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A Very Vintage Christmas: Holiday Collecting, Decorating and Celebrating
A Very Vintage Christmas embodies the nostalgia and sentimentality associated with the holiday season. Vintage ornaments, lights, decorations, cards and wrapping all conjure up happy memories of Christmases past and serve as tangible mementos of holidays shared with family and friends. In fact, finding these objects, decorating with them and sharing them with others brings an instant feeling of comfort and joy. Coupled with beautiful photographs, tips on collecting, and secret shopping haunts, A Very Vintage Christmas offers a 360-degree look at holiday décor in America and gives suggestions on how to make vintage finds work for today’s audience. While each chapter of A Very Vintage Christmas is unique, there is a common thread that runs through them all: the love of beautiful holiday decorations, and the interest in their history, value, and preservation. The book helps the everyday collector and enthusiast to build their own collection and offers tips on how to make the most of what they’ve got.
209 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2016
17 people are currently reading
491 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 9, 2016
This is a fun Christmas book full of pictures, advice and history of American Christmas decorations. Bob Richter loves Christmas and recounts the holidays from his childhood and on. I enjoyed reading the history of Christmas tree decorations and how the era affected what we used. He gives advice on where to find vintage decor, how to take care of it and how to store it. The photos made me smile as I remembered the decorations my grandmother and mother had in their homes.
This book made me want to find the decorations I grew up with and use them in my home!
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Because it was digitally downloaded, some of the pictures were missing.
This book made me want to find the decorations I grew up with and use them in my home!
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Because it was digitally downloaded, some of the pictures were missing.
November 3, 2024
I am obsessed with vintage Christmas decor, and this gorgeous book was educational and inspirational. It was a great way to kick off the holiday season.
December 26, 2017
This is a book for those interested in both Christmas memorabilia and antiques. It is a good source book for those antique hunting for vintage ornaments, with tips on how to distinguish new from authentic ornaments.
The writer also talks about the history of Christmas decorating and ornaments, and how various world wars affected the materials used in ornaments. I found myself comparing my own older ornaments with the images in the book, to see if I had a "find!"
And finally, there are copious images of antique ornaments, lighting sets, and even vintage toys that will be a trip down memory lane for older family members. I lent the book to my parents because I knew they would enjoy remembering toys and decorations from their childhood.
It's a nice Christmas book, not fluffy, and perfect for those with an interest in holiday antiques.
The writer also talks about the history of Christmas decorating and ornaments, and how various world wars affected the materials used in ornaments. I found myself comparing my own older ornaments with the images in the book, to see if I had a "find!"
And finally, there are copious images of antique ornaments, lighting sets, and even vintage toys that will be a trip down memory lane for older family members. I lent the book to my parents because I knew they would enjoy remembering toys and decorations from their childhood.
It's a nice Christmas book, not fluffy, and perfect for those with an interest in holiday antiques.
November 8, 2016
I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways, with no expectations of a review. This is a very interesting book, a bit different than what I expected when I entered the giveaway. I really enjoyed reading it. I got it earlier today and spent the day going through it, even though I was supposed to be doing school work. It talks about collecting and decorating with the things of Christmas past mainly ornaments and decorations from the 40's - 60's. I was great to look through the book and see the things I remember decorating my parents and grandparents houses, some of which I now decorate my own house with for the holidays. This book gave me new ideas on how to use the older decorations and I will likely try some of it out this year, at least with the non-breakable things that the cats won't destroy. If you enjoy the nostalgia of the Christmas' of your childhood or if you think your parents may like a look back I highly suggest this book.
November 27, 2020
My second vintage Christmas book this week, and if I hadn't read Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas: Crafts, Decorating Tips, and Recipes, 1920s-1960s first, I might have been more enamored with this one.
I collect vintage ornaments (particularly Shiny Brites) and vintage holiday postcards. What I loved about this book were the pictures, mostly of the author's own collection. The tips of how to find vintage Christmas items were also useful, but I didn't find the other sections gripped me too much, like on how to decorate or use vintage things in your home (got it already!). The layout of how the photos of Christmas items could be a bit weird and scattered at times - I feel it could have been cleaned up.
I think this largely was aimed at an audience who already knew the author (he's a TV personality?). I did not, I just picked it up at the library due to the cover and title. The foreword was especially puzzling as unlike the book, there was no bio of the guy who wrote it - he just came into it saying something like "most of you already know the story of when my grandmother's tree fell down". What? Who is this guy? Why was I supposed to know?
As vintage ornaments were my main overlap with the book, I'll share my two learnings that I'll bring forward into my own collecting: 1) storage should be done in boxes with uncoloured tissue paper or more ideally, shredded, acid-free tissue (the boxes can be basic cardboard, or find some purpose-built boxes at The Container Store or other similar store); 2) WWII-era ornaments can be identified by the lack of silvering inside, and often the cap and hook are paper instead of metal.
I collect vintage ornaments (particularly Shiny Brites) and vintage holiday postcards. What I loved about this book were the pictures, mostly of the author's own collection. The tips of how to find vintage Christmas items were also useful, but I didn't find the other sections gripped me too much, like on how to decorate or use vintage things in your home (got it already!). The layout of how the photos of Christmas items could be a bit weird and scattered at times - I feel it could have been cleaned up.
I think this largely was aimed at an audience who already knew the author (he's a TV personality?). I did not, I just picked it up at the library due to the cover and title. The foreword was especially puzzling as unlike the book, there was no bio of the guy who wrote it - he just came into it saying something like "most of you already know the story of when my grandmother's tree fell down". What? Who is this guy? Why was I supposed to know?
As vintage ornaments were my main overlap with the book, I'll share my two learnings that I'll bring forward into my own collecting: 1) storage should be done in boxes with uncoloured tissue paper or more ideally, shredded, acid-free tissue (the boxes can be basic cardboard, or find some purpose-built boxes at The Container Store or other similar store); 2) WWII-era ornaments can be identified by the lack of silvering inside, and often the cap and hook are paper instead of metal.
December 14, 2024
A festive and fun Christmas decorating book with lots of vintage style! I really enjoyed looking through pictures of unique and old-fashioned Christmas ornaments and collectibles. Many I'd never seen before and others were wonderfully nostalgic. Everything about this book gets you into the Christmas spirit—there's so many ideas and details that I wrote down to add for my next year's holiday celebrations.
The only thing I wish is that the font was much larger. Not only was the color a bit faint, but every chapter was very difficult for me to read. If there had been no struggle for me to read this book, I might have given it more stars :(
But, overall, Bob Richter shared such amazing and lovely photos, traditions and vintage Christmas inspiration that I was truly impressed. I learned a bit more about vintage ornaments and other decor, as well. This is great book to add to your Christmas collection, especially if you love vintage items like I do.
The only thing I wish is that the font was much larger. Not only was the color a bit faint, but every chapter was very difficult for me to read. If there had been no struggle for me to read this book, I might have given it more stars :(
But, overall, Bob Richter shared such amazing and lovely photos, traditions and vintage Christmas inspiration that I was truly impressed. I learned a bit more about vintage ornaments and other decor, as well. This is great book to add to your Christmas collection, especially if you love vintage items like I do.
December 17, 2019
Bob Richter's A very vintage Christmas : holiday collecting, decorating and celebrating is a book that will take baby boomers down memory lane as it contains a wealth of photos of vintage ornaments, candles, boxes, toys and records. Richter says that most people appreciate something within a vintage era for a present and since vinyl records are making a comeback I can understand his suggestion. I recognized several of the items, like the choir boy candles, featured within the pages of this holiday must.
November 7, 2022
This is mainly just a review of the author's vast collection of antique Christmas goodies, though for a nosy person such as myself who LOVES looking at other people's stuff, that's pretty much all that is required.
The author made me want to head to the basement and start hauling up boxes of my own treasures, so ho-ho-ho.
The author made me want to head to the basement and start hauling up boxes of my own treasures, so ho-ho-ho.
October 11, 2016
4 Stars - I recommend this book if you are a sucker for vintage, a lover of Christmas, or interested in the history of Christmas and it's commercialization. This book is both beautiful and a treasure trove of information.
This is a lovely book filled with gorgeous photos of vintage holiday ornaments, details, as well as vintage advertisements, etc. but it is also jam packed with very detailed histories of how people decorated for the holidays and celebrated in the past. I was amazed by how much detail this book went into from the 1660's to the present. It was so interesting to learn how the social and economical issues and changes in the US influenced how Christmas was celebrated and decorated for. For example, during war times many families went without a traditional Christmas tree and celebrated more modest holidays, but after the WWII holiday commercialism was at it's finest. From bubble lights to space age decor, there was a big boom in holiday decorations in post war America. This book really covers every topic related to holiday decor, a historical topic I never would have thought to research. I also appreciate that the author adds in sections on vintage reproductions, finding vintage decor, and words of caution on using it. My favorite section was the one on ideas for giving vintage gifts. I love the practical advice of how to find vintage items, and personalize them! Also the section on vintage holiday vinyl - one of my favorite things to thrift for!
This title was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
This is a lovely book filled with gorgeous photos of vintage holiday ornaments, details, as well as vintage advertisements, etc. but it is also jam packed with very detailed histories of how people decorated for the holidays and celebrated in the past. I was amazed by how much detail this book went into from the 1660's to the present. It was so interesting to learn how the social and economical issues and changes in the US influenced how Christmas was celebrated and decorated for. For example, during war times many families went without a traditional Christmas tree and celebrated more modest holidays, but after the WWII holiday commercialism was at it's finest. From bubble lights to space age decor, there was a big boom in holiday decorations in post war America. This book really covers every topic related to holiday decor, a historical topic I never would have thought to research. I also appreciate that the author adds in sections on vintage reproductions, finding vintage decor, and words of caution on using it. My favorite section was the one on ideas for giving vintage gifts. I love the practical advice of how to find vintage items, and personalize them! Also the section on vintage holiday vinyl - one of my favorite things to thrift for!
This title was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
June 28, 2020
I enjoyed the content of this one very much, but I have to be honest that the number of typos was annoying. There were verb tense issues, incorrect punctuation, and misspelled names. I understand a couple slip through, but more than that just strikes me as sloppy editing. I do have Christmas envy for some of the beautiful decorations.
October 28, 2023
Lots of fun, informal information about collecting and using antique and vintage holiday decor. My only qualm is that this could have used about three more rounds of copyediting than it got; I saw so many typos and other editorial errors that I wondered if any copyediting was done at all.
November 19, 2024
As a lover of everything vintage, especially the 60’s and 70’s, I really enjoyed flipping through the pages and reminiscing about all of my favorite holiday traditions and decorations with my family. It brings back so many memories. I keep this book on my coffee table all year long.
December 4, 2024
This book is an enjoyable read as well as a useful resource. It was interesting for me because there are so many pictures of items we had in my home as a kid. It was nostalgic to look back on these items and realize many have value. It’s a good book.
January 2, 2025
Adored this NF book with Bob Richters stories of his past Christmas's and how he began collecting vintage Christmas items.Beautiful photos, helpful collecting tips and tons of nostalgia. My kind of book❤
December 28, 2025
A beautiful and comprehensive guide to Christmas decorating with vintage flair. Bob's collections are breathtaking, and many of them are highlighted in this book. I loved learning snippets of vintage holiday history too!
July 7, 2017
This is a neat book about Christmas.
November 19, 2017
A fun book to check out of the library for a read.
December 28, 2018
Warmed my heart!
December 21, 2024
Lovely book for pre-Christmas read
August 9, 2016
I would like to thank Rowman & Littlefield for providing me with a free ARC of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an open and honest review.
Okay, I will admit here and now I am going to be biased about this book as I LOVE vintage Christmas decorations! Much, much harder to get here in Australia – and they look so out of place in the height of summer – and so knew I was going to absolutely love this book! From the history of the pieces, where to look for them to buy, how to display them, how to restore – if needed – and how to store in the off season… it had it all. Love, love, LOVED this book.
I also found the array of simply gorgeous pictures throughout, along with notes of specific items – perfect. Sets you up into the right frame of mind to really get into the Christmas spirit of bygone years.
Being half German myself I have very fond memories of the Christmas ornaments that made it over to Australia from there and are still somewhere amongst my family. They are from around the 1920’s/ 1930’s glass baubles and figurines and so seeing very similar images within the book brought back a lot of fond childhood memories. I mean, we used to decorate my Opa’s Christmas tree with tarnished silver streamers that were actually ‘chaff’ dropped by planes during air raids in World War 2 to scramble RADAR. A girl in Australia, during summer, decorating an ancient synthetic tree with very old glass baubles and air raid chaff in the 1990’s… seriously, how could you get a better Christmas memory? ;-)
So, yes, you could honestly say I was indeed the right target audience for this book and loved reading it from “cover to cover” electronically.
Would I recommend this book to others?
Yes I would. Anyone curious about the history of commercial Christmas ornaments – within the United States – or who is addicted to making their house look simply amazing by filling each room with vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations – this book is for you.
Would I buy this book for myself?
It's already on my wish list! I would indeed own it. My house is never going to look that amazing. I am never going to amass that amount of decent, gorgeous Christmas ornaments… but a girl can dream and this book will help me do just that.
In summary: If you are a lover of bygone Christmas memories shared through decorations and ornaments. This book is or you. Loved it, loved the memories it brought back, wish I could make my house look that fabulous at Christmas time!
Okay, I will admit here and now I am going to be biased about this book as I LOVE vintage Christmas decorations! Much, much harder to get here in Australia – and they look so out of place in the height of summer – and so knew I was going to absolutely love this book! From the history of the pieces, where to look for them to buy, how to display them, how to restore – if needed – and how to store in the off season… it had it all. Love, love, LOVED this book.
I also found the array of simply gorgeous pictures throughout, along with notes of specific items – perfect. Sets you up into the right frame of mind to really get into the Christmas spirit of bygone years.
Being half German myself I have very fond memories of the Christmas ornaments that made it over to Australia from there and are still somewhere amongst my family. They are from around the 1920’s/ 1930’s glass baubles and figurines and so seeing very similar images within the book brought back a lot of fond childhood memories. I mean, we used to decorate my Opa’s Christmas tree with tarnished silver streamers that were actually ‘chaff’ dropped by planes during air raids in World War 2 to scramble RADAR. A girl in Australia, during summer, decorating an ancient synthetic tree with very old glass baubles and air raid chaff in the 1990’s… seriously, how could you get a better Christmas memory? ;-)
So, yes, you could honestly say I was indeed the right target audience for this book and loved reading it from “cover to cover” electronically.
Would I recommend this book to others?
Yes I would. Anyone curious about the history of commercial Christmas ornaments – within the United States – or who is addicted to making their house look simply amazing by filling each room with vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations – this book is for you.
Would I buy this book for myself?
It's already on my wish list! I would indeed own it. My house is never going to look that amazing. I am never going to amass that amount of decent, gorgeous Christmas ornaments… but a girl can dream and this book will help me do just that.
In summary: If you are a lover of bygone Christmas memories shared through decorations and ornaments. This book is or you. Loved it, loved the memories it brought back, wish I could make my house look that fabulous at Christmas time!
February 22, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway with no expectation of a review but keeping in the spirit of the giveaway, I am here to offer said review.)
If vintage is your "thing" (and I'm assuming it would be if you were even remotely interested in this book) then you will love this it. I enjoyed reading about the history of Christmas, Christmas trees, decorations, learning where to find decorations, how to store them, and a bunch of other Christmas related information. Bob Richter is very knowledgeable in all things Christmas. I loved the pictures. This book really got me excited about the holiday that has lost a bit of it's luster for me of late.
If vintage is your "thing" (and I'm assuming it would be if you were even remotely interested in this book) then you will love this it. I enjoyed reading about the history of Christmas, Christmas trees, decorations, learning where to find decorations, how to store them, and a bunch of other Christmas related information. Bob Richter is very knowledgeable in all things Christmas. I loved the pictures. This book really got me excited about the holiday that has lost a bit of it's luster for me of late.
June 24, 2016
A Very Vintage Christmas: Holiday, Collecting, Decorating and Celebrating by Bob Richter is an excellent springboard for holiday celebration ideas. The author offers numerous ideas on how to celebrate Christmas, and photos of vintage Christmas ornaments and memorabilia might inspire the reader to come up with their own ideas on how to celebrate.
Throughout his book you will see plenty of photos illustrating vintage Christmas items including ornaments, cards and Christmas packages.
You will also find ideas on how to decorate for the holiday season.
The following chapters are listed in his book:
Christmas Decorating History
Finding Vintage Christmas
Ornaments
Lights
Outdoor Decor
Putting It All Together
No Tree? No Problem
Giving a Vintage Gift
Cards, Wrapping, Tags, and Other Ephemera
Entertaining the Vintage Way
Storing and Preserving Your Vintage Holiday Finds
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a free galley from NetGalley.
Throughout his book you will see plenty of photos illustrating vintage Christmas items including ornaments, cards and Christmas packages.
You will also find ideas on how to decorate for the holiday season.
The following chapters are listed in his book:
Christmas Decorating History
Finding Vintage Christmas
Ornaments
Lights
Outdoor Decor
Putting It All Together
No Tree? No Problem
Giving a Vintage Gift
Cards, Wrapping, Tags, and Other Ephemera
Entertaining the Vintage Way
Storing and Preserving Your Vintage Holiday Finds
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a free galley from NetGalley.
July 1, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
__________
Filled with charming memories, product history, and a beautifully curated collection of Christmas decor!
As someone that both sells and collects vintage Christmas, I found this book to be very informative and inspiring.
The author, Bob Richter recounts his memories of Christmas and how he started his collection. There are photos throughout, showing individual collectibles and photos of creative displays for your home. Bob also shares the best ways he has found to acquire the pieces in his collection, and includes a detailed contact list in the index.
Highly recommended.
__________
Filled with charming memories, product history, and a beautifully curated collection of Christmas decor!
As someone that both sells and collects vintage Christmas, I found this book to be very informative and inspiring.
The author, Bob Richter recounts his memories of Christmas and how he started his collection. There are photos throughout, showing individual collectibles and photos of creative displays for your home. Bob also shares the best ways he has found to acquire the pieces in his collection, and includes a detailed contact list in the index.
Highly recommended.
December 13, 2017
I'm relatively new to collecting vintage Christmas decorations, and when I saw this book today at my library, I snatched it up. What a wonderful treasure. It's full of lots of great tips on where to find vintage decorations, ideas on decorating, and the history behind Christmas decorations. The best part? All the wonderful photos of the author's vintage Christmas decorations collection.
I learned some things I hadn't known before - and now I'm even more excited to increase my vintage Christmas decorations collection!
I learned some things I hadn't known before - and now I'm even more excited to increase my vintage Christmas decorations collection!
July 9, 2016
This is a great book to kick off the holiday festivities with. Stories and pictures of vintage ornaments, books and other holiday decorations adorn the pages. The reader will leave with inspiring ideas on how to make their holiday special with collections, decorations and celebrations.
February 7, 2017
A charming book about traditions, and building your own, and the history of Christmas. The author chiefly uses his own ornaments for the photographs in this book. Good ideas in decorating your home and vintage items you might seek out--and where.
July 7, 2016
Watch for my review this weekend.
September 25, 2016
A beautifully-photographed book with a heartfelt narrative by the author. Very inspiring!
December 15, 2016
Wonderful book full of Christmas nostalgia, memories and ideas. Took me to a happy place.
December 18, 2022
This is my childhood! Bubble lights!
I have parted with so many of these treasures.
I have parted with so many of these treasures.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews