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A Livingetc report describes how Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are bringing new attention to Christmas village collecting, including Department 56 displays. Collector Holly Hessler Lubrano says demand has made some pieces harder to find secondhand, though the scale of the trend and its market impact have not been quantified.
Social media is giving Christmas village collecting a wider audience, according to a Livingetc report on displays built around miniature holiday houses, including pieces from Department 56. The feature describes renewed interest among younger creators and collectors, but offers no audience or sales data to measure the trend’s size.
Collectors post their miniature holiday scenes on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, where the displays can combine houses, figures and decorative details into seasonal settings. The Livingetc report says the platforms have helped inspire a new wave of scene creators and connected fans who share an interest in the hobby.
One collector featured, Holly Hessler Lubrano, known online as @villageatrois, has nearly 300 Christmas village pieces, most of them from Department 56. She began collecting for herself after moving to Williamsburg, Virginia, during the COVID period, when she found a Department 56 piece her mother had wanted. Her collection now includes items bought secondhand and pieces given to her by other collectors.
Lubrano told Livingetc that sought-after pieces have become harder to find in the secondhand market and that prices have risen. Those observations reflect her experience; the report does not provide market-wide price data. She also said collectors sometimes pass pieces on when they no longer have the space or interest to set up a display, allowing the objects and associated memories to continue through someone else’s collection.
The online attention matters because Christmas villages are not only collections of objects but also displays that take time and space to assemble. Sharing them lets collectors show work that may otherwise be seen only at home, and helps people with similar interests find one another. Lubrano told Livingetc that she has met many people through posting her scenes.
The report also links the renewed interest to a broader preference for nostalgic, personal interiors—homes that feel accumulated over time rather than decorated around a single uniform style. That is the article’s interpretation, not a quantified finding about consumer behavior. For collectors, the clearest practical issue raised is access: Lubrano says prices have risen and desirable pieces are harder to locate secondhand.
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From Putz Houses to Department 56
The Livingetc report traces Christmas village displays to the tradition of putz houses, small handmade buildings associated with Christmas in parts of Germany and Central and Eastern Europe. The word comes from the German verb “putzen,” which means to decorate or clean, according to the feature. The small structures were made from materials including wood and cardboard.
The custom later reached the United States with Moravian immigrants and entered the retail market. In 1976, Minneapolis florist Bachman’s introduced six miniature porcelain houses under the name The Original Snow Village. The feature says the line was identified as department number 56 in the florist’s numbering system; Department 56 is now known for Christmas village and other seasonal collectibles.
Lubrano’s own interest also has a family history: she told Livingetc that her mother collected the houses and bought a new piece each Christmas. Lubrano later found one of her mother’s desired pieces, Department 56’s Victoria Station, for $20 in Williamsburg. That discovery helped prompt her own collection.
“My mother collected these when I was a kid. So, there’s a real sense of nostalgia.”
— Holly Hessler Lubrano, collector and creator of @villageatrois, speaking to Livingetc
The Trend’s Scale Is Unmeasured
The report does not provide figures for the number of collectors, social media views, sales or changes in secondhand prices. It is therefore unclear how widespread the renewed interest is, whether it has materially changed the collectibles market, or how much of the activity reflects a younger generation rather than existing fans sharing their hobby online.
It is also unclear whether Department 56 plans to respond to collectors’ interest in the resale market. Lubrano’s comments reflect her own experience and wishes; the feature does not include a company response or details of any planned resale initiative.
Collectors Keep Building Their Scenes
The immediate development described is ongoing community activity: collectors continue to post displays, exchange pieces and build scenes from year to year. The Livingetc report identifies no upcoming company announcement, market study or scheduled event that would establish what happens next for the trend.
For readers following the story, broader sales or resale data—and a response from Department 56 on the secondhand market—would help show whether the online attention is translating into a measurable shift. Until then, the confirmed picture is one of active collectors sharing their displays and one collector’s account of more difficult secondhand searches.
Key Questions
What is driving renewed interest in Christmas villages?
The Livingetc report points to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, which let collectors share displays and connect with other fans. It does not quantify how much the platforms have increased interest.
What is Department 56?
Department 56 is a collectibles brand associated with Christmas village houses and other seasonal lines. The report traces its name to a 1976 collection of six porcelain houses made by Minneapolis florist Bachman’s.
Are Department 56 pieces getting more expensive?
Collector Holly Hessler Lubrano told Livingetc that prices have risen and some pieces are harder to find secondhand. The feature provides no market-wide price figures, so the scale of any increase is unknown.
How did Christmas village displays begin?
The report traces them to handmade putz houses, small Christmas decorations made in parts of Germany and Central and Eastern Europe. The custom later reached the United States with Moravian immigrants.
Source: livingetc.com
