Thousands of vintage ornaments fill Christmas trees at Milaeger's owner's Caledonia home
Little owls perch on Christmas tree branches while colorful pine cones hang nearby. There are Santas, too, along with birds, butterflies, and even mermaids.
They all hang on sparkling Christmas trees that are part of the over-the-top holiday display Kevin Milaeger sets out each year in his Caledonia home. The multiple Christmas trees are filled with some of the approximately 2,000 antique or vintage ornaments he’s been collecting for years.
Milaeger, who is president and co-owner of Milaeger’s stores in Racine and Sturtevant, said he started collecting old ornaments when he was in his late 20s and that decorating this way is his way of expressing how much he loves the holidays.
“Decorating for Christmas brings out all of the color and wonderment in the world," he said. "I love to decorate my home for the holidays because people love seeing all the decorations. When people come over, they just stare at the trees for hours. And I do, too. All the ornaments on my trees are different. … There is a lot to take in."
On his largest tree — a white, 10-foot pre-lit twig tree with branches that extend out horizontally — he hangs his ornaments about 2 inches apart, starting at the base of the tree to the tip of every branch. He uses a ladder to start at the top of the tree and work his way down.
“I’ve learned it’s best to wear short-sleeved shirts so you don’t knock them off. … And when I’m done, I will lie on the floor under the tree and I look up into it to see what it looks like,” he said.
He starts the decorating process before Thanksgiving by deciding which of his approximately dozen trees he will use, where he will put them, and which of his collections he will use.
“It’s a pretty fluid process. The trees range in size from 3 to 10 feet high. Most of them are white twig trees and most of them are pre-lit," he said. “I always put up the big tree — the 10-foot twig tree. That has my collection of ornaments that are mostly from the '40s and '50s on it.
“And we usually do a Swedish tree with all straw ornaments. I bought them used; they are 20 to 30 years old or more. Some came from my mom and they were on her trees.
“Sometimes there is one tree that has just has owls on it, or one with just pine cones. ... Over the years I’ve also had trees with only Santa Clauses, or some with only bird ornaments that are mostly clip-ons.
“I try to remain loose in how I decorate. I don’t want to be too restricted as I’m interested in a variety of different kinds of antique ornaments.”
This year, in addition to the 10-foot tree, he put up eight smaller trees, each with a specific theme.
Two have Santas on them while the others hold his collections of mushrooms, unsilvered see-through ornaments, butterflies, icicles, musical instruments and mermaids/aquatic ornaments.
Some of his more unique pieces are diorama ornaments with tiny scenes in them, and those with liquid or tinsel in their centers.
“I also have some End of Day Ornaments. Those were made in Germany years ago when there was extra paint left over at the end and the workers made something fanciful. Each of them is different. I also have Fadenglas ornaments from Germany where the color wasn’t painted on; it was mixed in with the glass. Also some World War II ornaments with paper caps, and some ornaments that have bumps all over them with different colors. They look like golf balls in reverse," he said.
While he works on his trees, his wife Susan sets up a red and white tree in the lower level for their 3- and 6-year-old grandchildren.
“The red top of the tree looks like a Santa’s hat. None of those ornaments are breakable,” he said.
“(Susan) also does the other areas of the house and she does them all different every year, too," he said. "Sometimes she focuses on a collection of bottlebrush trees that are all different colors, or the reindeer collection. The reindeers are 3 or 4 inches tall and are all different. Some are made of metal or celluloid or plastic.
“We also have a ship she puts out. It looks like a Great Lakes freighter. She decorates that with lights and little Christmas trees, and we have a wonderful Christmas pyramid from Germany that’s very large and it has candles around it that heat up a propeller that turns everything. That’s 40 to 45 years old.”
He said other holiday collections she sets out are vintage candy containers in the shapes of Santas, old bottlebrush trees, new bottlebrush trees in pastel colors, and a collection of Santas in different sizes.
While Milaeger clearly has plenty of Christmas decor, he admits he still looks for more ornaments.
“There are other ornaments I might focus on. I’m always finding new ones. When I find something new, it’s exciting as a collector.
“For example, once I might decide I like owls, then I start looking for them. Right now I have 25 to 30 owls and they are all different. And maybe there are a lot more out there.
“But I might get tired of one kind of ornament, like the owls, and them I might go on to something else. But I would still keep the owl collection.”
He recently talked about his love of holiday decorating.
How should you hang ornaments for the most impact?
You do not want to hang ornaments that are the same colors or shapes next to each other. For example, you don’t want to put two globes together. But if you did, they would be different colors. And if you had a globe-shaped ornament you would want to put a longer-shaped ornament next to it.
How do you clean old ornaments?
You can’t wash them. Just blow on them to get off any dust or use a feather duster on them.
How long does it take you and your wife to decorate your home?
We usually aren’t working on it at the same time because our schedules aren’t identical. I might work on it for an hour before work or an hour in the evening. I probably work on the trees for seven full days. The big tree takes me 10 to 12 hours to decorate, so I might split that up over three days.
Why do you prefer twig trees?
I think the ornaments show up better on them, especially on the white trees.
Do your ornaments range in size?
Yes, but I prefer the smaller ones. I don’t like the really big ones. They take up so much room.
What is the price range of your ornaments?
Most fall in range of $30 to $40. That’s their current value. They have been going up in value. But I have gotten some for $10 that I love just as much. I have a few that are worth a few hundred dollars, but I bought them years ago for $20 or so. Some of the ones I have are definitely rare, but that doesn’t mean they are valuable.
How do you display your icicle ornaments?
I have some of them on my trees but the longest ones I hang from a long light fixture under one of the lower cabinets in the kitchen. The cabinet is right above a peninsula. They look nice there because there’s a mirror behind them that reflects their colors.
Where do you find your ornaments?
At auctions, estate sales, rummage sales and flea markets.
Have you ever found a great ornament that was really inexpensive?
Last week I went to an antique shop and one dealer had an ornament that was $150. At a different booth the same ornament was $30.
What do old ornaments typically cost at stores?
At our stores they range from $3 to $4 for smaller pieces and from $10 to $15 for the larger or more sought-after pieces. I like to keep pieces under $25. They probably cost around the same at other stores that sell them. But you can find ornaments for over $1,000. They are the really rare ones. These would be European and they would be figural ornaments. They would look like a person, a snowman, an angel or something like that.
How do you pack your ornaments to keep them safe?
I put each one in a baggie by itself. Paper has acid in it and can ruin an ornament's finish over time. Baggies are cheap, and they keep them from rubbing together. Then I put them in plastic tubs. I don’t like cardboard because it can get wet or a mouse could get in it and damage them. I also like to use the plastic bins so they are sealed up. I would put, for example, all my owls in one bin together so I can find them easier.
How many bins do you have?
Maybe 30. I store them in one area in the basement.
How do you store your Christmas trees?
For the smaller ones I just fold them up and I put shrink-wrap around them to keep the dust off. For the bigger tree I have to take each branch off and I put them all in a plastic tub.
Do you decorate outside?
Not too much. We do have some greenery and some lights. We don’t do the big inflatable things.
Does your cat Ajax ever want to play with your ornaments?
No. He doesn’t bother the trees at all.
What do you do with ornaments you no longer want?
I sell them at (Milaeger's). I also buy ornaments to sell at the stores. At any given time, there might be 400 to 500 ornaments available at each location.
What kinds of lights do you use on your trees?
Everything is switching to LEDs. I have LEDs on our biggest tree and on most of the others. They are more expensive than incandescent lights but they last forever, so that’s a big deal.
Do you have any new ornaments?
I occasionally buy a new one but I focus on the old ones. I don’t like to restrict myself. I don’t like to make rules for myself that are hard to live by.
Do you have one favorite ornament?
My taste in ornaments changes from year to year and even from minute to minute. When I unpack my ornaments I look at them and sometimes I think, ‘Oh, wow, I forgot I had that one.’ In my view, I have one fabulous ornament after another, so I don’t think I have one favorite.
What’s your most recent ornament collection?
Owls. I’ve been collecting them in earnest for about four years.
Do you know people who decorate more than you do?
Some of our customers have way more than I do. There are some customers that have at least one tree in every room.
Have you passed on your love of holiday decorating to anyone in your family?
Yes. Our son David. He and his wife, Elsa, do a lot of decorating. She also helps me here with my ornaments. She’s very enthusiastic about it.
Do you decorate any of the trees at your stores?
I have done it over the years but I don’t do it any more. Now we have a crew that does that.
Do you have any tips for our readers who might want to start collecting old or unique ornaments?
Keep an open mind and truly study the ornaments. There aren’t too many books out there on ornaments but there are a few. If you get into it, get those books and absorb what you can. The knowledge is always a good thing to have.
There is some information out there in a group called The Golden Glow of Christmas Past (goldenglow.org). It’s an organization that includes all phases of Christmas. For example some categories are sheet music, stamps, tree stands or ornaments. Anyone in the world can join. There are over 2,000 participants and they have an annual convention.
More information
For more about Kevin Milaeger's vintage ornament collection, see milaegers.com/info/vintage-ornament-blog.
Milaeger's sells a 1,000-word puzzle, "Glass Menagerie," featuring his vintage ornaments, available for $19.99 online at milaegers.com/cproduct/20405/lpi-glass-menagerie-1000pc.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Vintage ornaments fill Christmas trees at Milaeger's owner's Caledonia home
