Your holiday wishes have come true! Holiday blow molds are making a comeback. In a nostalgic blast from the past, blow molds make the perfect vintage addition to decorate your home for any holiday. Don’t just limit these rare finds to Christmas; you can have a vintage blow mold for every holiday!
Collecting Christmas blow molds and other holiday vintage blow molds can be the perfect reason to explore your local antique mall. Joining antique enthusiasts in their quest for rare Halloween blow molds or candle blow molds will ignite your interest in the classic décor. Does a snowman blow mold represent the holiday décor of your childhood? Then you are going to love this vintage blow mold walk down memory lane.
What is a Blow Mold?
A blow mold is a hollow object that has been created by blowing plastic into a mold cavity. Blow molding is a special type of molding process, but it has some similarities with traditional glassblowing. When air is blown into the mold cavity across the heated plastic, the plastic expands across the interior walls of the mold to create a hollow object. Specifically, the Christmas blow molds we have come to know and love!
Christmas blow molds are the plastic, light-up figures and lawn ornaments of our childhood. If your lawn didn’t boast a Santa blow mold, reindeer blow mold, and a snowman, were you really celebrating Christmas? Vintage blow molds have been the source of holiday delight for many years and will continue to delight for years to come.
Do They Still Make Christmas Blow Molds?
Sadly, there aren’t many manufacturers of Christmas blow molds anymore. That’s what makes the vintage blow molds so valuable. However, blow mold makers do still exist, and they continue to produce new blow molds for retailers who sell them online. There are a few sellers that sell Vintage Blow Molds on Amazon like the snowman, classic light up nativity and this cute Christmas penguin.
The most recognized Christmas blow mold maker, General Foam Plastics, closed its doors in 2017. After 60 years of producing holiday décor, their final orders were shipped. No doubt these last additions to the blow mold market will see a steep increase in value as they age.
Why are Blow Molds So Popular?
Fifty years ago, holiday blow molds were a common lawn decoration. You could see all types of blow molds throughout your neighborhood. Christmas blow molds such as Santa blow molds, snowman blow molds, and even nativity blow molds were very popular additions to a festive yard.
Popular Christmas Blow Mold Styles:
Santa
Reindeer
Snowman
Nativity
Candle
These days, Christmas blow molds are harder to find. Some collectors have taken to exploring antique malls to add to their vintage blow mold collection. Christmas blow molds remain popular because they remind us of times past, and they bring back that old, vintage charm every holiday season.
Are Vintage Blow Molds Valuable?
If kept in good condition, a vintage blow mold can become increasingly valuable depending on its size and age. As the companies that made Christmas blow molds went out of business, the vintage holiday décor suddenly became more valuable as collector items. Their nostalgic value remains immeasurable.
How Can You Tell How Old a Blow Mold Is?
The age of a holiday blow mold can be easy to determine with just a little practice. The age of the vintage décor is important for collectors and a point of interest to most. When you are scouring the antique malls for an authentic vintage Christmas blow mold, there are a few things to look for.
5 Ways to Identify a Vintage Christmas Blow Mold
1. Look at the markings on the bottom. Older Christmas blow molds have embossed dates.
2. Look for a barcode. Barcoding didn’t start until 1974, so the Santa blow mold you found can’t be too old if it has a barcode!
3. Look for signs of wear and tear. It is normal if the Grinch blow mold you found at the antique mall has sun-bleached areas or dirt and scratches.
4. Look for a plug. If you come across a candle blow mold with an older electric plug, you may have found a true vintage blow mold.
5. Look online and do a little research. If you find a snowman blow mold at the antique mall and question its age, do a quick search of images online.
You will get a rush when you find the vintage blow molds that remind you of your past. The golden rule of antiquing also applies to finding a Santa blow mold at the local antique mall – if you love him, buy him; you will always find a place for him come Christmas!
Are Vintage Blow Molds Just for Christmas?
Absolutely not! You can find vintage blow molds for other holidays, including Halloween blow molds and Easter blow molds. Santa blow molds may be all the rage during Christmas but blow mold décor comes out of storage more than once a year!
Avid blow mold collectors include Easter blow molds, such as the Easter bunny and colored eggs, in their springtime yard decorations. And Halloween blow molds, such as spooky pumpkins and ghosts, scare up some frightening yard décor, as well. Blow mold nostalgia is all about bringing the sights of our childhood out of storage and onto our yards a few times a year.
Where Can I Find Vintage Blow Molds?
While there are some online retailers, like eBay or Amazon, the selection on these sites can be small and the shipping is often costly. The best place to find a vintage blow mold is at your local antique mall. Walking through the vendor stalls, you are sure to find a Santa blow mold peeking out of festive holiday décor. And if you find Santa with a set of reindeer blow molds by his side, you know Christmas has come early!
Buying from your local antique mall ensures you will have plenty of friendly, knowledgeable people to help you authenticate the vintage of your new Christmas blow mold. There is no better place to lose yourself in a world of vintage décor and find the perfect holiday blow mold to start your collection – or join the massive collection of vintage blow molds you have been collecting for years!
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