Christmas Collectibles

Today's Hot Christmas Collectibles -- Three years ago I wrote an article on vintage Christmas collectibles, ranging from goose feather trees to delicate glass ornaments. I thought I'd update that theme by providing you with some of the better Web resources for the wonderful collectibles of today. Most of these sites carry more than those I've listed, so if you don't see what you want at one, try the others.

Collecting Christmas: Book Reviews -- There's still time to order a book or two on collecting vintage Christmas ornaments, decorations and lights, either for a gift or for yourself. These books are a sampling of what's available at Amazon.com, and ordering two or more together will give you free shipping!

Christmas Mix of Past and Present -- My home is an Arts & Crafts bungalow, located in the Northeast, and built in 1920. It's a later design than most of the Craftsman style homes that are common in my town, and may even be called "transitional" as it sits among many English-style cottages, gambrels, Queen Anne victorians, and American four-squares. Nonetheless, I am charmed by its brick fireplace, natural oak woodwork, built-ins and small but efficient floorplan.

Collectible Christmas Plates -- With the holiday season rapidly approaching, and the ending of this century, what better way to commemorate its passing than with a limited edition Christmas plate for 1999? Collecting limited-edition plates is a hobby for millions around the world, and has its origins over 100 years ago!

Old-fashioned Christmas Collectibles -- Victorian-era Christmas ornaments, cards, postcards, and feather trees are fun to discover at antiques shows, flea markets and antiques shops. Later glass and plastic ornaments and decorations from the 1940's and '50s often appear at yard and garage sales.