For collectors of antique lighting and ornaments, it's not all about nostalgia. Many say the allure rests in the high-quality craftsmanship of the old hand-blown glass ornaments and lighting sets, as well as their embodiment of a more innocent age.
Take bubble lights, for instance. These candlelike glass tubes with a liquid that boils when the light is turned on became the largest-selling Christmas light in American history after World War II. Modern versions are essentially the same but don't bubble as readily. As a result, most serious collectors ignore anything made from the 1960s on.
Modern lights are so cheaply made it almost makes sense to buy a new set each year rather than untangle the old one. But that's not the case with vintage American lighting. Old electric Christmas tree lights were so sturdy and well-crafted that many still work like new.
Since electric voltages were not standardized early on, glass bulbs were heavier and filaments had to be much stronger to withstand varying voltages and the heavy jostling of horse-drawn delivery wagons.
Matchless stars Also much coveted by collectors are Matchless stars from the 1930s and early 40s. Fashioned from Czechoslovakian crystal with colored, faceted stones at their center, these solid-glass, lighted stars are difficult to find.
These photos of vintage lights might inspire you to put a bit of history on your own tree.
-- Homes & Gardens staff
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