Used Christmas Decorations Difficult to Sell

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I have a porch full of vintage indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations. During the prime garage sale season (summer) people aren't in a Christmas mind-set and not looking for decorations. After Labor Day, at least in my locale and in my experience, very few stop at garages sales. I even tried online in FB Marketplace, Craig's List and other local used items sale sites without luck. I guess people would rather go to WalMart and buy Asian imports.
 

I had well over a thousand Santa Clauses that I had collected over the years, some were tree ornaments and others ranged from one carved from a grain of rice to one almost full-size. A few years ago, I decided to get rid of them but wasn't sure how to go about it.

I took a display unit at a just-opened antique and collectibles store a few months before Christmas. I priced them competitively and offered "quantity discounts". Those things FLEW out of the store. Now, I'm sure quite a few of the smaller ones "walked" out of the store in someone's pocket, but I did make quite a bit of money on them. Of course, it was nothing compared to what I had paid for them, but them's the breaks, as they say.

I stopped by the store occasionally and enjoyed watching people picking out ornaments that seemed to make them happy. I know I was always happy when I found a very unusual Santa in my searches. I loved them, but one day I woke up and said, "well, that was fun, but it's over" so I knew it was time to move them on to somebody else they could make as happy as I had been.
 
Maybe just donate a few here and there to senior living centers, nursing homes or the like. Are any small enough (like a tree ornament or table top) that The people at Meals on Wheels would let you put one in with every delivery on your route, early in December? At least to those customers who celebrate the holiday?
 
It's heartbreaking to see how little used Xmas decorations go for; I've see boxes full of them go for as little as 25 cents at auctions although they can represent someone's memories and family history. What you can resell something for, however, depends on connecting with an interested potential buyer. Items that are well-made, quite old but well preserved, and potentially collectible can sometimes be merchandised at antique and flea markets.
 
A friend gave me this huge Christmas wreath.

I have no use for it but I took it from him because we have this dump bin for garbage..

It has those wires in it. So how do you dispose of it?
I have to cut the wires with a dremel tool.
 
We use to have a load of old Christmas decorations, the kind that were very delicate, made from thin glass. Bunch of other decorations also, very old ones.

Grandson and his girlfriend were having there first Christmas. and there first tree, so we gave them the old decorations, they did the tree, looked very nice...then later on we asked him about the decoration, oh I tossed them all out with the tree.. Now this was about 20 years ago, and he still hasn't changed, easy come easy go, has to sentimental value to anything.
 
Binkie55 said:
We use to have a load of old Christmas decorations, the kind that were very delicate, made from thin glass. Bunch of other decorations also, very old ones.

Grandson and his girlfriend were having there first Christmas. and there first tree, so we gave them the old decorations, they did the tree, looked very nice...then later on we asked him about the decoration, oh I tossed them all out with the tree.. Now this was about 20 years ago, and he still hasn't changed, easy come easy go, has to sentimental value to anything.
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Funny story. Where I worked after Christmas the tree was finally taken down about February because I said to the guy who wanted it that it would be thrown out.
I found it on the second floor of our warehouse with all the decorations still on and covered in dust.
I hated when Christmas came around. Everyone all excited and hard to get serious work done.
 
Campy some people love to keep the tree up until the cows come home. Me well I quit putting up a tree years ago, Christmas just isn't want it use to be..way to commercialized..
 
We know someone who left their Christmas tree 🎄 up until the summer. When the husband finally complained about it , she covered it up with green garbage bags.😂

I always put a tree up. It’s actually fun putting a tree up. There are ornaments that I’ve had for years so it becomes an important tradition. Plus they look so gorgeous with lights and coloured balls.

Then there’s Christmas baking and Christmas carols. I make Christmas special at this house. 🤶
 
We stopped putting up a Christmas tree because, well, male dog. 'Nuff said?

Other than the lack of a tree, our entire house gets dolled up for Christmas. I do a ton of baking and we host four or five good sized parties between TG and Christmas. This year it will probably only be 4 because Thanksgiving is so late. I love the period between Halloween and New Years!
 
I have two Thanksgiving dinners.. I am Canadian so we have our Turkey dinner in Canada, wife is American so we head off to the daughters for Thanksgiving there and have another turkey dinner, then we head off to the son's house for Christmas, they don't serve turkey, to me Christmas is not the same without a good ole turkey.

We put up a small plastic tree maybe it's two feet high and some lights around the house, that's it..Christmas is really for the kids.
 
My family is dying out, there's only 2 left out of the original 5 and there's no coming generation. This next Christmas will be the first without Mom and I'll be alone.....and I have a lifetime's worth of Christmas paraphernalia. I expect I'll spend the day volunteering at a homeless shelter and I'm thinking now I'll gift them a Christmas tree.....with "all the trimmings". After the season's over it'll be up to them to decide what to do with the decorative objects.
OK, that's still gonna leave a significant amount of Christmas stuff in my basement.....enough for a few more similar holiday seasons.
Maybe my living situation won't be alone by Christmas 2020......
 
Repondering said:
My family is dying out
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Same here. I am an only child and my father's brother, like me, never married or had children. I have some cousins, but their last names are different than mine. My father's sister had children, but they have her married name. The others are on my mother's side and since she had three brothers, those cousins have her maiden name. I am the last of the line. At least there was no squabbling over who got what after my mom's passing, but I got EVERYTHING!
 
debodun said:
Same here. I am an only child and my father's brother, like me, never married or had children. I have some cousins, but their last names are different than mine. My father's sister had children, but they have her married name. The others are on my mother's side and since she had three brothers, those cousins have her maiden name. I am the last of the line. At least there was no squabbling over who got what after my mom's passing, but I got EVERYTHING!
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We're in a similar position alright. Mom died and I got everything except the lesser investment portfolio.
So who am I gonna give the farm and the house to, when I check out of the world?
 


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