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Livingetc reports that Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are bringing fresh attention to Christmas village displays, connecting collectors and inspiring younger creators. The feature documents a long-running tradition and collectors’ interest in secondhand Department 56 pieces, but provides no audience data or sales figures to quantify the trend.
Livingetc has reported that social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are bringing renewed attention to Christmas village displays, a hobby with a long history and a committed collector community. The feature follows Department 56 collector and creator Holly Hessler Lubrano, illustrating how online sharing can connect enthusiasts and introduce the miniature holiday scenes to new audiences, though it offers no data measuring the trend’s size.
The report describes collectors arranging miniature houses, shops and seasonal figures into detailed holiday scenes, often using pieces acquired over many years. Lubrano, who posts as @villageatrois and lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, has a collection of nearly 300 pieces, almost all from Department 56, according to the article. She began collecting for herself after moving to Williamsburg during the COVID-19 pandemic and finding one of her mother’s long-sought pieces, Victoria Station, for $20.
Lubrano said her interest is tied to childhood memories: her mother built a collection by choosing a piece each Christmas. She now sources many items secondhand through antique stores and Facebook Marketplace, as well as through gifts from other collectors. She told Livingetc that rising prices have made pieces harder to find on the secondhand market. That is her account of her experience; the feature does not provide market-wide pricing or availability figures.
The article also describes the social side of the hobby. Lubrano said posting her displays on Instagram and TikTok helped her meet other collectors, and she mentioned Department 56 clubs where enthusiasts gather. Some collectors pass pieces on when they no longer have space or wish to set up a display, allowing their collections to be used by others. The report presents these examples as evidence of an active community, rather than as a quantified measure of growth.
The development matters because it shows how a traditionally domestic, seasonal hobby can find an audience beyond the home. Photos and videos let collectors show elaborate displays, exchange ideas and share pieces of family history with people who may not have local clubs or fellow enthusiasts nearby. For some collectors, the online community also provides a way to pass along valued decorations when their circumstances change.
The feature connects the renewed visibility of village displays to a wider preference for interiors that feel personal and accumulated over time. That is a design interpretation offered in the article, not evidence of a broad change in consumer behavior. The practical issue raised by Lubrano is more specific: collectors may face competition and higher prices for older pieces on the resale market. Readers considering a collection should treat the feature as a portrait of one hobby community, not proof of a particular investment return or nationwide price trend.
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From Putz Houses to Department 56
The report traces Christmas village displays to traditions dating back to the 18th century. It says small handmade buildings, known as “putz,” were made in parts of Germany and Central and Eastern Europe, using materials such as wood and cardboard. The term comes from the German verb “putzen,” which the article translates as “to decorate” or “to clean.” The tradition later reached the United States with Moravian immigrants.
Department 56’s role in the modern collectible market began in 1976, when Minneapolis florist Bachman’s produced six miniature porcelain houses under the name The Original Snow Village. The name Department 56 came from the department number in the florist’s numbering system, according to Livingetc. The article describes the company as a recognized leader in seasonal collectibles, but does not include company sales figures or a market comparison.
Contemporary holiday houses range from traditional, glittered designs to more polished versions. Livingetc cites offerings from Anthropologie and Fortnum & Mason as examples. These retail products sit alongside vintage and secondhand pieces in the displays discussed by collectors, creating a mix of new purchases, older finds and family keepsakes.
““So, there’s a real sense of nostalgia.””
— Holly Hessler Lubrano, Department 56 collector, speaking to Livingetc
The Trend’s Scale Is Unmeasured
Livingetc’s feature provides collector anecdotes and examples of online displays, but no figures for social media engagement, new collector numbers, retail sales or resale prices. It is not clear how much the hobby has grown, whether younger participation is increasing across the market, or how widespread price changes are for secondhand Department 56 items. The source also does not establish whether the company plans to support resale, a role Lubrano said she would like it to take on.
Collectors Keep Building Their Displays
The report does not announce a company initiative, product launch or scheduled industry milestone. For now, the developments it documents are individual collectors continuing to build displays, share them online and exchange pieces through secondhand channels and community networks. Whether social media attention translates into measurable growth for the hobby or changes in Department 56’s approach to resale remains unknown.
Key Questions
What is driving renewed attention to Christmas villages?
Livingetc points to social media, where creators share their displays on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. The feature describes renewed visibility but provides no figures showing how much interest has grown.
What is Department 56?
Department 56 is a seasonal collectibles brand associated with The Original Snow Village, a six-house collection produced by Minneapolis florist Bachman’s in 1976, according to Livingetc.
How large is Holly Hessler Lubrano’s collection?
Livingetc reports that Lubrano has nearly 300 pieces, almost all from Department 56. That figure describes her collection, not the size of the wider collector community.
Are secondhand Christmas village pieces becoming more expensive?
Lubrano told Livingetc that prices have risen and that older pieces are harder for her to find secondhand. The feature does not include broader price data, so it cannot establish a market-wide trend.
Does the report describe a new Department 56 program?
No. It reports Lubrano’s view that the company could do more to recognize the secondhand market, but gives no indication that Department 56 has announced a resale program or other response.
Source: livingetc.com
