If you search the internet for the origins of “Christmas in July”, you will find a multitude of stories. The tales range from a French opera in 1892 to a summer camp in North Carolina in 1933. As vintage sellers though, we tend to be more interested in how and why antique and vintage sellers across the world happily sell holiday ornaments and decor collected throughout the year way in advance of the winter holiday season, as well as what drives buyers to shop for holiday items so far in advance.
While Christmas in July is celebrated in various ways throughout the world, it seems to be most prevalent in English-speaking countries. The fact that Hallmark has made a tradition of showing holiday movies throughout the month simply adds to the legitimacy of this trend.
If you do a quick search online for the term “Christmas in July” you’ll find a plethora of cheap t-shirts with Santas and beach scenes, although if you dig a bit deeper you will find loads of vintage holiday decor. Boxes of shiny glass-blown ornaments, cardboard cut-outs of Rudolph and snowmen, holiday-themed blow molds, alongside Christmas tree brooches decorated with all manner of bling.
Our local antique mall has a huge sale this time of year and many of the dealers transform their booths into holiday wonderlands for the month. Online sellers eagerly await the clamor of shoppers stocking up on vintage holiday goods to add to their collections. Savvy shoppers know this time of year is when the good stuff comes out. Collectors searching for coveted and rare pieces understand July is the best time to come across those special items before the rest of the world catches up in mid-November. By then, the good stuff is gone and many sellers only have more traditional holiday decor left.
As vintage sellers, we’ve spent the past several months scouring yard sales, attics, barns, estate sales, and thrift stores for off-season bargains on vintage holiday decor. Our hordes have grown and it’s time to start selling these coveted items.
Do you collect vintage holiday decor? If so what do you collect and do you shop for Christmas in July? Let us know in the comments.
Don’t forget to read our previous posts about Christmas in July if you haven’t already. Sign up for the newsletter where you will get all our posts each week on Sunday morning, just in time to relax with a cuppa and keep up with everything vintage.
