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A Livingetc report describes how Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are helping Christmas village collectors share their displays and attract new enthusiasts. Collector Holly Hessler Lubrano says demand has made some Department 56 pieces harder to find secondhand, though the report provides no market-wide sales figures.
Social media is bringing renewed attention to Christmas village collecting, according to a Livingetc report on collectors who post their miniature holiday displays online. The feature highlights Department 56 collector Holly Hessler Lubrano, who says some pieces have become harder to find secondhand, while noting that the report provides no broader sales or resale-market data.
The Livingetc feature describes Instagram, TikTok and YouTube as platforms where collectors show their seasonal displays and share ideas. It says the online activity has encouraged a newer generation of scene-makers, though it gives no audience figures or evidence quantifying the size of that change. The report characterizes the collecting community as devoted and welcoming, based in part on the experiences of the people it interviewed.
Lubrano, who posts as @villageatrois and lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, has a collection of nearly 300 pieces, most from Department 56, the feature says. She began collecting after finding a Department 56 Victoria Station building for $20 in a thrift shop. She told Livingetc that many of her pieces came through secondhand shops, Facebook Marketplace and gifts from other collectors.
Department 56 traces its Snow Village line to 1976, when Minneapolis florist Bachman’s introduced six miniature porcelain houses under the name The Original Snow Village. The report also outlines an earlier history for the tradition, describing miniature Christmas displays made from materials such as wood and cardboard in Germany and parts of Central and Eastern Europe, and later brought to the United States by Moravian immigrants.
Collectors Connect Beyond Their Displays
The online sharing offers collectors a way to find one another, trade ideas and pass along pieces that might otherwise remain boxed away. Lubrano told Livingetc that she has received village items from people who are downsizing or no longer want to set up their collections. Her posts, in turn, give those pieces a place in new displays and make the hobby more visible to people who may not have grown up with it.
The report also links the appeal of Christmas villages to nostalgia and a broader interest in homes that feel personal and accumulated over time. That is an interpretation of the trend, not a measured finding about the interior-design market. For readers, the story shows how a seasonal hobby can combine family memories, collecting and online community, while resale access remains a concern raised by at least one collector.
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From Putz Houses to Department 56
The feature says the tradition of miniature Christmas houses has roots in handmade displays often called putz, a word derived from the German verb “putzen.” Early versions were made from available materials and decorated for the holiday season. The practice later took on a commercial form in the United States, where Department 56’s porcelain Snow Village helped establish a recognizable collectible line.
Lubrano’s own collecting began much later, after she moved to Williamsburg during the COVID-19 period and came across a building associated with a childhood memory: her mother had collected Department 56 pieces. She told Livingetc that her mother added a new item each year. That family connection helps explain why collecting can carry meaning beyond the objects’ appearance, but her experience should not be treated as representative of every collector.
““My mother collected these when I was a kid. So, there’s a real sense of nostalgia.””
— Holly Hessler Lubrano, speaking to Livingetc
Resale Demand Lacks Market Data
The Livingetc report does not provide sales figures, resale-price data, platform analytics or survey results to establish how much online attention has grown or whether prices for Department 56 items are rising across the market. The reported difficulty finding pieces secondhand reflects Lubrano’s experience. It does not establish that every collector faces the same conditions or that social media caused any change in availability.
The feature also does not quantify how many new collectors have joined the hobby, identify which pieces are most sought after, or report a response from Department 56 to Lubrano’s call for greater support of the secondhand market. Those points remain unconfirmed in the source material.
Collectors Continue Sharing Displays
Collectors featured in the report are continuing to post their villages and connect with other enthusiasts online. Lubrano said Department 56 clubs bring committed fans together, though the feature does not give details of specific upcoming events or company plans. The source reports no announced changes to the brand’s resale or collector programs.
Further evidence of the trend would require data on participation, sales or secondhand listings over time. Until such figures are available, the clearest account is the one the feature documents: collectors are sharing displays online, and at least one long-time enthusiast says finding some pieces secondhand has become more difficult.
Key Questions
What is a Christmas village?
A Christmas village is a miniature holiday display made up of small buildings and decorative scenes. Collectors may add lights, figures and other details to build a larger seasonal setting.
What is Department 56?
Department 56 is a company known for collectible seasonal decorations. The Livingetc report says its Snow Village line began in 1976 with six miniature porcelain houses made by Minneapolis florist Bachman’s.
Are Christmas villages becoming more popular?
The Livingetc feature reports renewed visibility and interest on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. It does not provide figures that measure overall popularity or sales.
Are Department 56 pieces harder to find secondhand?
Collector Holly Hessler Lubrano told Livingetc that pieces she seeks are harder to find on the secondhand market and that prices have risen. The report offers no market-wide data to confirm whether that applies generally.
Source: livingetc.com
