How Old Christmas Tree Decorations Can Make You a Millionaire (Or Not)

No one will argue that Christmas tree decorations are designed to create a festive New Year's mood. But not everyone knows that some decorations for the “green beauty” can lift your spirits even without the New Year, and how! A resident of Yekaterinburg was convinced of this, and thanks to glass balls, cones and hares, he became a ruble millionaire.

Many of us, while cleaning out the pantry or garage, came across old Christmas tree decorations that our mothers and fathers, and sometimes grandparents, used to decorate Christmas trees. Some use them for their intended purpose, others prefer modern toys that are brighter and less fragile. And some even managed to get rid of them, throwing them away or giving them away to friends.

Vladimir Schneider, a 56-year-old military pensioner from Yekaterinburg, found old Christmas tree decorations in the apartment he inherited from his parents, and at first did not attach any significance to his find. Jewelry was stored on the mezzanine in dusty cardboard boxes. Each toy was carefully wrapped in paper and lined with cotton wool.

There were more than a hundred toys stored in the closet, and when the man took them all out, he was simply taken aback.

Bunnies and gnomes on clothespins, namely toys with this type of fastening, are most valued by collectors; at auctions they can cost tens of thousands of rubles. A glass hut on a steel clamp, familiar to many from childhood, can be bought for 5 thousand rubles, but the “Stargazer” toy can easily cost as much as 50 thousand.

Antiques expert Vyacheslav Srebny shed light on the formation of pricing policy among collectors. It turns out that the custom of decorating a Christmas tree appeared only in 1937, and the first toys were made of cotton wool.

A classic example is “Girl on a Swing.” The body of this toy is made of cotton, and the head is made of papier-mâché with a hand-painted face. The girl is wearing a hand-sewn fabric dress. This is an interesting “retro”, and at auctions they will gladly pay 5 thousand rubles for such an item.

But Vyacheslav does not advise rushing to sell, because on the Internet you can find a collector who will gladly pay 150 thousand for a rare Christmas tree decoration! According to the expert, glass jewelry, which the industry began producing in the 50s, is considered the most valuable.

Vyacheslav is happy to show journalists his substantial collection of Christmas tree decorations. Among the balls and stars, a large Santa Claus on a stand stands out. The collector says that a long time ago he bought this papier-mâché figurine for 1.5 thousand from people who did not know its real price. Nowadays, a vintage grandfather can easily be sold for 8 thousand at any specialized auction.

The price of an item is influenced by many different factors. Cracks and chips reduce the value of a toy, sometimes by 90%. Worn paint reduces the cost of the decoration by 30%, and very chipped paint - up to 70% of the cost. The age of toys is determined using special catalogs, since it was not customary to mark them during manufacture. The guide catalog “Christmas tree decorations 1936–1970” is considered the most complete reference book for such products.

This directory contains photographs and detailed descriptions of serial Christmas tree decorations, indicating the exact date of their release and the name of the manufacturing factory or artel. It is the catalog that experts consult when evaluating a product when buying or selling.

Not only cotton and glass Christmas tree decorations can be expensive. Paper, cardboard and even foam toys are also prized among collectors.

Unfortunately, in the 80s, the era of products with soul came to an end. The production of New Year's decorations was put on stream, which significantly influenced their originality.

The country was flooded with millions of glass balls, icicles and cones, which many still have. Vyacheslav Srebny claims that you can sell products produced 20-30 years ago for 100-200 rubles, which, you see, is quite a bit.

By the way, Ekaterinburg resident Vladimir Schneider, having learned about the wealth that has fallen on his head, is in no hurry to sell it off. The pensioner rightly believes that in 10-15 years the cost of his toys will be even higher, and then it will be possible to think about finding buyers.

Vladimir is going to put the rare toys back into boxes and send them out of sight back to the mezzanine of the storage room. It should be noted that the man’s parents took very good care of the safety of the New Year’s decorations, carefully wrapping them and covering them with soft material. Vyacheslav Srebny recommends wrapping fragile treasures with paper napkins and cotton wool, and also making sure that they do not move inside the container during transportation.

But not only Soviet toys are valued, but also jewelry from other countries. Not long ago, at the DBA auction, part of the eBay group, a lot with Christmas tree decorations from the time of the Third Reich was discovered. Dane Klaus Dalsborg posted 12 Christmas tree decorations with Nazi symbols on the website for sale.

For a dozen items in perfect condition, the man wanted to get 1,200 pounds sterling (more than 100 thousand rubles). But DBA spokeswoman Sophie Folden Lund said the company decided to remove Klaus' ad because some users may find it offensive.

The owner of the Nazi Christmas tree decorations himself said in an interview with the media that he purchased them at a flea market in Lithuania. Dalsborg explained his purchase by saying that these products seemed grotesque to him. Despite the fact that in Denmark it is not prohibited to trade items with Nazi symbols, Klaus was sympathetic to the DBA’s position and is not angry with the site administration.