A Christmas Tradition - Vintage Ornaments

Traditional hand-blown glass Christmas ornaments never seem to go out of style. There is something special about them: pulling them out year after year and smiling at the memories they bring back. Putting up familiar Christmas ornaments is one of the rituals that make the holidays special. This month we'll talk about vintage Christmas ornaments.

Hand-blown or machine-made.

A hand-blown glass ornament is one of the indicators that it may be vintage. However, hand-blown ornaments using vintage molds are still being made today. To find out if an ornament is hand-blown, remove the stem from the base of the ornament. Ornaments that are hand-blown will have an uneven base because it is not possible for a glass blower to make an even break. Machine-made ornaments will have a smooth even base. If an ornament is machine-made, it may not be particularly old.

Big or small.

Early ornaments were smaller than modern ornaments. They were usually done in soft colors with hand painted details. You'll notice that the paint may be faded or distressed in areas on vintage ornaments. Look for round ornaments in a variety of diminutive sizes, reflector ornaments, unusual shapes or ones that represent food. These were the common themes for older ornaments.

Shapes.

Originally ornaments were used to represent the bounty of the year-end harvest with an emphasis on food and natural elements. Bird ornaments represented the biblical messengers that bring God's love and peace to the world. Birds were also symbolic of good luck and good fortune. Fruit and vegetable shapes symbolized the harvest. Pickle shapes signified luck. Fish shapes were an early Christian symbol for Christ. Star shapes represented the Star of Bethlehem. During Victorian times, reflectors ornaments (ornaments with geometric concave indentations), were often called witches eyes and were placed on the Christmas tree to fend off any evil spirits.

Sources for vintage ornaments.

Ebay, antique shops, flea markets, church sales and garage sales are all good hunting grounds for vintage ornaments.

Value.

Prices can vary from $2 to $200 depending on condition and rarity. New or old ornaments made by the German manufacturer Lauscha are highly collectible since the company's recent demise.

Martin Swinton owns Take-A-Boo Emporium located in Toronto, Canada. He has appeared on a variety of television programs; does furniture restoration; caning and rushing repairs; appraisals and has taught courses on antiques at the Learning Annex. Martin can be reached at http://www.takeaboo.com