If it’s been years since you peered into those old boxes marked “Christmas” in your basement or attic, now might be a good time to take a look. You might be sitting on a small goldmine of vintage Christmas items worth money.
Diving in now to see what gems of Christmases past you might find could net you a few extra bucks to help pay for a future Yuletide. Or a spark of nostalgia may just crank up the merriness for your next holiday.
Whether you’re looking to cash out or just understand what is valuable, you can use this list of vintage Christmas items worth money.
Quick Look: Vintage Christmas Items Worth Money
- Ceramic Christmas trees
- Christmas blow molds
- Shiny Brite hand-painted Christmas ornaments
- Department 56 Dickens’ Village Series
- Danbury Mint Peanuts Village Christmas Tree
- Holt Howard Santa Claus cookie jar
- German figural blown glass ornaments
- Aluminum Christmas trees
- Department 56 Snow Village gingerbread house
- Spun cotton German Christmas ornaments
10 Vintage Christmas Items Worth Money
If a bout of nostalgia turns into a hunt for your next collectible investment, it will help to start with a list of what to look for. Here are 10 vintage Christmas items worth money.
1. Ceramic Christmas Trees
Few items say “Christmas past” more than table-top ceramic Christmas trees. Among vintage Christmas decorations, they’re so iconic that stores have brought back these mid-20th-century decorations that were popular during the ‘70s and ‘80s. With a wide range of shapes and heights, you can expect to fetch or pay $50 to $400, although some trees go for as much as $900 on eBay.
2. Christmas Blow Molds
These sizable plastic figures designed with a plug-in bulb to light from the inside were mainstays in front yards during midcentury holidays. Those that weren’t thrown out are likely to show their wear from standing tall on lawns. Empire Plastics and General Foam Plastics were manufacturers of Santas, snowmen, reindeer, and even characters from Winnie the Pooh and Peanuts. The highest listed price on eBay is $7,000, although you can pick one up for $500 or less.
3. Shiny Brite Hand-Painted Christmas Ornaments
With bright colors and classic designs, Shiny Brite Christmas ornaments are cherished by collectors for their craftsmanship. Shiny Brite produced intricately hand-painted glass balls starting in 1937, when World War II stopped their shipment from Germany to the U.S. Most Shiny Brite ornaments had metal caps and hangers, but those with cardboard caps and a string of yarn are rare versions made during the war. Individual ornaments can go for $5 to $90, with a full box going for a lot more.
4. Department 56 Dickens’ Village Series
Starting in 1976, Department 56 captured the Christmas spirit, laying it out in snow-covered villages with lighted ceramic buildings. The Dickens’ Village series, inspired by author Charles Dickens and “A Christmas Carol,” appeared in 1984, depicting Christmas in Victorian England with seven shops and a church. A village with 264 houses and accessories was listed on eBay for $16,000 in October 2025.
5. Danbury Mint Peanuts Village Christmas Tree
Put together the Peanuts gang and a Christmas tree, and you have a whole lot of nostalgia for Christmas past. If you search for Charlie Brown, Snoopy and their friends with trees, you’ll find several versions to collect, but the Danbury Mint Peanuts Village Christmas Tree is considered the most valuable. The collectible lights up, makes sounds and moves, and it lists for $530 on eBay.
6. Holt Howard Santa Claus Cookie Jar
Holt Howard, formed in New York in 1949 from A. Grant Holt and brothers John and Robert Howard, produced whimsical, cartoon-like ceramicware. Its Santa Claus cookie jar from the 1950s can fit right in with your retro Christmas decorations. It was listed for as low as $200 on eBay and as high as $558 on Etsy in October 2025.
7. German Figural Blown Glass Ornaments
Hans Greiner made the first glass baubles as Christmas tree decorations in the late 1500s in Lauscha, Germany, and he successfully turned them into garlands of glass beads and figurines. Blown glass ornaments were known for their quality and variety. Skilled designers produced whatever they dreamed up, and glass was blown into a mold and later painted. Many can be picked up for $50 to $150, with rare figurines going for $500 to $600.
8. Aluminum Christmas Trees
In 1959, the aluminum Christmas tree called the “Evergleam” flew into homes after Aluminum Specialty Company toy sales manager Tom Gannon started cheaper production of a metal tree he’d seen on a visit to Chicago. Originating in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the Evergleam fell out of popularity after Charlie Brown and Linus mocked metal trees in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in 1965, but nostalgia has revived it. A rare pink tree sold online for $3,600.
9. Department 56 Snow Village Gingerbread House
Part of Department 56’s Snow Village series, the Gingerbread House features a snow-capped rooftop with reindeer and gingerbread men holding candy canes. It’s a limited edition sought by Department 56 enthusiasts. A rare Snow Village Gingerbread House sold on eBay in August 2025 for $275.
10. Spun Cotton German Christmas Ornaments
Made by wrapping cotton fibers around a wire, spun cotton German-crafted Christmas ornaments date back to the late 19th century and early 20th century. Craftspeople spun the cotton and wire into Santa Claus, reindeer, angels, snowmen, animals, icicles and more. The ornaments are intricate and fragile, making them rare today. Their value can swing from less than $20 to several hundred dollars on eBay and Etsy.
Find Your Vintage Christmas Items Worth Money
With summer officially gone, minds often turn to fall and winter holidays. As you rummage through boxes and bags marked “Christmas,” keep an eye out for antique Christmas ornaments that you may want to display or post online to earn a little more money to buy Christmas gifts.
You may want to search online to find that piece of nostalgia to give your home the Christmastime feel of your childhood. Or you just might be looking for that vintage Christmas collectible to add to your portfolio. You can use our list of vintage Christmas items worth money to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most collectible Christmas ornaments?
The most collectible Christmas ornaments are handmade pieces with history or personality that may be worth a lot of money. Some of those decorations include ceramic Christmas trees, Shiny Brite hand-painted ornaments, blow molds and German Dresden die-cut angel figurines.
How to tell if vintage ornaments are valuable?
Vintage ornaments might not fetch the prices you might typically associate with vintage or antique items because manufacturers created the same pieces for rich and poor alike. You can judge the value of vintage decorations by their age, rarity and condition (which, unlike with other collectibles, will often be less than mint).
What is considered a vintage Christmas ornament?
Vintage Christmas ornaments are considered at least 20 years old; they’re often made from glass, mercury, wood or precious metals; and they reflect the style and craftsmanship of a particular era. Combined, these characteristics help tell the stories of Christmases past.
About Sarah Edwards
Sarah Edwards is a finance writer passionate about helping people learn more about what’s needed to achieve their financial goals. She has nearly a decade of writing experience focused on budgeting, investment strategies, retirement and industry trends. Her work has been published on NerdWallet and FinImpact.
