Holiday decorations

[rocketraider]

Maybe a little early, but enjoy. Hay- this stuff is antique too!

The Antique Christmas Lights Site

My folks had 5 and 7 light plastic candoliers back in the day, who knows what happened to them. I want to find some, but from what I've found they haven't been made since the mid 80s- guess modern people consider them too kitschy and tacky to put in their McMansions.

Me OTOH thinks they'd be perfect for a 1949-vintage house and would be a pleasant reminder of childhood Christmas past.

[Oldsfan]

If this were Facebook, you'd get a thumbs up.

Paul like this.

Makes me want to get our bubble lights working again.

Paul

[rocketraider]

Did you read all the legal mess the original bubble lights patents created?:eek:

I've found bubble lights in Hobby Lobby. My parents read about the methylene chloride liquid in them and would never use them. My great-aunt had a set and it was always a treat to go to her house when she had the tree up and watch the bubblers. She also had a bump-n-go train engine that only came out at Christmas.

The section about NOMA was fascinating. Cheap foreign imports hit the American Christmas lights industry long before the automotive industry, but looks like no one was paying attention.

Hope this doesn't get lost down here in Memorabilia, though I guess it's where it should be.

[Oldsfan]

Yes, I did read all of that. Interesting. Never knew any of that stuff.

Also learned that you can test bubble lights with a 9 volt battery. Never knew that, either. I have one set working. 2nd set has a bad string. Have a couple of dead lights, but I've found a guy with some bulbs for $1 each, so if I can fix the wire and a couple of lights, Mom will have two sets of bubble lights for Christmas this year. We've had them since she was just a little girl.

Thanks, Glenn

Paul

[Talarico8447]

Makes me want to get out the Christmas lights now and have hot chocolate. Maybe i'll even set up a small tree in my garage for my Oldsmobile.

[LINC400]

My folks had 5 and 7 light plastic candoliers back in the day, who knows what happened to them. I want to find some, but from what I've found they haven't been made since the mid 80s- guess modern people consider them too kitschy and tacky to put in their McMansions.

Me OTOH thinks they'd be perfect for a 1949-vintage house and would be a pleasant reminder of childhood Christmas past.

EBAY!!

I have bought a bunch of vintage Christmas stuff off Ebay. Somehow it seems to have so much more festive, nostalgic, warm feeling than new stuff. Never bought any old light sets though.

[rocketraider]

Linc, I found some on there including a niiiice 8-light job. I kinda fell out with ebay after they forced PayPal on everyone. Give me a choice, I'm OK, but I didn't like being told I had to use it or risk getting banned. So I just pretty much stopped ebaying- with 442 100% positive feedback!

I do kinda miss it though. I had bought a bunch of old vinyl Christmas LPs on there over the last few years. I think I mentioned those in a thread a couple years back. They sound real nice played on a 70s receiver and turntable.

I did manage to find some 3-light candoliers at Lowe's. Made in China like everything else now, but they appear to have been made from some of the original NOMA molds. Guess they were part of the deal when World Wide bought the NOMA trademarks.

It's like I told a car buddy when I sent him the website link. Christmas decorations up thru about the late 70s had style- much like their automotive counterparts!

[Guest abh3usn]

I have seen those lights new somewhere, but I recall there only being a few per stran, like 10 or so. Do an internet search and see what comes up. I use those big bulb outdoor lights for Christmas. The ones that aren't 'energy efficent', but you can replace a bulb easily.

[Larry Schramm]

What an interesting site on Christmas lights. I also found the Mazda page interesting and informative. Did not know the history of the Mazda name.

Wife and I still have the bubble lights and train sets that we purchased when we were married over 30 years ago and the kids (and us) enjoy that part that makes it Christmas. Like said earlier, the older ornaments seemed to have a lot more style than decorations today.

[rocketraider]

Seems like about half the city put up Christmas decorations this weekend, and I have never seen as many inflatables and twinkling light shows going 100 mph.

I'd rather see some funky old plastic Santa Clauses and reindeer on top of the house, and some of those garish big plastic candles and carolers in the yard. Just looks more to me like Christmas ought to look.

I'll probbaly put up my stuff next weekend. Big C-9 lights on the camellia bush and the first artificial wreaths I've put up in close to five years. Big gaudy tinselly things. No, I do not take things to the Snoopy extreme;):cool:

And here y'all thought a car was the first to use the Mazda name! I have a Maxfield Parrish book here somewhere that has the MAZDA lamp ad artwork he created.