Village Collector Blog

Welcome to the Village Collector blog — a resource for Christmas village collectors who want to better organize, research, store, and preserve their collections.

Here you’ll find thoughtful articles covering everything from getting started and inventory tracking to in-depth series exploration, retired village research, and long-term storage care. Whether you’re just beginning or managing a large collection, these guides are designed to support the way collectors actually think about and care for their villages.

Use the category filters below to explore topics that match where you are in your collecting journey.


Department 56 American Pride Collection – A Patriotic Tribute in Miniature

Series Explored

Department 56® by the Numbers: Which Villages Are Growing, Retiring, or Disappearing?

Research & Retirements

Lemax® Retiring in 2026: What Collectors Need to Know

Research & Retirements

Where & How to Display Your Christmas Village (Shelf, Mantel & Platform Ideas)

Display, Storage & Care

Christmas Court: A 1950s Trailer Park in The Original Snow Village

Series Explored

Christmas Village Scale Guide: Department 56 & Lemax Collections Explained

Getting Started

Lemax® 2026 New Releases for Your Collection

Research & Retirements

How to Create a Fun Food Truck Vignette in Your Christmas Village

Getting Started

Department 56® New Items for 2026 for your Collection

Research & Retirements

Celebrating Real-World Design: Exploring Department 56’s American Architecture Series

Series Explored

Simpsons Christmas Villages from Hawthorne Village and Department 56

Series Explored

From a Halloween Aisle at Michael’s to a Halloween Village: Jason’s Story

Collector Stories

Complete Department 56® 2025 Retirement List

Research & Retirements

Exploring Frank Lloyd Wright Through Village Collectibles

Series Explored

Department 56® “2001 Space Oddity”: When a Snow Village Gets a Little Weird

Research & Retirements

How to Start a Christmas Village Collection (Beginner’s Guide)

Getting Started

Department 56® & Coca-Cola®: When Two Christmas Traditions Collide

Series Explored

Lemax® Village Collections: Affordable, Creative & Perfect for Growing Your Christmas Village

Getting Started

Preserving a Christmas Village Collection for the Future

Display, Storage & Care

How My Grandmother’s Village Became My Own

Collector Stories

Collector Clubs & Community Groups: Why Connecting with Other Village Collectors Matters

Getting Started

Twenty Decembers: Building a Village for Our Church Community

Collector Stories

Department 56® vs Lemax®: What’s the Difference in their Christmas Villages?

Getting Started

Digital vs Paper Inventory for Holiday Collections

Organization & Inventory