Britons have been urged to check their old Christmas decorations as they could be worth a small fortune. Many households have a collection of baubles, lights and trinkets that have been added to over years and years.
You may have even had some passed down the family. While they can hold sentimental value, they could also be worth a fair bit of money too. Experts have revealed the five decorations you should see if you have, and shared the all-important price.
Antique German Kugel glass ornaments
Experts at Playcasino.com have found these glass baubles from the 19th to early 20th century selling for £50 to £170 on eBay. They are often in the shape of grapes, pears or round balls in rich metallic colours.
A single vintage Kugel-style heart ornament in the UK is listed around £170. Large mercury glass ‘witches ball’ Kugel baubles are commonly listed around £50 to £100.
They have pointed out that if you find a bauble that is oddly heavy for its size and looks older than modern ‘shiny’ glass, it’s worth checking.
Vintage German Belsnickle Santa figures
Belsnickle Santas are old-fashioned, slightly stern-looking Father Christmas figures made from papier-mâché, composition or chalkware.
The tall, narrow Santas are often 8–13 inches and are sometimes hollow sweet containers. On selling site eBay, an Antique German Belsnickle and similar Santa sweet containers can attract bids in the $400 (£320) range.
Rare or especially large figures are offered up to about $900, which is around £720.
Mid-century aluminium Christmas trees
The shiny tinsel Christmas trees from the 1950s and 60s have become hugely collectable, and even more so if they come in their original box.
Take a look in your loft to see if you have any with silvery aluminium branches, often with a simple wooden or metal pole. You should also try to find the original box and instructions from mid-century makers.
Recently, a 2.6 ft vintage Walter Grafton aluminium ‘Silver Pine’ tree sold for £98.75. Larger mid-century aluminium trees have been listed for several hundred dollars, which is roughly £300–£600, depending on size and condition.
Pifco Cinderella Christmas lights
If you have a string of fairy lights with plastic Cinderella coach shades and small lanterns, you could be in luck. The experts say you should look out for Original Pifco branding and model numbers.
They are often 20 lights, which come with 10 coaches and 10 lanterns. Lights that are still in working order, in the original box and have most or all of the coaches still intact sell best.
A boxed, fully working vintage Pifco Cinderella set with spare bulbs sold on eBay UK for about £150.
1960s Panaura & Jewel Brite plastic decorations
You may overlook these colourful plastic ornaments at first glance, but complete sets are sought after by collectors in the UK and US.
Try to see if you have any 1960s plastic baubles with foil and paper centres. They are often marked by the brand Panaura and sometimes dated to a year.
A lot of 12 vintage Panaura round decorations are currently listed on eBay at £149.99.
For Jewel Brite ornaments, look out for lightweight diorama-style plastic ornaments. They are little scenes inside a clear plastic shape such as bells, teardrops and balls. 39 Jewel Brite ornaments sold for roughly £80.
