Love the melted color wheel, so true-to-life. Also the raggedy look of the branches. All you needed to do was pull them out of the tubes in the wrong direction once or twice.
The green tree looked more fake than the aluminum one? :D Too funny, kid! My parents bought the fake green tree with all the wire “stalks” that had a bit of colored paint on the end like your silver tree. It was the only tree I remember in our house growing up. One of my grandmas had an aluminum tree and her only decorations were some red glass ornaments and the special light. Every year during present unwrapping at least one of those balls was broken, until grandma gave up and bought the balls that had tiny fibers wrapped around a styro ball. I always wanted my parents to buy one of those trees and the light but they never did. Now I am lucky if I get our 4ft prelit tree out before Christmas.
I’m still wondering what the “kids” are doing this Christmas. Will there be no celebration with the extended family? Have A&J totally forgotten that they have a son, daughter-in-law, and step-granddaughter? (Has Jimmy Johnson forgotten?)
Wow, I had the EXACT same experience in the 70’s. Exact aluminum tree with “branches” of varying length and color coded to different holes on the trunk. The rotating 4 quadrant light…that eventually melted. The pain of putting up and taking down the tree. Ah…the memories.
We always had real trees cut from the woods every Christmas. We lived in the boonies and had some acreage so my dad and mom would go get a tree. Never failed to have a nest or two of spiders which would freak out my older sister. I loved the smell of those trees. After Christmas, it would be burned. Back then you could burn your trash on Saturdays. There was no trash pick-up. As an adult, I didn’t bother with a tree for many years. I now have a pre-lit fake tree in the window above the garage (I just unplug it from the timer after Christmas but it never gets put away) and an ornate iron “tree” to hang ornaments on in the house.
Tyge Premium Member over 5 years ago
Perception is in the eye of the beholder! … or some such.
fuzzbucket Premium Member over 5 years ago
The early artificial trees did look bad.
ShadeBlackfox over 5 years ago
Do electric sheep graze on aluminum trees? (very vague reference, sorry)
Meg: All Seriousness Aside over 5 years ago
Um, so does a fir tree covered in lights and little round shiny balls and sitting in a residence look real?
well-i-never over 5 years ago
A sad, nostalgic Christmas story. There should be a song.
SpacedInvader Premium Member over 5 years ago
Well they looked fake but the aluminum ones left no doubt.
John Leonard Premium Member over 5 years ago
This makes sense to me – the aluminum tree wasn’t an imitation of anything, whereas the early artificial tress were obvious fakes.
Happy Tinkerbelle Premium Member over 5 years ago
do android dogs dream chasing the ever ready bunny?
Oge over 5 years ago
Love the melted color wheel, so true-to-life. Also the raggedy look of the branches. All you needed to do was pull them out of the tubes in the wrong direction once or twice.
kunddog over 5 years ago
thinking of the aluminum xmas tree reminds of the times of project echo (the chirsmas ornament in the sky) and the x rockets all silver and shining
HyperTay over 5 years ago
The green tree looked more fake than the aluminum one? :D Too funny, kid! My parents bought the fake green tree with all the wire “stalks” that had a bit of colored paint on the end like your silver tree. It was the only tree I remember in our house growing up. One of my grandmas had an aluminum tree and her only decorations were some red glass ornaments and the special light. Every year during present unwrapping at least one of those balls was broken, until grandma gave up and bought the balls that had tiny fibers wrapped around a styro ball. I always wanted my parents to buy one of those trees and the light but they never did. Now I am lucky if I get our 4ft prelit tree out before Christmas.
gammaguy over 5 years ago
I’m still wondering what the “kids” are doing this Christmas. Will there be no celebration with the extended family? Have A&J totally forgotten that they have a son, daughter-in-law, and step-granddaughter? (Has Jimmy Johnson forgotten?)
howard over 5 years ago
Wow, I had the EXACT same experience in the 70’s. Exact aluminum tree with “branches” of varying length and color coded to different holes on the trunk. The rotating 4 quadrant light…that eventually melted. The pain of putting up and taking down the tree. Ah…the memories.
pchemcat over 5 years ago
We always had real trees cut from the woods every Christmas. We lived in the boonies and had some acreage so my dad and mom would go get a tree. Never failed to have a nest or two of spiders which would freak out my older sister. I loved the smell of those trees. After Christmas, it would be burned. Back then you could burn your trash on Saturdays. There was no trash pick-up. As an adult, I didn’t bother with a tree for many years. I now have a pre-lit fake tree in the window above the garage (I just unplug it from the timer after Christmas but it never gets put away) and an ornate iron “tree” to hang ornaments on in the house.