Dark Cobalt Blue Mercury Glass Bead Christmas Garland Antique beaded mercury glass Christmas garlands are very hard to find in this rich, dark cobalt blue color. I know because I searched far and wide before I finally found this one for my Patriotic feather tree. As it turned out, the beads are too large for my little tree, a little over 1/2 inch diameter or about 14mm.

The coloring is fantastic, and unfortunately my pictures don't show the depth and intensity. They're darker than the photos, and have a wonderful shading from bead to bead, some almost iridescent, others dark and reflective, still others nearly transparent deep blue, all from the natural degradation of the inner mercury silvering. There is absolutely no peeling or flaking of the color though, these beads are older and were made by a better process than later garlands which did not maintain their color nearly as well.

The garland measures 93" (beads only, not excess string, of which there is very little), or 7 feet 9 inches long. It was apparently broken at one time as evidenced by a knot a few inches from one end. I removed one bead that was completely broken, but left four others with side holes as they still retain their round shape. I will leave it to the new owner to determine whether or not to remove the four damaged beads.

Circa: 1920s - 1930s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Pre War German Import  

Multi-Color Mercury Glass Christmas Bead Garland Six and a half feet or 78 inches of vintage mercury glass bead garland. The garland is in two pieces, one 32" length and a 46 inch length tied together at the ends - you can use them as they are, restring the beads, or tie them together in one single length. The blue, red, green, gold, and silver beads are triples - fused together in threes. Individually, the beads are small, maybe 3/8" diameter.

I noted a couple of chipped beads on the strings but left them because they're not severely damaged. There is some normal loss of the inner silvering, causing a random transparent effect to some of the beads and pleasant variations in coloring. Some of the red colored beads have wear to the finish, a common problem with this type of garland.

Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Mid Century Japan Import  

Small Multi-Color Mercury Glass Christmas Tree Bead Garland This little 21" long vintage Christmas bead garland was made from colored mercury glass beads and Czech tube beads. The ends have been tied as if to make a necklace, and was perhaps hung on the tree just like that. In very good condition with no broken beads.

Circa: 1930s
Country of Origin: CZ
Manufacturer: Pre-War Czech Import  

Unused Box Vintage Gold Christmas Tinsel Garland This unused box of vintage metallic gold tinsel Christmas garland is the thin, more feathery cellophane or plastic type of tinsel, with a very thin wire down the center of the strand, enabling it to hold it's shape if needed.

The box contains 18 feet of 2" wide garland. The sides and flaps of the box are worn and crushed as shown, and the back of the box is slightly stained but the tinsel inside is unused and in excellent condition. Marked Japan with no manufacturer name or address, dates to the 1960s. Two boxes are available, price is per box.

Circa: 1960 - 1965
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Mid Century Japan Import  

Pink and Silver German Mercury Glass Bead Christmas Garland This 20 inch length of beaded mercury glass Christmas garland was made in Germany. It consists of 5/8" round silver and 1-3/8" long oval pink double pike, thin silvered glass ornaments or beads strung on cotton cord with hooks at either end. There is some wear to the pink finish and typical minor chipping to the pike tips but overall the garland is in very good condition for its age with no holes or breaks to the ornaments. The garland is measured by beads only, not additional string.

Circa: 1930s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Pre War German Import  

Fancy Indent Glass Christmas Garland 8 Feet This vintage glass Christmas tree garland is made of gold mercury glass ribbed tubular beads and double star indented beads with the reflector centers tinted in various colors like blue, pink, green, and yellow. The garland is 8 feet long, measured with beads only, not excess string. Any broken indent beads were removed before measuring but some of the gold ribbed beads have chipped ends. Some of the tinted indent colors have faded or worn with age and the inner mercury silvering have darkened in places, deteriorated in others, all typical occurrences to glass garlands of this age.

Circa: 1940s - 1950s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Mid Century Japan Import  

Red Mercury Glass Christmas Bead Garland 8 Feet This vintage beaded Christmas tree garland is 101 inches long, or 8 feet 5 inches (beads measured only without extra string). The red mercury glass beads are joined in pairs or double beads, about 9 mm diameter, or about 3/8" singly. They're strung on cotton cord with wire ends and cardboard stoppers. The string was broken at one time and re-knotted in two places. There are no chipped or broken beads but the red coloring has typical fading, darkening, and rub wear, just enough to provide an authentic antique appearance you could never duplicate in a modern garland.

Circa: 1940s - 1950s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Mid Century Japan Import  

15 Feet Gold Mercury Glass Christmas Bead Garland Two strands of gold mercury glass beaded Christmas tree garland totaling more than 15 feet. One length is 86" long, the other 90". The longer string has wired ends and one original cardboard stopper. The other strand has metal ornament hooks attached to each end. Both have approximately 1/4" diameter single beads and are in good vintage condition - no broken beads noted, good coloring with only slight silvering loss.

Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Mid Century Japan Import  

Pastel Beaded Mercury Glass Christmas Garland With Bell Ornaments Six feet (72 inches) of vintage mercury glass bead Christmas garland with 5 early plastic bell ornaments attached to the strand. The 1 inch high bells are unique, and old, finished in metallic carnival or iridescent effect colors. Three have Deco era rings, and two have cool carvings on both sides - what appears to be a Father Christmas face.

The bells date to the late 1930s, the pastel colored beads could have been made anywhere from the 1930s to 1950s. The pink beads are about 1/4 inch or so diameter, the others a little smaller. The garland was strung by hand with little button stoppers on both ends. It's in excellent vintage condition with no chipped or broken beads.

Circa: 1930s - 1950s
Country of Origin: US
 

Retro Green and Gold Plastic Beaded Christmas Garland MIP A very retro 1960s plastic bead garland, unused and still in its original sealed package. It's made of plastic avocado and bright lime green beads (they're quite heavy but I think they're plastic) in round and tube shapes plus small gold colored metal spacer beads. The package doesn't say how long the strand is but measuring each section as it's wrapped I come out with about 90", over 7 feet - it may well be 8 feet when stretched out. The package is marked Made In British Crown Colony Hong Kong. The plastic is intact but with some storage wear as shown, the cardboard header has a grease pencil store price on one side.

Circa: 1960s
Country of Origin: HK
Manufacturer: Mid Century Hong Kong Import  

Vintage Metallic Curly Foil Christmas Garland More than 11 feet of curly silver metallic foil Christmas garland from the 1950s. The crinkly foil is spiral-wrapped around a thick cotton cord. There are areas where it's smashed down here and there but it displays fine when draped on the Christmas tree.

Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: US
 

Metallic Red and Silver Curly Foil Christmas Garland This 11-1/2 foot length of 1950s curly red and silver metallic foil Christmas garland resembles a thick strand of chenille. The crinkly foil is spiral-wrapped around a thick cotton cord. It's a little crushed from years of use and storage but it displays fine when draped on the Christmas tree.


Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: US
 

Blue and Silver 1950s Curly Foil Christmas Garland There's about 11 feet of this retro 1950s curly blue and silver metallic foil Christmas garland, about 3/4" diameter in thickness. The crinkly foil is spiral-wrapped around a thick cotton cord. Some minor crushing of the fragile foil but it displays fine when draped on the Christmas tree.


Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: US
 

Silver Mercury Glass Beaded Christmas Garland Nearly 10 Feet This old mercury glass beaded Christmas tree garland is made up of small silver beads, less than 1/4" diameter. It's 118 inches long (9 feet 10 inches). Many of the beads have darkened from natural age deterioration of the inner silvering, a few have small holes. I removed any that were badly broken before measuring. A foil cardboard star is wired to one end, plain wire loop on the other. The garland still has its original paper Made In Japan label wrapped around the beads. Apologies for the bad lighting and poor pictures.

Circa: 1930s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Pre-War Japan Import  

Chartreuse Green Christmas Mercury Glass Bead Garland Here's a late 1940s to early 1950s beaded Christmas tree garland, 87 inches long (a little over 7 feet). The light green chartreuse mercury glass beads are individual (later on most were made with joined double beads) and about 9 mm diameter, or about 3/8". They're strung on cotton cord with wire ends and cardboard stoppers. There are no chipped or broken beads and the coloring is even, the silvering intact.

Circa: 1940s - 1950s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Post War Japan Import  

German Mercury Glass Garland Striped Egg Shape Beads A short length of antique German blown mercury glass Christmas garland. It consists of 6 large double pike egg shaped oval bead ornaments with hang painted stripes, each 1-3/4" to 2" long. Laid end to end, they measure 10-3/4" long, not including extra string. Hand made wire hooks are attached to each end. The ornaments or beads have some normal degradation of the inner mercury silvering as well as fading and wear to the painted stripes. Only two of the pike tips are marginally chipped, amazing considering their age and fragility.

Circa: 1920s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Pre War German Import  

Multi Color Mercury Glass Christmas Bead Garland 9 Feet This vintage Japan mercury glass beaded Christmas garland is made up of medium size double beads in red, pink, gold, silver, and chartreuse. The garland measures 108 inches, exactly 9 feet long. Two of the beads have small holes in the sides, no other damage. The original Made In Japan paper label is still attached. Normal color variations due to natural age deterioration of the inner mercury silvering as shown, some wear to the red coloring.

Circa: Late 1940s - 1950s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Mid Century Japan Import  

Mercury Glass Bead Christmas Garlands Assorted Colors Several strands of mercury glass beaded Christmas garlands in bright, pretty colors to restring or use as is, about 16 feet total. There's a single bead green string 66 inches long, a single bead blue strand measuring 56", and a 69" long red/pink, chartreuse and gold double bead string. Extra beads are on a triple dangle chain. Most of the beads are small, about 3/8" diameter. The blue beads are slightly larger at about 1/4". There are a few chipped and broken beads on the green and blue strings but the colors are bold and bright with little wear.

Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Mid Century Japan Import