The Super Rare (& Valuable) Christmas Decor You'd Be Lucky To Find At The Thrift Store

Decorating for Christmas is a tradition for many families, and it's a great time to display all of the holiday pieces that bring joy to your life. If you're on the hunt for new decorations that evoke nostalgia and Christmas spirit, you can often find valuable vintage Christmas items at thrift stores – including Department 56 Christmas village collectibles. It is possible to find these adorable buildings and other village items while out thrifting, and the prices you might find them for will astonish you compared to what they cost new, and even what some of them go for second hand on eBay. In fact, if you take a look at TikTok, you'll find thrifters gushing about the vintage Department 56 items they've snagged for cheap. 

Like most collectibles, the vintage village pieces from Department 56 aren't all valuable — some go for only $20 or so each, while others can bring $100 or more. As with most collectibles, the older an item is and the better its condition, the more it will be worth. There are rarer Department 56 village buildings that are worth more and highly sought after, but you have to know what to look for. If you're looking to build or get started on your Christmas village, you'll save quite a bit of money if you can find recently donated pieces. 

Nostalgic Christmas trends are coming back in style this year, and that includes Christmas villages. If you manage to be one of the lucky ones who spot some Department 56 Christmas decor at your local thrift store, and you want to know if what you found is worth the price on that sticker, the first thing you'll want to do is flip it over. Many of them will have the year stamped on the bottom. A stamp will also tell you if it was a limited-edition item, and if so, how many were made. But age isn't the only factor in the potential value of one of these village additions. How rare they are, how many people are looking for them, and whether they're in good, complete condition can also affect price. Looking up sold listings on eBay is a great way to find out what things are selling for, cost-wise, and to see what people are buying in Department 56. 

Some of the rarest pieces to keep an eye out for include the Cathedral of St. Mark's Christmas in the City, and Dickens' Village Ruth Marion Scotch Woolens, both limited-edition releases. Non-numbered ones worth more than a couple of hundred dollars include The Old Globe Theatre and Dickens' Blythe Village Mill. Part of what makes them worth more is that they are retired, but also that most of them were created in the 1980s — the older, the better! Discovering vintage Department 56 at the thrift store offers a great way to decorate for Christmas on a budget.