15 Best Selling Vintage Christmas Collectibles

Are you a reseller looking for the best-selling vintage Christmas collectibles? Here’s a list of 15 highly sought-after holiday items you can stock in your booth or online shop.

Where to Find Vintage Christmas Items?

Vintage Christmas decor has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years, making it more difficult to find.

Many things on this list have only been around since the 1940s or 50s, so the supply isn’t as plentiful as in other antique and vintage genres.

Estate sales are some of the best places to score vintage holiday items. But be sure to shop early, as the good stuff is usually the first to go! I always check closets, sheds, and garages, where holiday decor is often stored.

I have had some luck at thrift stores as well. Often, large lots of older decorations are packaged in large bags, and inside you may find a few treasures. This is how I’ve scored some of my best antique ornaments.

Blow Molds

Those big plastic Santas, snowmen, and choir kids you used to see glowing on front lawns? They started gaining popularity about a decade ago and are still going strong.

Vintage blow molds from Empire, General Foam, and Union Light continue to do well in price, especially the larger, well-preserved ones.

Pieces with working lights will sell better, but even just the molds still sell. And new light kits are available on Amazon for decent price.

Putz Houses

Those tiny cardboard glitter houses from the 1940s and ’50s, often called “putz” houses, are some of the most charming holiday displays you can find.

Originally part of small village scenes, they were covered in mica “snow” and often painted in bright colors. Some have tiny trees or people figurine accents also.

While not high $$ items, they still sell well and are good smalls to keep in stock.

Source

Knee Huggers

Before “Elf on the Shelf,” there were knee huggers! These bendable little pixie dolls from the 1950s and ’60s have mischievous grins and felt outfits.

Made mostly in Japan, they were designed to perch on tree branches or hug their knees on shelves.

They’ve become a collector favorite again recently!

Flocked Santas

Flocked Santas are the definition of retro Christmas style. These textured figures often came in bright red suits, with a velvety feel that takes you right back to mid-century department store displays.

You can find them in various sizes, from picks, ornaments, and even full figurines.

Don’t worry if they have a little wear, it just adds to their charm. And feel free to toss in a few flocked reindeer so Santa has someone to pull his sleigh!

Aluminum Christmas Trees

Few things say “mod Christmas” more than the shimmering aluminum trees of the 1950s and ’60s. These are now highly collectible centerpieces.

If you’re lucky enough to find one with the rotating color wheel, it’s an even bigger score!

Look for brands like Fairyglam and Evergreen. The most valuable ones will be complete, with stands and all branches. But even just the branches by themselves can sell well.

Current eBay prices range from $300 for smaller tabletop trees to $1250 for larger, complete ones.

Kugel Glass Ornaments

Older than Shiny Brites, German kugels were some of the very first blown-glass ornaments, made in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

They are heavier and thicker than later ornaments, and often have a brass metallic cap over the top blow hole.

True kugels are highly collectible, but even reproductions can still sell well.

Shiny Brite Ornaments

No vintage tree feels complete without a few Shiny Brite ornaments!

These glass beauties were made in the USA starting in the 1930s, and reflect that golden age of Christmas color and style.

Original boxes and bright paint add extra value, but even a slightly faded Shiny Brite has charm to spare.

Santa Mugs

Jolly-faced Santa mugs have surged in popularity in the last few years, with collectors snatching them up in just about any condition.

Manufacturer names to look for while out on the hunt are Holt-Howard, Napco, and Lefton; those marks all indicate the mugs are true vintage.

If you can’t find actual old mugs, newer reproduction mugs also sell well. Just make sure you are marketing them as new and not old!

Children’s Storybooks

Vintage Christmas storybooks, with their worn covers and sweet illustrations, are always good sellers. Think The Night Before Christmas, Little Golden Books, or Whitman editions from the 1940s–70s. T

They make perfect nostalgic gifts or holiday displays when fanned open on a coffee table. The stories are timeless, and the pictures are art in themselves.

Keep an eye out at thrift stores for old Christmas children’s books! I’ve found many tucked into shelves for under a $1 each.

Source: Etsy

Ceramic Christmas Trees

These treasures were hand-poured and painted in basements and craft shops all across America in the ’60s and ’70s. I’m pretty sure I remember my mom making one when I was a kid!

In the last few years, they have become holiday heirlooms. You can find them in both the classic green glaze, but also a more chic white glaze.

Reproductions have become really popular as well, but the true vintage ones will catch you the most cash.

Glass Tree Toppers

Tall, delicate glass finials were created alongside older mercury glass ornaments specifically for adoring the very top of a tree. They are often quite colorful, and also very delicate.

Originals from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and West Germany are especially collectible. If you’re lucky enough to find one with its original box, it will be an even better seller.

Try displaying a mix of them stuck into pretty colored bottles, or even tucked into a planter with a bit of moss to cover the base.

Source: Jennifer Perkins

Santa Dolls

Vintage Santa dolls have a charm all their own!

Some were department-store window props, while others were children’s toys. They all have that classic mid-century Chritmas vibe though.

Collectors prize versions with intact boots, belts, and original beards. Even the well-loved ones still have plenty of Christmas spirit left to give.

Two brands to look for specifically are Rushton Company and Harold Gale.

Christmas Vinyl Records

Before playlists, Christmas spirit came from spinning vinyl.

Vintage albums by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and The Carpenters are always in demand for their classic sound and festive cover art. Collectors display them as decor just as much as they play them.

Vintage Angel Tree Toppers

Vintage angel toppers carry that timeless mid-century magic. Many were handmade or imported from Japan and Germany, and each one tells its own little story.

The better the condition, the better the price! Often you will find them with a damaged wing, missing an accessory, or with their pipecleaner halos damaged. Even those with issues though sell well for me every time.

Holt Howard Figurines

We’ll wrap things up with the most expensive item on this list!

Few makers capture the spirit of mid-century Christmas like Holt-Howard. Their jolly Santas, winking elves, and candle holders with gold starbursts are beloved by collectors and decorators alike.

Prices have climbed steadily (some into the thousands!), especially for pieces with original stickers or boxes.

You can see many more examples of collectible Holt-Howard pieces here.

Honorary Mention . . . Fruitcake Tins

Why not toss in one more to our list? I’ve always enjoyed selling fruitcake tins at Christmas time. You can often find them for $1 or less, and while they don’t command high prices, they do sell well.

They are colorful, festive, and can still be used as actual storage if you find ones in good condition.

There you have it! If you’re a reseller, it’s a good idea to keep your eye out year-round for any of these items.

If you’re not a seller and instead a collector, I hope this list inspires you to continue your collection and maybe gives you an idea of which items are more valuable.