Sunday, December 15, 2013

Blow Molds were Everywhere!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I love blow molds - if you don't know what one is, well it's those plastic lawn decorations that were everywhere from the 60's through to the early 80's - now they've been replaced by the inflatables - no inflatables for me, I'll take the blow molds anyday!!


The other week I was in the lineup at Target, an older gentlemen was buying a snowman, he started talking to me how he didn't like these new figures, that he preferred the "old plastic ones" - that was all I needed to strike up a conversation with him, he proceeded to tell me about his display that he's been building for 20 years and is worth thousands - he told me where it was, last night we went there, on probably the coldest night so far! That's the reason I didn't get very good pictures, the wind was raw, it was freezing!!  He came out to talk to us when we were walking around and told us where he got various pieces - I just have to go back out there in the daylight and get some better pictures.  We couldn't believe it - there must have been 100-150 pieces of blow mold Christmas heaven!!


This is just one scene,  they covered the whole front yard - there was just everything....


This is just a small section of the snowmen - there was every size...


We wanted this one, we wanted a Mrs. Claus, we wanted a very retro Santa - there was lots we wanted.  I saw a different Santa yesterday at the thrift store  and I left it there, after seeing all those last night, I should have bought it!!


I can share all of my blow molds with you because I have a very small collection compared to what I saw last night.


The big Santa on the left was my very first one I ever found - he's a 4 footer.

I have been so lucky finding all of these and never paying more than $5 for any of them.


I found this one at a yard sale this past summer for a couple of bucks!  I didn't see this one at the big display last night, we put him on top of the shed.


We bought this back in the 80's, long before we knew what a blow mold was - he sits on top of the clothesline pole.  


Blow molds come in all sizes, we love them all!!  Not only are they outside, they're inside too!



The only blow molds I can ever remember having at home were these candles - here's Darcy back in PEI in 1989 -  I never really cared for those candles , every Christmas Dad had them tied to the front step - those are long gone but I just had to find a set of my own and I did!



I'm linking up with Thriftasaurus today.  

20 comments:

  1. Thanks for educating me about blow molds. I lived in Europe when these were popular. Never remember seeing many of these. Until now. Wow! Can't say I would buy any, but I see the fun of collecting them. Linda@Wetcreek Blog

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  2. The Santa head like you have on your clothesline is on my wish list. I have seen quite a few this season, but none at prices I am willing to pay. I even missed out on one at the flea market this morning! One will come home with me when it is meant to be, I guess.

    What are the odds that you would run into that crazy collector? Another meant to be! Love the photos & thanks for freezing so you could share them with us. I only got out my Santa's and a lone angel blow mold this year. I am still trying to find a spot for my snowmen. I only have three or four but one is really big!

    ~Erica

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  3. Wow, that is an amazing collection of blow molds. I can't believe they are all in one person's yard! There's a house down the road that has a snowman and 2 Snoopy dogs on the deck railing. The original owners of the house left them for the new owners and he puts them up every year. Our son had the red candles but I don't think he has them out this year. He has a blow up snowman. I like your big snowman.

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  4. Wowza! Awesome large and small collections! And here I don't have even ONE blow mold! :)
    I honestly never see them. This living in the wilderness is tough sometimes. ♥

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  5. What a nice story. Another example of how you can meet the coolest people when you're open to conversation with a stranger.
    I still haven't happened upon a first blow mold for me, by the way. One day . . . .

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  6. WOW! His light bill must be bananas this time of year.

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  7. What a great person to bump into at the store! He has a GREAT collection. And yours is fantastic! These seem so hard to find around me anymore. Hope you get to go back in the daylight!

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  8. Great story, Jill. And I bet you made his day too by sharing your interest with him in line. I wonder where he stores them all in the off season!

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  9. Oh my Jill, that is a whole lot of blow molds! You have quite a nice collection also. I only have two Santas. One is life size and the other about 2 ft. I found a snowman and a gingerbread house that I gave my daughter. I had a set of candles (which is what we had on our porch growing up also). I gave them to my daughter also. I love them, but they take up quite a bit of storage. Can you imagine what kind of space that man must have? I wish I could find a Santas face. Mom had one she hung on the house by the door for years. He got a hole in his nose and I think she got rid of him. I spied one at an estate sale recently, but someone had already nabbed him.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  10. How cool!! I don't have any Xmas blow molds. I noticed an older neighbor a couple doors down from my dad's still puts out the same two red candles on either side of their front steps-- been doing that since the early 60s! Neat to see.

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  11. How sweet that the man goes to all that effort! I don't have any blow molds, but they are super cute. :)

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  12. I love blow molds, but I have no spare storage space, so I've had to sell all the ones I've found. But they get to stay with me for awhile :)

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  13. I was in Boscov's (local department store) the other day, and was shocked to see a 4-foot Santa blow mold in their Trim A Tree department. I didn't think the still made the big ones.
    I didn't look at the price, though, because there are just some things one doesn't want to know...

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  14. This is such an awesome post. You were meant to meet that gentleman at Target. I don't care for the big inflatables either. I really love your blowmold angel.

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  15. I just sold my first blow mold! (It's in today's post.) :) Gotta learn more about these beauties, thanks for the informative tips.

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  16. I have a neighbor who has the snoopy blow mold. One Christmas it just might disappear. ;)
    Chris =]

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  17. i love your collection! we have a santa in a sleigh and three reindeer that i hoped to put on the roof this year, but it just didn't happen. maybe next year!

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  18. I've just learnt about blow molds! Thanks! We don't really do much house and yard decorating over here. the ones that do stand out! Certainly aren't any blow molds probably in the whole land!

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  19. I couldn't agree more, give me a blowmold any day over the new inflatables. I only have a 1968 Empire Santa my grandmother gave me when I was very little. Love him! I think I might start buying one / year, that would be a good way to collect a few without spending too much. Loved your tour, thanks for braving the cold for us! -Dawn

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