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Old lights, ornaments, tree stands, candy containers and even aluminum trees are in demand. Some of the most expensive ornaments collected today are known as Dresdens and were made between 1880 and 1910 in Dresden, Germany.
The earliest Dresdens were made in the shapes of animals, musical instruments, churches, and even a few Santas. The silver or gold paper they were made of generally was decorated with a couple of bright colors, usually red or green. The ornaments were the same on each side, because each ornament was made of two pieces of embossed paper, glued together.
The embossing gave the ornaments a three dimensional look. Dresdens were used as table decorations or candy containers. Although Santa, or Father Christmas figures were rare, there were some large examples made to be used as store decorations or window displays. The pressed cardboard figures usually had a fold-out stand at the back.
The store pieces, used for merchandising in stores, are the items that accrued in value because there were so few of them made. This remains true today. If you can find a source of these items you are further down the path to owning a profitable collection.
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