Christmas

I was finishing the decorations for the holidays and opened a box that had been shuffled out of the way for a few years. I started to open the bubble-wrapped pieces and was pleased to find a group of snow globes. These always bring a smile to my face, and the children seem to love them as well. The idea is to shake them up so the little bits of ’snow’ fall on the scene under glass. They are found year round, but appear to be thought of as a holiday tradition in many households.

I did a little research and learned these are also called waterglobes and snow domes and apparently originated in France, way back in the early 1800’s. They appeared at the Paris Universal Expo in 1878-79 and were quite a hit. They became popular in England during the Victorian era, and a big collectible in the US in the 1920s.

These little treasures have been used in a number of film scenes. The most memorable one is the beginning of the 1941 movie “Citizen Kane”, a real classic. The little snow-covered house was a reminder to Kane of his home-sweet-home years back. It is also found on the desk where the attorney is seen discussing the advantage of Kane (as a young lad) leaving the homestead.

I have just a small selection of these globes, a few with teddy bears and a Santa too. My favorite is actually a music box that plays I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas (something we’ve already had enough of here in Wisconsin.) It has Santa on top of the globe and a family scene inside.

Many of the snow globes I’ve seen through the years have been religious in nature. Quite a few show Mary and Jesus, or a nativity scene. I understand it was a popular gift to Catholic children as well and the glass-covered icons would rest in their room near a crucifix and rosary holder.

They are rather delicate and not an item I would tend to leave on a low-lying table. Guests and family tend to put their dishes with food or drinks on those surfaces and kids, even though they are told to “walk in the house!” tend to whisk past too closely for comfort. Because of this, mine sit on a shelving unit that hubby made, high enough to be safe and secure, but low enough to catch the eye.

I have had a few plastic ones through the years but, unfortunately, the way they are closed leads to evaporation. After a season or two, the liquid level lowered, leaving the figures inside only chin-high.

It is an understandably charming collectible. There are numerous subjects, sizes and even shapes and they can be appreciated year after year. They are not overly expensive, although I am sure they can reach the 3-digit range if you search. These are rarely found at yard sales since so many people love to display them. It is not often a collectible you would give up on. While I have pinky-sworn to not add to my collections this year, I just might check out year-end sales at some of the stores to see what might be out there.

A Christmas Story

I saw the ad for the 24 hour marathon of A Christmas Story on TBS and I had a few thoughts — which turned out to be pretty cool, because this week’s Monday Movie Meme is about favorite holiday movies.

My first thought was not about how that film, despite it’s having been set decades earlier, seems to ring nostalgic for so many of us (and interesting phenomenon that I do often ponder whenever I think of A Christmas Story, but rather how TBS has turned that film into a different kind of holiday classic…

You know, one of those films you associate with the holidays and family simply because it was on TV every year when you were a kid.

Scene From It's A Wonderful Life

Most of the Christmas movies and television programing hasn’t changed much; we’ve still got the animated Frosty and Rudolph “specials,” and Miracle On 34th Street, It’s A Wonderful Life, etc. Most of these are not as memorable — or more accurately, these films are not as tied to family holiday traditions because at Christmas time, we kids were preoccupied with our gifts. So while I fondly remember Rudolph, The Littlest Angel, and The Little Drummer Boy, I remember those pretty much like any other TV viewing event.

(Even now, watching Miracle or It’s A Wonderful Life is pretty much a solo couch potato event; momma’s down-time in a busy holiday season.)

But there are other holidays too. And television network execs take advantage of this time, programming us along with setting the program schedule.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Film Poster

For me, the phrase “holiday films” brings to mind those I watched with my cousins. Sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the old console TV, we watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang & Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory — I think it was Thanksgiving and Easter, respectively. (And I tried for years to stay up and watch The Ten Commandments at Easter too; only I never made it more than an hour before nodding off.) I do remember that sometime between the time we kids were expected to join adults in conversation and the age at which we became too cool to do so, the TV networks changed the holiday family films. (Don’t ask me what they were. Once my cousins and I mockingly went to watch Willy Wonka, and he wasn’t there.) I guess the network guys and gals had moved onto a younger kid demographic for their ‘new’ holiday family fun.

(This reminded me of the one Mother’s Day that one of the major TV networks ran Rambo or something equally disgusting. I guess the thinking was that men would stick around for family time if they could have a all the action and excitement of body count film to watch. But I digress.)

Thinking of how the films change reminded me that soon enough, TBS will stop running A Christmas Story. And that simple act will change family traditions.

It is this fact, and this alone, that has me finally turning the corner on an area of collecting I have been snobby about: film collecting.

I used to be offended when I had rented a booth in an antique mall and some guy was moving into his booth, stocking it with nothing but VHS cassettes. Those were not collectible, I thought to myself snobbishly. Collections are not simply amounts of something, they represent something more… A collection is more than a stack of movies, a shelf of books, a pile of CDs or iPod full of audio files. A collection, I vehemently believe, is attached to something more than simple consumption of merchandise.

Scene From A Christmas Story

But now, thinking back on all those movies that were once my family’s tradition, I see it differently. If I buy all those movies, they are significantly different than movies I like to have around to watch should the mood strike me. Accumulating the original Willy Wonka & Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a nostalgic act — I’m buying back a bit of my childhood.

So, movie collectors, you have my apologies for having been an ignorant, stuck-up collector. Please don’t make me put my tongue on a flagpole.

I know a lot of people look forward to Christmas simply because they can rotate their regular collections, swapping out the usual for holiday decorations. But some of us *cough-me* resist doing this.

Sure, it makes perfect sense, and more space, to pack up the usual collectibles, put them into the Christmas decoration boxes, and have hubby take them back to the attic or basement. But the way I see it, the holiday season is the time of year when you have the most visitors — and I want them to marvel at my stuff. So I’m continuing my Christmas decorating tips for collectors, looking for more ways to integrate our collectibles into our holiday decorating.

If you collect vintage or retro toys, of course you can pile them up around the tree to show them off (toys are so holiday), but what if you, like I, collect old paper?

Over at the Happy Holidays Blog, Len shows us how to decorate the tree using party horns, rattles and party hats from the 1920’s to the 1960’s.

Christmas Tree Decorated With Vintage Party Horns And Party Hats

Just how do you top that? With a vintage set of the classic fake nose glasses and a gold foil vintage party hat, of course!

Vintage Humor Shop Christmas Tree Top

Not only is this an awesome excuse to leave your tree up for New Year’s, it’s an amazing way to display ephemera for the holidays. How about a tree decorated in vintage postcards, antique trading cards, your retro baseball cards, or your bookmark collection? Add stars to your Christmas tree with vintage movie star cards! It’s simple: Keep each item in an individual plastic sleeve and hang them with ribbon.

But Len didn’t only impress me with his Christmas tree ephemera decorations; his holiday decorating was even inspired by ephemera — by a vintage magazine illustration! Gotta love Len; he might even get me excited about decorating my Christmas tree again!

Since we’re speaking of ephemera, I have to show you Annette’s idea for displaying holiday cards — the secret is the paper clip, which safely holds the card in place.

Safely Display Greeting Cards

Sure, lots of us have done something similar, but often the cards are taped or pined to the ribbon and that certainly doesn’t preserve them well, either for your personal memories or future collectors. And that yarn or string version in which you place the cards in a ‘V’ over the string, well, we all know how much room that takes up — and how well those cards don’t stay put. So try Annette’s suggestion and both your sanity and the cards are preserved.

Plus, you can do this to display your vintage greeting cards and other smaller ephemera items too. Just keep each piece of old fragile paper in a plastic sleeve, and let the festive silver paper clip show them off!

This time of year there are lots of television shows, magazine articles and blog posts on decorating for the holidays. Just look at how awesome Wanda’s display of vintage holiday and greeting card boxes is on the mantel. I’m super jealous — and not just because I dig another person who collects empty old boxes.

Wanda's Mantle Display Of Vintage Holiday Boxes

Everyone mentions the fireplace, with family snuggled ’round the fire and the mantel laden with everything holiday, right down to the frankincense and myrrh. I’ll admit I have fireplace envy. Warm family moments of the emotional variety are nice, the winters here in Fargo are brrr-awful (you’d think they’d be standard up here, right?); but the real reason I covet a fireplace is for the mantel’s display space.

Not only does a lofty perch above the fray of family activity (including the wag of a dog’s table-clearing tail) hold out more hope for the survival of collectibles, but said higher placement makes the collection more visible — to my own appreciative eye and, hopefully, guests’ too.

But before I become a mantel-case, let me continue with some tips on holiday decorating which are also good ideas for display of collectibles in general — fireplace mantelpiece or no.

This year, I was delighted to discover how to put those empty vintage sleighs found at thrift stores to good use, holding non-seasonable collectibles.

Kitschy Poodles Go For A Sleigh Ride

The bad news? I feel a vintage sleigh collection coming on. (I can totally rationalize additional purchases because they are ’storage’ pieces.)

Of course, sleighs are a bit seasonal… But the idea can be twisted. In fall, I could place collectibles in (and spilling out of) cornucopias. And, sticking with the transportation theme, perhaps I could move all my poodles into dump trucks.

Also at Gadabout, Katelyn Thomas shows how to use tiered stands to display ornaments; suitable for any season and any smaller collectible objects.

Katelyn's Tiered Ornament Collection Display

So keep an eye on the holiday decorating tips; who knows what ideas you’ll find for ways to display your collectibles?

After reading my Collectors’ Quest article on chalkware, Luke M. Vaillancourt, of Vaillancourt Folk Art contacted me — and if that name seems familiar, it’s because Luke is the son of founder & artist Judi Vaillancourt. The family business has been creating chalkware figurines in Massachusetts for the past 25 years.

Original Father Christmas Vaillancourt Chalkware Piece

Vaillancourt Folk Art was founded in 1984 by Judi Vaillancourt, a formally trained illustrator and architectural historian, and her husband Gary Vaillancourt, who came from the computer imaging industry. Judi used three of her antique chocolate moulds by pouring them with liquid chalkware and handpainting the resulting figures. During the last 25 years the company has sold to such retailers as Nordstroms, Saks, Neiman Marcus and many more. More importantly to Judi, she has also created product and programs with museums such as Colonial Williamsburg, The Boston museum of fine Arts, The metropolitan and many others. Today the company employs approx 25 employees in their Sutton, MA. Studios. Visitors can see the painters creating the Vaillancourt originals, tour the Vaillancourt Christmas museum and adventure through one of America’s most interesting retail galleries.

Since one of the goals of VFA is to create pieces that will be collected and passed down for generations, Luke naturally agreed to an interview here at Collectors’ Quest so that you all could become smitten and begin collecting. *wink*

Luke, what was the first piece made?

The first Santa made was the VFA Nr. 101, Original Santa in a Red Coat, using an Anton Reiche chocolate molds.

Have there been any special pieces, limited editions, etc., that have become very popular (and perhaps pricey) with collectors on the secondary market?

There have been many special limited editions made over the last 25 years but two stand out: Every year for the last 20 years the Vaillancourt’s have made a Santa that benefits the Starlight foundation. The piece is produced each year from May until Christmas and it is then retired. The first Santa done in 1990, which sold for $95, sold last year on the secondary market for $2,300. This series tends to be the most highly sought after collection.

1st Annual Starlight Santa by Vaillancourt Folk Art

The other rare item is the two versions of chess sets that Judi did in the late 1980’s. Both sets sold out very quickly and are also highly sought after on the secondary market.

Chess sets?

My mother first started doing folk art and historical restorations (the company started as Vaillancourt Folk Art & Friends), so her first few chalkware pieces were a Noah’s Ark that she created from wood and hand painted (accompanied with chalkware animals), wooden (followed by chalkware) clock faces, a Parcheesi game board with pieces (VFA Nr. 1004), and then two different Chess Sets.

The first Chess Set (VFA Nr. 1000) consisted of a wooden board that fit over the bottom that held the pieces that she had constructed and painted with a Christmas theme. The pieces used miniature chalkware figurines and was created as a limited edition set of 25. The sets sold out at a retail price of $3,000. One recently was found on eBay being sold for $7,500.

Vaillancourt Christmas Chess Board #1000

Vaillancourt Chalkware Chess Pieces, Set #1000

The second chessboard set (VFA Nr. 1003) was introduced a year later (1989) and was a limited edition set of 25 also selling retail for $3,000.

Vaillancourt Folk Art Chess Board #1003

Vaillancourt Holiday Chess Set #1003 Chalkware Chess Pieces

It is also worth noting that Judi had licensed several designs to Gorham Silver (1986) which manufactured another set of chess boards and pieces that sometimes surface on eBay. “Vaillancourt Folk Art for Gorham” was sold after a year of producing several small ornaments and Vaillancourt Folk Art ended it’s relationship with foreign manufacturers.

Do you or your mother collect chalkware?

Personally, I have about 75 – 100 chalkware Santas, Halloween figures, and rabbits. While I do have some favorites that I buy, most of them have been given to me from grand parents that have passed. To have a piece that was cherished by my grandmother or grandfather makes it all that much more special to me. And that is really our goal, to create an heirloom that can be passed on to family members.

Do you have a favorite Vaillancourt piece? If so, which one & why?

I always seem to change favorites with each year… I always find one that I love, but once my mother designs a new piece for the following year, I seem to adopt a new favorite. My current favorite is the Small Father Christmas because of the size, shape, color, rosy cheeks, and the amazing silhouette city on the back of the coat.

What &/or who inspires your mother’s designs?

Judi’s designs are often inspired by history. She studies constantly and whether it is an antique post card, fabric sample or architectural element it works into her designs. She is never influenced by what sells best (much to my father’s chagrin) but what moves her at the time and looks good! She is always using for historical references in design.

Judi Vaillancourt At Work

Why make chalkware rather than items made of resin, etc.? Doesn’t the fragile nature of the material make for more fragile heirlooms?

The reason chalkware was chosen was because of the painting surface that it has. It is smooth and lends itself like a canvas to the fine detail of our oil paints. My mother was the first to use this surface as a canvas for oil paints.

Come back tomorrow for Part Two of the interview — and find out what really, really impresses me about Vaillancourt Folk Art!