Collecting memories

Holiday collections don’t always start intentionally. Someone gives you a Christmas memento you like. Then you get another, and another, and before you know it, you have a collection. There are manufacturers that, for years, have been in the business of tugging at your heart strings during the holidays with the appealing faces of elves, carolers and cute animals that are irresistible — and suddenly you have an impressive number of them.

Since Santa Claus was the centerpiece of her holiday decorations, Phyllis Farmer bought her first figurine of the jolly elf in the early 1990s, a limited edition cast by United Design in Noble, Oklahoma. Since then, she has received the custom designed Santas as gifts or purchased them to add to her gallery of the legendary interpretations of Santa related tales.

Santa Claus, landing on the snow covered roof with his team of reindeer, has the determined face of a man on a mission with no time to spare. Santa reading the Christmas story to a small audience of children and animals is peering over his glasses, his back rounded toward the light as he shares the thrill and anticipation of Christmas Eve. One Santa, without a coat and with feet propped up for some much needed rest, takes a break in front of the fire to check his list, twice.

With three grandchildren, Farmer wanted Christmas to be festive and memorable. Each of the portly figures tells a story or she can relate a reason for adding it to her collection — it reminded her of her grandson’s favorite Christmas legend or the little girl at Santa’s knee looked so much like one of her granddaughters.

The display on her dining table, the small vignette in the living room or the trio in the foyer are pored over by her holiday guests taking in the fine detail of the intricately designed figures. Bringing the collection out of storage each year and deciding how to arrange it is a tradition in her holiday planning that is as important as decorating the Christmas tree.

The delicate glass ornaments made by the Christopher Radko studio make up another collection Farmer uses on her tree and in greenery all over the house. These too are mementos of special occasions or memorable people in Farmer’s life. Made from fine European glass, storage from year to year requires great care in packing them to prevent breakage for, despite the colorful designs, they are as light as feathers and easily crushed.

Children remember the stories associated with family traditions and the children in Farmer’s family are no exception. They can recite, no matter their age, their memories of what is always on display when they visit their grandmother, Gigi, for Christmas.

Much of Farmer’s collection of figurines and ornaments is no longer available for purchase, making it even more valuable as tangible mementos of holidays past. All of the figures are numbered items of limited editions and irreplaceable, just as the holidays they memorialize cannot be rewound for editing or replaced. There are less expensive reproductions of the United Design figurines, but the hand painted designs are not as well executed on the copies, a subtle but important difference for the collector.

TEMPTATIONS FOR THE COLLECTOR

Creter’s in Ingleside Village is Christmas headquarters from late November through Christmas Eve. Walking through the doors, flanked by upside down, lavishly decorated Christmas trees, hearing the holiday music and smelling the scents of Christmas are sensory overload — enough to make you get out the credit card and start checking off that list! Not even Scrooge could resist.

The doorways are adorned with greenery that looks and feels so much like the real thing, you can save some trees and buy the permanent substitutes; the ornaments are as tempting as the proverbial sugarplums and the gift items are unique.

In the room dedicated to Christmas, there are needlepoint pillows emblazoned with Christmas messages in crisp red and green framed by snowy white wool. Table décor from runners and linens to dinner ware and serving pieces celebrate in fashion the most festive time of year and, on the back wall, shelves are laden with winsome village people caroling and going about the hustle and bustle of Christmas.

One display is devoted to Christoper Radko’s 50 new ornaments for the 2016 season, many of which are hung on trees throughout the store.

The details of the clothes and of the architecture of the buildings in the Christmas villages is authentic to the late 19th and early 20th century, with carolers dressed in long coats and hats against a snow-covered backdrop, banked in front of the arched doorway of a Pennsylvania house. The villages and people are made in themed series by Byers Choice Ltd. in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. One series can stand alone; however, each new series is complementary to previous ones, so adding a new village or family only enhances an older display.

Throughout the three store fronts occupied by Creter’s, there are numerous collections and specialty items that lure the customer — scented atomizers and candles, fine costume and custom made jewelry and luggage, among others. Holiday stationery and cards can be personalized for your family; engraving is available for jewelry or monogramming can be embroidered on clothing.

If a baby is the newest member of the family, the miniature clothes and accessories for Christmas will delight new parents and are as much fun as looking at doll clothes. A silver baby cup or toy can be monogrammed for baby’s first Christmas or tiny pajamas, resembling an elf outfit, will keep everybody smiling on Christmas Day.

KEEPING THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Shopping at Creter’s is a welcome respite from searching for a clerk in a chain store and from frantically rushing from one shop to another in a mall. The Creter family still owns the store and remembers customers, their children and grandchildren who have shopped with them for generations. In the frenetic December rush to the finish line, the assistance from the pleasant staff is a relief — the clerks reflect the helpful spirit of the season.

Add to your collections this year or start a tradition for your family that will be part of a lifetime of memories —reminiscences of holidays past and of family members who made indelible impressions on future generations.

Be one of the bell ringers for the Salvation Army; volunteer at one of the food pantries in Macon; donate to Maggie Bears through Loaves and Fishes or work in a community kitchen to feed the hungry and give away your time, talent and treasure to fellow residents in Macon to improve their lives.

The intangible memories will impact future generations as surely as the carefully packed ornaments will be unwrapped every year by your heirs, to begin another trip down memory lane. Merry Christmas!

This story was originally published December 6, 2016 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Collecting memories."