Your Ceramic Christmas Tree Figurines May Be Worth Hundreds of Dollars Online

Just as quickly as they came into style, miniature ceramic Christmas trees were out of vogue by the end of the 1980s, but there was a time when you couldn't attend a festive holiday party and not see at least one on the mantel or beside the television set. Whether it's because homeowners are nostalgic for the '60s and '70s or because we all simply adore vintage items, it seems that ceramic Christmas trees have made a comeback in 2019 in a major way.

According to a report from NBC's Today, these small ceramic figurines are fetching much more than what they were once worth at online auction sites like eBay. Over the last year, ceramic Christmas trees have sold for as much as $218—this one recently got snapped up for a whopping $150. Bob Richter, an interior designer and host of PBS' Market Warriors, tells Today that selling off any ceramic Christmas décor hiding in your family's home could earn you a lump sum this holiday season. "The truth of the matter is, they're not incredibly valuable at other times of the year," he says.

Depending on the condition of your miniature Christmas tree, Richter tells Today that you could earn upwards of $200 online. Trees that feature actual twinkling lights or a musical component are worth much more to collectors, Richter says, and shoppers are known to spring for particularly large models—as well as teeny, tiny trees. If you do end up posting yours for sale online, Richter says the best listings include high-resolution photos that feature festive (and clean!) backgrounds and often ensure delivery by Christmas Eve.

If you don't have a ceramic Christmas tree just yet, you might find one in July for a much cheaper price, as they often turn up at local flea markets in the off season. But even holiday decor at flea markets—especially ceramic trees—are priced more aggressively in December, Richter says. "At the holidays everybody wants one because it reminds them of the past. And it's a recent thing within the past couple of years," he tells Today. "The truth of the matter is, I think it's great to turn them into cash—and it's also great to bring them down and plug them in and use them, and tell a story of your grandmother, or your aunt, or your mother, or whoever it was who had them in the first place, because I think that's the true value… It has emotional value, and that has gossamer wings."