Start a New Family Tradition: Collecting Santa Claus and Black Santa Figures

Clement Clark Moore might be almost single-handedly responsible for our modern image of Santa Claus. His 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” more popularly known as “The Night Before Christmas,” paints a vivid picture of the “jolly old elf.” More than 200 years since his first literary visit, “Santa” still brings to mind a merry man with twinkling eyes, a white beard and a chubby belly.

These days, the familiar face of St. Nick is nearly synonymous with Christmas, depicted on everything from Christmas cards to clothes and in countless Christmas decorations. 

Some people can’t get enough of Santa Claus! As with snow globes, nutcrackers and other Christmas decorations, Santa figures are popular with collectors.

While it may seem unusual for grown-ups to be so absorbed by this magical hero of childhood, Santa represents love, kindness, joy and generosity. Who doesn’t want such positive energy in their lives, especially at Christmas time?

For some collectors, not just any Santa will do. They prefer a certain type of Santa item, such as Santa mugs or Father Christmas figures. And the reasons they have for collecting are as varied as the Santa collectibles themselves.

Sentiment, mixed with the thrill of the hunt, tends to motivate those who limit their collections to older and vintage Santa Claus figures. Santas from another time can evoke a feeling of nostalgia for the collector and a sense of charm for those who view them. They inspire reminiscences about childhood Christmases or the simpler celebrations of another time.

Sometimes, a Santa Claus collection blossoms from a single gift. That was the case for Callie Crossley, who was captivated by the ceramic black Santa presented to her by a family friend when she was a teenager. Today, she has more than 300 items in her curated collection of black Santas.

Clearly, people have many reasons for placing a Santa Claus decoration in their homes. Anyone with a Santa collection can tell you that discovering a special piece is a large part of the joy they receive from their hobby. Furthermore, they love sharing their collection with others, as well as sharing the stories of prized figures.

People who collect more specialized figures like vintage Santa, Santa and Mrs. Claus or African American Santa figurines may hunt for new items year-round. Still, the Christmas season is prime time to find a new Santa decoration or two.

You can find tree ornaments that depict Santa in every pose, from carrying a Christmas tree to clutching a bag of goodies. There are Santa gnome ornaments, Santa flying a rocketship and even Santa chefs. Other Santa decor features figures suitable for tabletop and commercial displays, as well as flags, artwork and outdoor decorations.

We also carry a growing selection of African American Santas, black Mrs. Claus figures, black nutcrackers and black angel tree toppers.

If you’re looking for a Santa decoration for your home, we invite you to browse our full line of ornaments and indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations to add a little Santa magic to your home!

And because Santa Claus decorations are made to be shared, we’ve included some favorites from our collection below.

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