14 Vintage Christmas Collectables From the 1970s That Have Vanished!

[@lindaadelwerth8042]

My Mom made a ceramic tree, And its about as old as me and Im 59. I still have and put it up every year. Christmas was so much better then. Everything about Christmas back then Was just the Best!

[@WayBackAmericana]

Lovely!

[@MrLuridan]

Yeah, same here. I think the ceramics classes for the ladies was a big thing for a couple years. My Mom also made a church that played Silent Night, two Darth Vaders and an R2D2 too!

[@karolinesmail489]

Yes IAM 60 have moms ceramic 🌲

[@kathyhodson2526]

Thank you for sharing,

[@WayBackAmericana]

Thanks for watching!

[@lindaadelwerth8042]

Absolutely Love Shiny Brite Ornaments!

[@WayBackAmericana]

Oh me too!

[@warthog473]

My mom had so many. I buy reproductions or vintage ones, I love them that much.

[@missg.5940]

Were around decades before the seventies.

[@Nightbird1914]

I still use the Shiny Brite ornaments from my Mom’s she had in the 50s. I have the ceramic tree my older sister made.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Beautiful items to hold on to!

[@lindaadelwerth8042]

Thank you for this video! I love stuff like this! I miss all the Wonderful decorations and everything about Christmas back then!

[@WayBackAmericana]

You are so welcome!

[@beckygould2330]

Love these 70s memories

[@WayBackAmericana]

Glad you’re enjoying them! The ’70s were packed with unforgettable moments and style-such a great era to look back on.

[@grace7701]

My mother still has a bunch of those shiny bright ornaments, they were my absolute favorite ornaments growing up. My grandmother on the other hand had an entire tree of Avon ornaments as her sister in law sold Avon back then. In fact my great uncle was Santa Clause at our christmas family reunions and everyone would get Avon stuff for Christmas. Wonderful childhood memories, especially now that most of them have all passed away.

[@WayBackAmericana]

That’s nice, it sounds like you had a wonderful childhood.

[@ekchavez80]

Born in 1980, so I missed the 70's, but my Gma made the special Christmas stockings for everyone in our family ❤ Special keepsakes they are!

[@WayBackAmericana]

Awe! Do you still have them today?

[@LS-um3zq]

I remember Shiny Brights on the tree. I collected Hallmark Keepsakes, the animal ones. My grandma had a ceramic tree and I want one now. I also remember the Gurley candles. They didn't keep very well from year to year and ended up looking creepy. I also remember wall hangings made from plastic crumbles, I don't know how else to describe them, candy canes, Santa faces, etc. They were flat and had a perforated look. Nice memories!

[@WayBackAmericana]

I kinda want a ceramic tree now too!

[@mariaelenasantora8796]

I STILL HAVE THE CERAMIC TREE I'M 73 YEARS OLD I REMEMBER ALL OF THE STUFF YOU SHOWED

[@WayBackAmericana]

I wish I'd kept some from my childhood, they're such treasures!

[@toomuchstuff4828]

General Foam Plastics=blow molds. Blow Molds ruled the 1970's outdoor lawn Christmas displays. Still highly desirable.

[@JohnPotts-kq7kk]

Always liked the plastic blow mold Christmas Displays but don't care for the new inflatables that most people put out now.

[@toomuchstuff4828]

@@JohnPotts-kq7kk The inflatables can get so much bigger than Blow-Molds, so they can be pretty impressive. Big $$$ at the home stores. There is quite a large Abominable Snowman combining inflatable AND lights in my neighborhood and it is quite impressive. The OG blow molds warm my heart big time, but I would not kick some of those "statement" inflatables out of bed!

[@JohnPotts-kq7kk]

@toomuchstuff4828 I will agree, the size can be impressive! I saw one on line that I would buy if I could afford, a 40 foot tall snowman! That is pretty cool & would be awesome to display in my large open area country lawn but $2700 so not gonna happen!!! It would be taller than my 2 story house!

[@toomuchstuff4828]

@@JohnPotts-kq7kk You might be able to get it half price today!! Godzilla-sized snowmen, Godzilla-sized prices. Decorating is big business now. Happy New Year, 2025!!

[@samanthab1923]

I happened to see the Santa Claus we grew up with from the 60’s. $125!

[@bryanspindle4455]

Wow! I have four boxes of those small ornaments in original boxes. Some were from Woolworth's. I paid .45 a box for them at a thrift store about 10 years ago. I can't believe they would be worth $200.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Holy moly!! That’s worth checking into!

[@AlanRoberts-u2b]

Great video! Christmas in the 70s was awesome!

[@WayBackAmericana]

It was!

[@AlanRoberts-u2b]

@@WayBackAmericana hey I'd love to see a video of the 50s or 60s on this. Let me know if you make it happen.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Will do! Thanks for the idea!

[@Patricia-vv8yt]

Decorating my tree 2024 with shiny brites

[@WayBackAmericana]

Bet it’s stunning!

[@lindaadelwerth8042]

@Patricia-vv8yt. Me too! I Absolutely Love Shiny Brites! Ecspecially the Indent Ones!

[@Nightbird1914]

Me too. From the 50s

[@dwsheffer]

Most all of these items are about 20 years older than the 1970's.......

[@WayBackAmericana]

You’re right some stuck around awhile, but those from the 70s are a real treasure to find.

[@PatBackPatBack-x4n]

You are so right. Many of these ornaments were from the 50's and 60's. Not the 70's. He needs to do his homework on the decades.

[@workjobb]

You missed Firestone Christmas record albums and the large plastic candles that had a bulb in them.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Ah! Of course! The window candles right? I need to make a part 2.

[@TheRhNegative]

CLASSIC!!!!!

[@joegabuzda976]

Totally enjoyed your video. I don't know how old you are but most of the items you showcased are older than the 70's. hahah Wax figure were from the 40's and 50's. Shiney Bright are 50's also. We as well as my grandmother had many of these great pieces. Still have some too. I am 72 and I an sure older folks than me remember some from their childhood. Again, this was a great video.

[@WayBackAmericana]

So true! I guess I thought they were at the height of popularity in the 70s, but that’s probably my biased memory. Thanks for watching!!

[@barnacles62]

My father had Putz houses galore, he set up a train garden under a live cedar tree EVERY Christmas that I can remember. We had the Shiny Brite ornaments, but he also had many hand made from Germany where he and Mom lived while he was in the army. We had three ceramic trees. I had a Hess truck. The gurly candles we had many of, Halloween ghosts witches, Thanksgiving turkeys and pilgrims, and all sorts of Christmas ones. We had a few blow molds. I loved all of it, the ambiance and feeling of Christmas was so much real then, no politics, no diversity of what was good and bad, I feel the society was in better harmony then......

[@WayBackAmericana]

Absolutely, you said it perfectly! I loved the holidays back then.

[@orion8835]

Shiny Brights were quite difficult as they always suffered casualties and were a nightmare to clean up. I remember these as a child. The flat sided ones were so weird. Oh that smell of old hot bulb lights and popcorn and cranberry garland.

[@WayBackAmericana]

I agree with everything you wrote!

[@laurabailey1054]

I have a set of Noma Starlights Christmas tree lights from the 1920’s when my grandparents got married

[@WayBackAmericana]

Wow, what a treasure! Those Noma Starlights must hold so many special memories from your grandparents' time. A piece of history right on your Christmas tree-how magical!

[@salvadoro3019]

I remember taking out our Christmas gifts from the back closet , after My mom went grocery shopping. Me and my brother and sister played and then back in the package and sealed, mom never found out, until now.😅lol

[@WayBackAmericana]

Lol!

[@martina21953]

I worked for General Foam Plastics in Norfolk, VA! They used to make swimming pools and pool toys too.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Wow, that's super interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@marymccloskey3025]

We had a RCA Christmas album from Maxwell House coffee that i loved.

[@WayBackAmericana]

We all had at least one, I wonder if I could find yours online somewhere.

[@staceynyl3373]

What about bubble lights? Did they peak in the 70’s?

[@WayBackAmericana]

Oh that's a great one to include in a part 2!

[@billweedmark6915]

I missed the early 70s since I was serving in Vietnam but we had some of these things in the 60s.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Thank you for your service. The ’60s definitely set the stage for many of these trends, and I’m sure coming back to the early ’70s must’ve felt like stepping into a whole new world of fashion and culture. Appreciate you sharing your perspective!

[@amymonroe9328]

The magic won't be back until the age of instant gratification ends . What made Christmas special was that we had to wait until a birthday or christmas to receive something that something special. I personally am not a fan of the 70s look, and I did grow up then, but I miss EVERYWHERE being decorated. Everyone works too much now with little time for the special homemade christmas. I've also noticed the stores don't seem to even try to decorate very much anymore. The Christmas spirit is ignored because we are going to buy anyway, so why bother?

[@WayBackAmericana]

It’s true. Times were so special back then.

[@ginabrogan6899]

So when you find a business that goes the Xtra mile buy fron them not amazon

[@WayBackAmericana]

Agreed!

[@fredlawson9394]

No school like the Old school Xmas..🌲💙🤍💚♥️

[@WayBackAmericana]

Yeah!!

[@DONALDEPPS-f7z]

I have not looked at all of your videos but after the Bradford Celestial star came the Merry Glow rotating ornament or Tree Topper. I enjoyed this video very much. I to have a lot of Shiny Bright ornaments on my tree. I would love it if some new manufacturer would put the Merry Glow rotating ornament back on the market.

[@WayBackAmericana]

I'd love that too, it's a classic!

[@missg.5940]

Wish l had seen this two years ago. No one wanted the Lenox Christmas set and it went for $10!

[@WayBackAmericana]

Oh no!!!

[@LSOK38]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the most iconic pop culture ornament of all, the talking Uss ENTERPRISE which was featured by Hallmark in its own commercial using the voice of Leonard Nimoy 🖖🖖🖖🖖🖖🖖‼️‼️‼️‼️

[@WayBackAmericana]

Good point! How did I miss that!!!! Of course!!

[@rebeccabledsoe4550]

Have these ornaments

[@WayBackAmericana]

Keep your hands on those! ♥️

[@rebeccabledsoe4550]

Have the candles

[@WayBackAmericana]

Classic!

[@toomuchstuff4828]

Putz Houses=McCoy Pottery? You are mixing your metaphors, I mean collectibles!!

[@WayBackAmericana]

Oh yes!

[@samanthab1923]

The funny thing is all these 70’s collectibles were the height of tacky back then. Those ceramic trees were for grandmas that didn’t put trees up anymore. 😂

[@WayBackAmericana]

Oh you think so? We still had the ceramic trees even though we had a real one. Maybe it was different in different households?

[@samanthab1923]

@ In 1970 we moved to a bigger house in a snooty town. Lots of spotlights on front door wreaths & candles in windows. All white lights. No more big bulbs or Blo Molds. Except us. My dad would put them in the back yard 😆

[@WayBackAmericana]

Nice! I’m glad your dad kept it real.

[@samanthab1923]

@ He did. Thanks 👋

[@Lord.two.a.penny.]

Of course the decorations in the 70's were head & shoulders above the plastic poor representations of today, that don't even seem to try to emulate the decorations of that unique decade. ✨🎄

[@WayBackAmericana]

Well said!

[@LSOK38]

Great video but your timelines are a bit off. The shiny ornaments actually go back to the late 50's/early 60's . I know because my mom had them. Also where are the bubble lights? My mom bought some from Macy's back in the 70's they were selling them as part of a 50's ostalgia theme in their Xmas dept.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Good point! I think I need a part 2 for sure.

[@richardricca8012]

This is what America needs for the next four years. Channels like these break up the monotony of what is about to occur. I have been fortunate to have collected some of the 70's ornaments. How about doing a story on the 60s?

[@WayBackAmericana]

That's a wonderful idea!! I'll start looking into it now @richardricca8012!

[@StrawB0ss]

70s were fine but for my money it's gotta be the 30s and 40s.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Also a stellar time!

[@gast9374]

If you own some of these items, don't let Saul Goodman know of it!

[@WayBackAmericana]

Ha!

[@jameslovell8682]

I would most definitely "help to grow your channel " if you would drop the robotic computer voice and just use your own voice.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Understandable, I’m still trying to get the hang of all this. I’ll try to make changes for the better in the future. Thanks for watching though!

[@rebeccabledsoe4550]

Have the craft stockjng kits

[@WayBackAmericana]

Fun!

[@michaelsaparito]

Those Lenox dishes are brand new and NOT from the 1970s. The paper houses go way back before the 1970s and the stocking kits aren't from the 70s either. This is misinformation.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Thanks for your feedback! I strive to capture the nostalgia of the 1970s in my videos, but I understand there may be some differences in how items are remembered or categorized. The Lenox dishes I included might indeed be a newer design inspired by the era, and I appreciate you pointing that out. As for the paper houses and stocking kits, they were chosen as they gained a lot of popularity in the 1970s, even if their origins predate the decade. I'll make a note to clarify these details in the future. I really value your input, so thank you for taking the time to share it. Thanks for watching all the same.

[@janettejohnston339]

The 79s were ugly fashion. I grew up in the 70s.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Haha, fair point-the '70s definitely had some bold (and questionable) fashion choices! But hey, you survived it, and now you’ve got stories to tell and maybe a good laugh at those old photos. 😄

[@whatanitemare]

I was grew up in the 70's too and although there were some clothing designs that were kind of iffy, I loved most of the decades choices. I wouldn't change a thing!!

[@WayBackAmericana]

Even the “iffy” pieces had their charm. Loving it all, just as it was-that’s what makes the era so unforgettable!

[@lindabentley1749]

Sorry, I think some of these are just tacky, like ceramic trees and the candle figures.

[@WayBackAmericana]

They’re classics though!

[@lindabentley1749]

@WayBackAmericana yes they are! I think I'm getting senile, I just love watching these videos from back then.

[@rosescott9299]

Awe, I love both the ceramic tree and the candles! Some people crave elegance and refinement at Christmas I guess. Those people normally call anything I love “tacky”. Whatever makes you happy, and those definitely make me happy! ❤

[@lindabentley1749]

@rosescott9299 not into elegance and refinement. I like natural things.

[@billanderson1368]

I remember all these; still use the ShinyBrites. Also, does anyone remember the Springerle angles made in Black Mountain, NC? I bought mine (3) from the NC Museum of Art. Love them.

[@WayBackAmericana]

Shiny Brites are such timeless treasures-how special that you still use them! And yes, Springerle angels from Black Mountain, NC, sound absolutely beautiful. I haven’t seen them, but they must be stunning if they came from the NC Museum of Art. What a lovely way to keep the nostalgia alive! 😊✨🎄

[@lindaadelwerth8042]

My Mom made a ceramic tree, And its about as old as me and Im 59. I still have and put it up every year. Christmas was so much better then. Everything about Christmas back then Was just the Best!

[@WayBackAmericana]

I absolutely agree!