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Links and Resources The following links and references may be helpful to you in learning more about Christmas ornaments, their fascinating history, and the many resources around the country which are available to you. National Collectors' Organization: The Golden Glow of Christmas Past is a national organization of collectors and scholars of vintage ornaments (pre-1966). They publish a colorful, well written, bi-monthly magazine; conduct an annual national meeting of collectors; and have linked sites from their web page to direct you to other resources around the U.S. To find information about their activities and joining, connect to their website here: www.goldenglow.org. Secret
Santa: The Secret Santa organization
is a non-profit which promotes toy drives for needy children all over the United
States, helping to ensure that as many children as possible know the love and
magic of Christmas. It will help you find a toy drive in your area, or it will
help you start one, if you don't already have one. The Secret Santa site also
has a amazing reference page of 100's of Christmas-related websites
around the world. Connect to Secret Santa and click on "Santa's
List". You'll be amazed! Antique Christmas Lights: This is an extraordinary site of encyclopedic information regarding the history and development of lighting for Christmas trees. You'll be fascinated, even if you are not a collector of lights! Its creator, Bill Nelson, is an incredibly knowledgeable and helpful man - who truly means it when he invites you to e-mail him with questions. Do yourself a favor and log on just for a look! The site is beautifully designed and organized, as well as a treasure trove of information. Click here: www.oldchristmaslights.com. Reference Books: There are a goodly number of books about Christmas traditions and ornaments, but here are two solid references to look for. Christmas Ornaments, Lights and Decorations, Vols. I, II and II, written by George Johnson, (1997-98) Collector Books, P.O. Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009, is an encyclopedic and exhaustive work on vintage ornaments. If you are serious about ornaments, their history, their evolution and manufacture, please look at these volumes. They will amaze you in their scope and thoroughness. Credit must be given to Mr. Johnson, for his books are a continually used reference for our site, and an inspiration to find and offer as vast array of vintage ornaments possible. You may order these books directly from the publisher, or through your local bookstore. Each volume is $24.95 Also, look for The Christmas Tree Book, by Phillip V. Snyder, (1976), Viking Press, New York. If there is an updated version, we are unaware, but this is a wonderful history of the tradition of the Christmas tree and antique ornaments. It is well illustrated and well written. Ornament Storage Boxes: For beautiful, well built storage boxes for your ornaments, check out this site. This may seem an extravagance, but consider the value of your collection, both financially and in the heritage it carries, and this may look like a great investment. These storage boxes would also make wonderful Christmas gifts for the avid collector, or newlyweds who already have two of everything! Find them here: www.christmas-storage.com/ultimateChristmas/UC_home.htm. Holiday Flowering Bulbs (and others): If you are looking for great Amaryllis for the holidays click on this site. (Look for Hippeastrum, the botanical name for Amaryllis.) They also have extremely high quality bulbs of all sorts, both spring and summer flowering (best known for their daffodils!). The site is also tremendously informative. The owners, Brent and Becky Heath, are the third generation of the Heath family in the bulb business - they know their stuff and are great at customer service. Click here: www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. Fresh Flowers: We know this is not necessarily related to Christmas, but this is a great source for fresh cut flowers over the internet. We have used them regularly, and will never go back to the old way of sending flowers to family and friends out of town. Their roses are spectacular! (They are shipped directly from growers in California and Ecuador.) The one time we had a problem with a shipment, their customer service was extraordinary - and replacement shipped the same day. Give them a try! Click here: www.proflowers.com. |