Christmas Ornamnets

 

Already people are buying Christmas decor for the upcoming season...I was at Menards Hardware last weekend, and as soon as the products hit the shelves people were buying them.

 

So the topic for the day is:

(Target, Walmart, Macy's, Menards, or other)

Your comments, reviews, or other are welcome...

 

Below are my reviews of some of past Christmas ornament / decor shopping I have done at various stores.

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Christmas ornaments at target are generally higher in price, and are not to my liking in design, color, or theme.  For the last few years Target has not been in my top choices to purchase ornaments, though, people purchase them after the season at clearance prices.

Target has always had kind of strange colors, and themes.  But, the Christmas trees always seem to be popluar with the younger crowd (of mid twenty to thirty year olds) especially when they offer free gift cards with tree purchases. Target ranges in medium to high price in ornaments, limited selection. Not a favorable place to shop for ornaments, or other decor.

 

 

Ornaments here, in the last few years have been, cheap, and appealing in design and in theme.  Except for 2008, Walmart, as did other stores, appeared to cut back on the "total" product of xmas decor.  Ornaments had dark colors, (black, dark hues of other color), a real bleak look.  Themed ornaments were few.  Prior to 2008 WalMart was the number one place, to find CHEAP ornaments and great themes.  They used to carry cookie, candy lines of ornaments, great if you want to make a (Magic Kingdom) tree, and more.  Cost would average about 3.00 or under. It's become a tradition with my family, now to purchase a Walmart store lighted Christmas village house, each year it is a different style ranges about $12.00 not bad, when compared against Dept 56. The one product Walmart comes ahead is Christmas Trees, all sorts of styles (pre lit and non pre lit), sizes, colors, and pricing, very affordable compared to other stores. Walmart was the best, affordable place to shop for ornaments, and I hope to see them regain that spot this year.  I highly recommend Walmart, especially for Christmas trees.

 

I never really considered what K Mart had to offer, except in the recent past.  K Mart I think is a forgotten, era of nostaglia retailer, and sometimes overlooked in what they have to offer.  This of course is offset by their higher prices in Christmas decor, and overall product versus other retailers. (It's best to purchase Kmart Christmas decor when they offer 15, 25, or more % off) otherwise the price per one item is quite high.  Do not let that stop you from window shopping their diverse selection.  Their ornaments are very whimsical, varies in theme and price.  Christmas trees are very expensive on less on sale (look for deals on Thanksgiving day, Black Friday, and the weekend of Black Friday -best time to shop at Kmart).  Kmart also has a fabulous Christmas village (light up house and accessories) collection which rivals Dept. 56. Kmart does offer a good quantity of Disney decor.  Kmart does come a winner, with their selection of animatronic displays.  Yes there is even a triceratops (wire sculpture, with color, and a scarf). Their displays have been exceptional in fun theme, and this year a wider jungle theme of animals. I would rank Kmart ahead of Target, and Walmart in selection, but last in price, except for season sales.

 

 

Formerly Marshall Field's here in the Chicago area, Macy's in the bigger shopping malls, is what I like to call the Porsche of the Christmas ornament line.  Don't let that scare you away thinking price price price is high high high.  Macy's is like a winter fantasyland, the mall by me, Macy's has two levels of various trees, some over 10ft high,  decorated in different themes.  Last year there was a Candy Land Board Game tree (with little boxes of the game, lollipops, and characters from the game as ornaments) and they had a prehistoric tree, (decored with stuffed dinosaurs, cavemen, etc...)Last year they had a noah's ark tree....I mean I could go on and on...there's a them for most everyone's taste.

The pricing is NOT AT ALL HIGH, because MAcy's offers 30% to 40% off most of the time, and sometimes even higher....The employees wrap up each ornament for you, and even will box it if you want.  I just can't wait to see this years line up of trees and themes there.  One year they had soft flowers (looked like small world flowers) made out of felt and cotton, and on stick, so all you do is jsut stick them into the tree...what a difference that made to give character to a tree...After the season, Macy's puts everything (that's left) into boxed and on card tables, 70,80, 90% or more clearance...and there is a plentiful supply left over from the trees....Dont forget decor accessories, tree skirts, garland, etc...

MAcy's is a must, evne if you do not buy any decor, go see the trees, its a sight to see...I give Macy's the title of of the Porsche of the decor, but prices, are reasonable when sales  are offered for the higher level of decor they offer.

 

Don't under estimate the power of the dollar...Dollar tree in my area, a dollar store, offers plenty of $1 ornaments, and other decor, and its not junk!  Last year and this year, the most popular ornaments were Santa Faces.  They came in different styles, colors, all were traditional father christmas type santas, beautiful for a "Santa Tree". Last year they were sold out, and this year, they do have them in stock again.  They even offer a tube of plastic assorted color ornament balls (great for fillers in your tree) for a $1....twelve for a $1....very affordable, and if you pruchased a tree on clearance last year after the season...well there you go.  The dollar store has a lot to offer...Want to give your packages an extra pizazz, or pop, check out the toppers, at this store.  The toppers, are inserts you normally use for wreaths, (they may have birds, presents, acorns, holly on them and more) but putting one on top of a present, wow, that adds to it, plus its an additional gift for that special someone.  Ribbon too, $1 rolls, very affordable and give even more character to the gift packages....Dollar tree is the economic value for decor...Highly recommend it, as an alternative and for budgets.

 

Who'd of thought? A Hardware store for decor?  Well its ture. Menards, and some others such as Home Depot, or your area hardware chain, do offer a good selection of decor, and exclusive items...However, Menards, as to their Christmas trees, is very high price, making them, equal to Kmart for trees...Sales offered at Menards will not bring down trees too much, and you would be better off at Walmart for a tree. Prior to Menard's going to supercenters, the smaller versions, used to have a great selection of trees, and decor,but since the day of the supercenter, Menards have upped prices.  Though there are some very cool Disney door greeters (last year) and other Disney stuff in addition to animatronic lighted character sculptures....This is where Menards comes ahead, in their offering of the animatronic stuff, only to rival Kmart. Over the years Menards has reduced their ornament selections, as all retailers have, and the pickings have been slim...Menard's I give it a low recommendation except for animatronic displays. Better values and slections elsewhere.

 

If not for anything else, check out Walgreens for Christmas paper rolls.  They usually have a sale buy one and get two free.  Now that's a deal anyone can get wrapped up in. LOL  The rolls are approx 40 sq ft (compared to other retailers) and Walgreens has a vast selection of contemporary and nostalgiac designs and prints on the rolls.  Last year, the designs were reminiscent of patterns I saw when I was a child...Highly recommend Walgreens for the your gift wrap needs.