Hobbies

Our Christmas Village

March 2, 2023

Yes I’m writing about the Christmas Village in March. The Friday 5 jogged my memory and who knows if I’ll still be blogging regularly in December. Listen, if I were actually GOOD at blogging I’d be rolling in influencer cash by now.

Christmas Village Houses
Jenny’s Corner Book Shop, Paradise Travel Company, and Scottie’s Toy Shop which was my first purchase in 1997. The figurines are a loving couple planning their next trip, and two dogs which WM painted to resemble Murphy and Ollie.

Many, MANY years ago I started collecting Department 56 Christmas in the City houses. I only had a few because I was in my mid 20s and they were horrifically expensive. Years go by and I end up with WM. And, oddly, the Christmas Village scratches an itch for him in ways that I cannot explain. He LOVES this village.

Christmas Village Houses
Bakery, City Globe, Cafe Caprice Restaurant, Yes Virginia figurines

Which is now named Angry Man Village.

The houses are still horrifically expensive, but the key to bulking up your collection is to look for older houses on eBay. People on eBay are usually desperate to offload these houses. Maybe they regret the purchases. But more likely, they’re offloading their parents’ Christmas Village.

Christmas Village Houses
Foreground: Cathedral, Independence Hall, Little Free Library. Background: Police Station, Some building I can’t recognize, a hot cocoa truck, Molly O’Brien’s Irish Pub, Brighton Preparatory School

And that’s where we come in and purchase houses for 1/10th of their original cost. We’re up to 25 Department 56 houses now! Most of our accessories come from Lemax because they’re a little quirkier.

Christmas village
Mayor MacDougal at the City gates, Heritage Museum

The Christmas Village runs the length of the short wall in our living room and on top of Murphy’s crate. Which, honestly we don’t even need anymore but he goes in it when he wants some alone time and I can’t bear to take that away from him.

When I asked WM to send me photos from this year’s village he sent me seventeen photos. Such is his dedication to this collection.

A friend says of this collection, “It’s like Warhammer for old women” and he’s not wrong.

christmas village
Stately Wayne Manor with Alfred and Bruce Wayne figures. Gotta have a little kitsch somewhere…

It takes the better part of 5 hours to set up, and multiple bulb changes throughout the season. I love the glow they cast in the living room over the holidays. It’s pretty sad when we take it down. We were especially bummed this year. Which is why we’re starting…

A HALLOWEEN VILLAGE! Here’s our first building

Disney's Haunted Mansion Halloween house
another eBay find!

Because of course we did.


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