from my grandmother! So that’s a great place to start–ask your family members if they have any older ornaments they are ready to part with.

Estate sales are another great option for finding old ornaments, sometimes for a steal. However, in my experience, they tend to go quickly, so if you see some advertised at a sale, get there early for your best chance to purchase.

Thrift stores have not been the best places for me to source glass ornaments, mainly because they usually don’t survive the process of being donated and handled by those places.

I have seen grab bags of glass ornaments before on a shelf where two-thirds of them are already broken. I have however been able to find vintage wooden ornaments at thrift stores, often in abundance. 

If there are specific vintage ornaments you are on the hunt for and don’t have time to dig through estate sales or thrift stores, you can shop with an antique dealer who has done the hard work for you!

I have a selection currently in my online shop and also at my booth space for local customers.

SHOP ALL MY HOLIDAY ITEMS HERE >>>

Etsy is also another great place to find high-quality vintage ornaments. Here are some of my current favorite listings:

 

How to Decorate with Vintage Christmas Ornaments

Of course, adorning your tree with a lovely collection of vintage glass ornaments is the most obvious way you can use your collection to decorate.

Trees decorated with a colorful array of vintage glass ornaments make for a whimsical decor scheme that calls out to holidays past.

You can also take a collection of vintage ornaments and create a stunning statement wreath.

Here is another example I saw recently at a local craft show.

In case you’re wondering, I would not suggest hanging a wreath like this on your front door or anywhere where it’s exposed to the exterior elements or significant movement. 

Instead, pick a beautiful table to display it on with a wreath stand or maybe above your mantle, so the delicate ornaments can avoid being damaged. 

Of course it takes a lot of ornaments to fill a whole tree or make a wreath like the ones above.  So if you’re just starting out your collection and only have a few ornaments, you can display them other ways.

This is a project I do every year, I call it “Christmas in a Box.” 

It’s an simple display idea you can customize with what you stand have around your own home! Just take a vintage container, place a vase or jar inside and fill with candy, then add ornaments and greenery to fill the remainder of the space.

Another cute idea is to open a vintage suitcase or travel case, display it open and fill with ornaments.

I think this would look cute on an entry table with some greenery around the base, and some holiday art stacked behind it.

Closing Thoughts on Starting Your Vintage Ornament Collection

A collection of vintage Christmas ornaments is easy to start.  Since they are small, it’s easy to store your collection for the rest of the year without taking up too much space.

They are also abundant, whether you hunt for them yourself at thrift stores or enjoy shopping with an antique dealer who has already curated a collection. 

Whether you build up a large enough collection to adorn an entire tree or have just a few you share in a pretty glass bowl, they add shimmer and shine to your holiday decor.  Paired with some glow of twinkle lights, vintage ornaments will help create a magical scene for your holiday home. 

I hope you get started collecting this season!