I welcome links with other sites of genuine
CONTENT - of educational relevance and interest to the subject, mainly -
Christmas! Some selling is all right, but you must have
worthwhile and entertaining content. The purely self-serving commercial
"shopping carts" will not be posted.
Please note the new e-mail address as of 01-23-09:
papated09@verizon.net
..back to-
>
The Lutheran Home Traditional Putz:..
- - The
Lutheran Home in Topton, PA has had a fabulous putz tradition since the
1940s, and the full story is here. You will love this!
The Tinplate Times:
- - The
Tinplate Times is a non-profit, online magazine about the old-style
trains. As Jim Kelly describes it: "Tinplate Times is an online resource
focusing on tinplate toy trains and the people who collect and operate them."
The Buhl Planetarium Miniature Railroad and
Village: - - Now called
the "Carnegie/Buhl Science Center Miniature Railroad and Village" - has been an indispensable
Holiday tradition around Pittsburgh for over half a century. Begun as a home
putz in the 1940s, it has grown into a behemoth of scenes and animated figures -
now on display almost the year 'round. Click on, come in and have a look around.
The whole history is here. Tons of pictures, too! The ultimate putz - so popular
it saved the Buhl Planetarium and built the succeeding Science Center.
The Collector's Weekly
- - The
Collector's Weekly is an online collectibles newsletter of all categories
and marvelous link to all kinds of other terrific collectibles sites (Check out
their website "Hall of Fame!")- and collected accesses to hobby and craft
material sites as well. It's a "Grand Central Station" for us all.
You-Tube Christmas Layout Videos: ... My brother Jim set me up with a You-Tube page and has filled it with dozens
of amazing videos of putzes and train layouts that you will enjoy. Hours of fun
and amazement to be had here. Expect this to be updated frequently!
Be sure
to click on all the various Play Lists, because there is much much
more than shows up on the initial page that you will see.
Most of these
layouts are made of modern stuff - ceramic houses and trains you can buy in a
store today, but many are truly astounding, and there is plenty of action for
the kids! - live trains running, animated figures and the like.
It all goes
to show that the art and instinct of putzing has never died out.
Kruger Street Toy &
Train Museum:...Located
in Wheeling, West Virginia, the museum showcases thousands of toys, trains and
dolls in a beautifully restored Victorian schoolhouse! Guided tours, several
operating train layouts, interactive displays, a unique giftshop, and more!
Fully handicapped accessible, and fun for the entire family!
ANTOINETTE'S HOME PAGE:...
Antoinette Stockenberg keeps all her fabulous
mantel-putz interactive panoramas up full time the year 'round, now - this year
and all years past,with her captivating stories and fantasies about them. You
could spend hours here.
LOVETOKNOW -Victorian Antique Christmas
Houses: - Along with solid historical facts, this site is
"Grand Central" for finding everything that's being made in the line of Christmas
putz houses, dollhouse miniatures and related items - and where to get it
now!
Also contains the 2008 interview with "Papa" Ted.
The Antique Christmas Lights Museum:... - - Finest photo-history of Christmas lights on line ..
if lights are your interest, you need go no further. George Nelson has continued
in the tradition of the site created by his now departed brother Bill, which he
still maintains.
(see below)
Sadly, it has come to my attention that neither
"The Antique Christmas Lights Museum" (above)nor "Bill's Antique
Christmas Light Site:" (below) are still operational. If anyone has knowledge
of what happened or where George Nelson may have moved his sites, please let
me know. This is a terrible loss for all of us.
Bill's Antique Christmas Light Site:... - - While Bill Nelson was still with us, the finest
photo-history of Christmas lights on line. Still as rich as ever. Now maintained
by his brother George.
Belgian Christmas Collection Website:..."MerryThe." lives in a small town near Antwerp and
is building a delightful website around her personal collection. There are things
of interest to all Christmas collectors to be seen here - things we Americans do
not see - but in particular to antique light collectors. She has variations on
American bubble lights made for the European export market that do not turn up,
here, for example, as well as lights we simply never saw before. Well worth a
quick trip to Belgium!
AUTOLUMINATION:... - - I normally don't put commercial-only links on, but this one
is special. Here you can get every type of old (and new) miniature train bulb and even
the new LEDs. I have heard from many of you who've had problems securing these
things for your putz applications. The prices are right, the shipping charges
reasonable.
Wishbook Web:... - - Nothing matches the nostalgia of going through an
oldSears or Ward's or Spiegel Christmas Wishbook from your childhood days. Here
is an ever growing collection of these rare old catalogs on a website where you
can do just that.... page after page after page. Some serious downloading time
may be involved, but that's all it will cost you - just the time.
Big Indoor Trains:
This is a wonderful site for those who love
putzes AND trains. This link takes you directly to Paul's exposition on "Glitterhoues,"
and his references to both my own and Antoinette Stockenberg's sites, but look
around in there. Lots and lots of happy stuff!
Old Newark Memories: ...An interesting
history site about Downtown Newark's dimestores and departments stores.
Howard Lamey's Houses and kits: ...Howard custom makes his own special styles of houses to order,
even offers kits and and plans and plenty of tips so that you can make your own.
CollectibleDetective.com -Vintage
Christmas: ... And thousands more
links to old vintage antiques online. Find antique dealers, appraisers,
collectors, clubs and more A vast directory!
Santa Land!
- - A great site chock full of stories, graphics,
cards and all kinds of links to other Christmas goodies. First Christmas site
on the web, since 1991.
The ANTIQUES ALMANAC, by Bob
Brooke:
- - A site full of antiques, including Christmas
- and links to other goodies.
Tacky Christmas Yards Police: -
- - This stuff is hilarious, but it's kinda sad,
too.
More to Come!
Keep Watching!