How To Buy A Christmas Tree
12 December 2006It’s that season again, and for many people that means you’ve got to deal with the annual decorating chores (if you’re the type of person who leaves your lights up until February) or fun (if you collect ornaments like they’re stamps). Either way, a lot of you are going to be buying Christmas Trees. So here are some tips on the whole process:
1) Should I buy a real tree or a plastic one? From a cost perspective, fake is the way to go. Looking around online I found them ranging from $60 or so to around $500 (on Amazon), and my bet is your local stores will fall within the same range depending on size and quality. What about the real thing? This web site will sell you a real one for about $80 for a six foot tree. If you go out to the lots or tree farms where they sell them locally, you’ll likely see a range depending on size and quality. But the ultimate point is that you’ll be using the real one a single time - whereas you can store the plastic tree in the attic and bring it out again every Christmas. The advantages for a real tree, other than that: it smells real, it is real, and it looks better to most people. On the other hand, it will probably have bugs and other critters on it, it will shed more needles everywhere, and they often aren’t perfectly symetrical. I’d go with plastic, but there are some reasons you might not want to.
2) When should I buy? This is the big question. Cost-wise, obviously waiting is the best idea. You can get the real trees at a big discount if you wait. But on the other hand, you don’t get as much use out of them, because you can’t keep them up as long. If you’re going to buy a plastic one, you will get the best deal if you buy it AFTER Christmas. That might make you a Scrooge - but all the ornaments, trees, lights, and tinsel will be slashed in price the day after Christmas. That’s the best time to stock up on all your Christmas decorations. If you’re short on money, it might be best to do it then - and comfort the kids by keeping it up for a few more weeks after Christmas on purpose. Then you’ve got all the stuff that should last you for many more seasons to come.
3) Make sure your measurements are accurate. This is a BIG factor. If you don’t measure your living room before hand, or if you get it wrong, you could end up wasting all your money, especially on a real tree (where you probably can’t get a return). Know exactly how tall your ceiling is, but ALSO how wide an area you have. Give yourself some leeway, and don’t try to cram in a tree with only a few inches to spare.
4) Think about getting a smaller one. Again, this is a good way to save money. Your tree doesn’t have to be 7 feet tall. It’s just as fun to decorate a 3-4 foot tree in a corner of your house. That also means you need fewer ornaments, which is another way to save some money.
5) Where can I get real ones? First of all, you should see these at many grocery stores if you live out in the ‘burbs. They usually have real ones out front, even if there aren’t that many. You’ll also find them in vacant lots near major roads where the vendors rent the place seasonally. You can also find them pretty easily on the Internet by searching for “christmas tree farms” as well as your state or city. I also found this site that gives you a list if you click on your state.
6) If you get a real one, go read the Christmas Tree Guide. This is something Reader’s Digest put out that is online here. It’s just the basic tips, along with some information on each type of tree - but I also liked the safety section. If you’re getting a tree for the first time, it’s something to read over - for example, you want to avoid putting it near a heat source (look around for heating ducts or vents) and you don’t want to burn the branches in your fireplace.
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One Response to “How To Buy A Christmas Tree”
December 13th, 2006 at 4:25 am
Funny you should post this today. Last night I was talking to my father on the phone. Turns out the bought an $80 Christmas tree for $20. Guess they had too much inventory.
Anyway…good luck with your choice.