vintage XMAS around the corner .........

[gregm]

anyone collect vintage christmas stuff ?
I will be using a couple of these 8 light candoliers in my two front windows this season, they are the old C6 small base bulbs that have not been manufactured for years ....... only drawback is if one bulb goes out the whole thing goes out so it takes time to find the culprit. But hey its only for a month once a year, right ?

 

[gregm]

another shot, no flash

love the original boxes too ........ love that style/period of packaging/advertising

 

[markwb]

Fabulous Dahlink!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Versatronic]

I'm down

Yeah, I do the whole vintage Christmas thing every year. I've got the aluminum pom pom Christmas tree on a rotating, musical base with a color wheel shining on the tree. I have two table top mini-pom poms that I put out. I've got vintage bulbs and decorations for the trees and various candleabras and vintage Christmas lighted signs and such. I really enjoy it.

Oh, and with the candleabras like you have, I put those old bubble lights in a lot of those, where when the bulbs heat up, the oil inside of them start bubble. They're pretty cool.

 

[Cybrvanr]

Pretty lights! I'd be worried about loosing a bulb. Put a diode in line with the power cord to reduce the power to the bulbs some, and extend their life!

 

[gregm]

hey ?

versatronic would love to see your trees ....... I am in the market for an alum, pompom tree, can't believe my mom threw hers out, it was in perfect shape too, box and all.

cybr, how do I install a "diode" and for that matter what is that ?

thanks

 

[Versatronic]

Well Greg

When I put the stuff up this Christmas, I'll try to take pictures. I'll have to purchase a digital camera. I had a loaner recently but I had to finally give it back.

I upgraded my tree last year (never been used) so I have an extra now. The extra was given to me by a friend who upgraded his tree. The extra is a little ratty, but once you get all the sputnik ornaments on it, nobody notices. Too bad you don't live closer because I'd give it to you.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Nothing says Christmas like...

The smell of freshly cut aluminum!!

This was my tree last year. I have my grandmother's Shiny-Brite ornaments that her and my grandfather purchased at Woolworth's in the 50's... but due to an energetic black lab, I haven't used them in a few years (I'd just about die if any more got broken). I've been using cheap colored balls instead.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Lights out!

Here it is in its full glory, with the lights off...

 

[Versatronic]

Sweet!

Very nice. You've just got to search the flea markets for a revolving stand. They usually have an outlet for the color wheel built into them. Between the color wheel and the rotating tree and the mushrooms...well, never mind.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Greg, Keep the lights on a dimmer and even at a partial reduction in brightness, the life of the bulbs is greatly extended.

 

[lightedcontrols]

OK GREGM

OK Mr. GREGM.....you have got to come for a visit! I did an 18 foot tree one year in c-6 lights.....then realized why people quit using them. You can keep those candoliers working by putting them on dimmers and not running them at full power. I have about 20 of the Royal c-6 candoliers, over 700 bubble light santas, 250 bubble light snowmen, Mirrostar candles, and lots of GE c-9 swirl bulbs with inside paint for outdoor decorating. Last Christmas I did each window with the c-6 candoliers, the c-9's around the house and around the fence with garland. A c-6 wreath on the door (these are very rare) and then a Christmas scene with a c-6 fence, Royal bubble light santa, bubble light tree, lighted snowman etc... on the foreplace. I will look for the photos and see if I can post them. I LOVE CHRISTMAS......even though I'm kind of Jewish! This is my little house in West Virginia all decoratd up. Am trying to find the Virginia house photos and will post when I do. Mark

 

[lightedcontrols]

.....this is me and my doggie Tammy Faye at the West Virginia house. Notice the old c-6 tree stand and the old PomPom tree! Mark

 

[petek]

Send away for help from GE

x

 

[petek]

But what could be more fun at Christmas

Than the whole family gathered round a new Hammond

 

[petek]

I dunno

but I don't think I'd want any of the families shown

 

[spiralactivator]

My mother tells me her most enduring memory of '50s childhood Christmas involved aluminum tinsel falling on electric train tracks and making lotsa sparks.

 

[veg-o-matic]

Mark--Tammy Faye wouldn't happen to be a weiner dog, would she?

I, too, have an aluminum tree, much to the disgust of certain family members. Hey, at least I only have one now! I kept the tabletop PomPom tree and put it up in my den.

Anyone put their vintage stuff under the tree? I like to pretend it's Christmas, oh, 1964, say. Toast-R-Oven, Etch-A-Sketch, Yahtzee, Tressy, Sunbeam Vista appliances all under the tree, and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer on the Sylvania color set....

veg

 

[Kevinpreston3]

Interesting and sad thoughts...Santa's Village

I have the Santa's Mailbox from Santa's Village near Big Bear, when it closed a few years back. My wife and I attended the interesting, and kind of sad, auction after its last open day.

My wife had hoped that maybe we could buy the machinery that made up the "gold mine" candy machine. Upon inspection though, it was SO big and you were responsible to get it apart and out of there. It would have taken a flatbed to do it.

We settled for the red Santa's mailbox. I am going to go thru old tapes and see if I have a shot of it from years before when the park was open. I hope to heck I can find that, otherwise, who would believe me except on my word?

That said, this was THE mailbox outside the building that was Santa's house that he would greet children at. Kids were to put their letters to Santa in the box. Each year, we load it up with small presents for the kids on the 24th, and it sits on the fireplace step-up.

Santa's Village in the end was not as kept up as it once was, but it was still ok. You could tell though that a generation brought up on Magic Mountain thrill rides would not appreciate what this place was. I think some of the simple magic of Christmas is being lost, and I insist on it not being lost on my kids. My son had a wonderful time the 3 times we went there. If a young kid can't find the pleasure in putting through an "enchanted forest" on a little antique car, buzzing around in the bumble bee monorail, or having his picture taken with Santa, I feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for people who kind of trash the whole Santa's Village concept as "old" now. (I could have done without the disgusting Xfiles episode that finally, after all these years, explained away Mulder's kidnapped sister as really a victim of a crazy Santa Claus, who buried kids at the defunct "Santas Wonderland" . I wonder what kind of twisted childhood those writers had...but that's another discussion.)

I made sure my older son had this opportunity to see Santas Village, and I will make a "big Christmas" for my two year old this year, who missed this. It was really wierd being there after it closed...seeing the few toys that were never sold in the shop, and the back room of the food gift shop with old spices that were old stock. Wierd and sad.

This year, it will be C-8 bulbs on my trees (twinkle lights ONLY on an optional 2nd, small tree) C-9 bulbs only on my house outside. Those give off a warmth of light that to me is what makes up an indelible part of the holiday. We totally missed Christmas last year, try as we might, because we sold our house over the holidays! We had nothing but a small tree. No decorations, it was horrible.

I have a much bigger house now. With a porch! Built in 1946, it will really show good for Christmas. I have some vintage light figures also.

I am very excited that my friends enjoy the whole vintage Christmas thing also. I am looking forward to seeing the houses done up. We should launch a thread early December to capture all the fun.

 

[gansky1]

All the good stuff stays in boxes!

Cool vintage Christmas stuff guys! I see bunches of this stuff every week at the sales. I have too much already so don't "shop" much for it, but occasionally things jump into my arms. I found a box of vintage ornaments this week - my favorites are the funky shaped glass "balls". I have boxes of vintage balls, got lucky with a pre-war Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse pair once. I just stare at them every year for a couple of minutes and wrap them back up and put them away. We have a small 7' narrow tree with 1100 white lights on it, having it on in the living room not only warms your heart, but it also serves as a space heater! I love crystal on a lighted tree and got a smoking good deal on a Waterford tree-top one year but that gob of glass is so damnned heavy it pulls the tree over. It's now banished to the box as well.

We put C-9 bulbs on the bushes out front, I just love the look of those big bulbs, simple and elegant.

I think pictures are a great idea, I'd love to see what everyone else does!

 

[jetcone]

Here's a daylight shot of what I collect

I like the blow molded statues! Set em up Boom Boom Your Done!
Instant Christmas!

Note:The dog is real

 

[lesto]

I love those c6 8 light candoliers. I have three of those that I found in my great aunt's basement years ago. Every once in awhile I'll run across some blubs for them at yard sales. I use them in my front living room windows. When I was a kid almost everyone in my neighborhood had those candelabras. All red or blue were the most popular colors but occassionally you'd see a house using all amber, white or the very rare pale pink bulbs.
Les

 

[kenmore1978]

posting pictures

"I'll have to purchase a digital camera. I had a loaner recently but I had to finally give it back."

Everybody keeps saying this, but digital camera is NOT necessary. Good old-fashioned film camera works just fine, one simply has the pics put on CD when having the film developed. Virtually everyone offers this service nowadays. Being stuck in the "Olden Days", I just bought a brand new Olympus Stylus 100 Wide FILM camera and I really like it. I suspect the pictures from it will be better than a digital camera in the same price range ($150)

 

[lightedcontrols]

c-6 lights

FYI The c-6 lights are always available on ebay under Holiday, Christmas. You can get the new ones cheap, or you can get the old Mazdas for about $1 each. I have some new ones, but prefer to use the old ones. If you dimmer them down, it doesn't burn the paint on the bulbs. One nice thing about Ebay, is that if you remember it from childhood, you'll find someone on Ebay that has a new one in the box! Mark

 

[lightedcontrols]

..and oh yes..

.....yep, that's my weenie dog, Tammy Faye! Mark

 

[Cybrvanr]

A diode is basically an electronic one-way valve sort of. From Radio Shack, one can get diodes for about $1.00 each in component form...just be sure to buy one that will handle the wattage in your fixture.

Within the inside of the fixture, where the incoming power line connects up to the lamp socket would be the best place to install the diode.

Because A.C. current changes direction 60 times a second (or 50 if you're in Europe) half of the electrical power doesn't get through. It will make your lamps glow a little bit dimmer, but not a significant amount. The biggest thing is that the blues may be reduced more in brightness more than the reds...this is because when the bulb is dimmer, it's light output will shift more towards the red end of the spectrum. This will enable them to last MUCH longer. Just a slight reduction in voltage will extend their lives.

I do however like the ideas of putting a dimmer on the circuit, that would be easier IMHO than modifying the fixture. The advantage of adding the diode is that the fixture can be used anywhere.

 

[gregm]

very nice

thanks cybr, and others for comments and sharing, and yes Mark, would love to come see your collection, I actually will be in DC end of OCT, email me ..........

 

[veg-o-matic]

Mark--I'll have to take Honey down so she can meet Tammy Faye!

veg

"No, don't take it yet! I haven't got my face on!"

 

[petek]

The real Tammy should look so nice..
Other than my Border Collies a weiner dog is the only other breed I've sometimes considered getting, definitely a short hair one as well.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I still like the effects of hollowing out a Styrofoam ball so that an outdoor C-9 size twinkle light bulb will fit in it, or it will fit over the bulb. It is so neat when it is on. Can't do it with constant burning bulbs--they burn up the Styrofoam, which could be fun for some people, but not exactly what most people expect for the holidays. One year my brother and I put them on the Foster's hollies at each end of the house. Half the lights were regular C-9s and half were our own twinkling snowballs.