How Do You Choose Vintage Christmas Books as Gifts?
Story books, annuals, carol books, and children's books, and how to tell which copy is the right one to wrap.
The best vintage Christmas books to give match the person, not the price tag. Pick the type first: a story book, a holiday annual, a carol book, or a children's Christmas book. Then check the printing, the year, and the wear in the photos. A worn copy can still be the right copy.
Availability is not the same as the right copy. A gift has to fit the person who opens it. So let's start with what kind of book you are really looking for.
Key Takeaways
- Decide the type first: story book, annual, song book, or children's book.
- The year on a lot or a cover is not always the year your copy was printed. Look for the printing line.
- Read the wear notes first. Names, pencil, and loose covers are common in old Christmas books.
- Match the book to the person: a little one, a reader, a singer, or the one who remembers.
- Vintage does not restock neatly. If a copy fits, it may not be there later.
What Kinds of Vintage Christmas Books Make Good Gifts?
Vintage Christmas story books
A story book is the classic choice. It is the kind of book that gets read aloud once a year.
If you want a name to start with, try Tasha Tudor. She wrote and illustrated Becky's Christmas (Viking Press, 1961). Snow Before Christmas came out in 1941 from Oxford University Press, and The Dolls' Christmas in 1950.
I don't have a Tasha Tudor book in the shop right now. When one comes in, it goes into my Vintage Christmas Collection.
Christmas annuals
Christmas: An American Annual of Christmas Literature and Art came from Augsburg Publishing House, edited by Randolph E. Haugan. It is big (14 x 10 inches) and full of stories, poems, art, and music.
Two are in the shop right now. The 1979 annual is a softcover with writing in pen and a smudge on the first page. It is $29.00.
The 1974 annual is paired with a 1950 General Motors booklet called Merry Christmas, printed for GM employees, with a Liberty Bell on its green cover. The listing says the annual is Volume Forty Five, Second Edition. Its red cover shows rubbing and edge wear, and the inside pages are colorful and clean. The pair is $29.99.
Christmas song books
Carol books are for the person who actually sings.
My Vintage Christmas Song Books set of 2 pairs The Christmas Song Book (1929, per the listing) with a Christmas Carols booklet (1948, per the listing). I'll be plain about this one. It is graded Fair, and the cover of the 1929 book is detached from the pages. It is a set to sing from, not a crisp shelf copy. It is $14.99.
Vintage children's Christmas books
These work for a child, or for a grown-up who wants back the copy they had.
The Animals' Christmas Eve by Gale Wiersum, with pictures by Jim Robison, is a Little Golden Book from Golden Press, a 1978 second printing. It is graded Very Good, with a previous owner's name in pen on the "belongs to" page. It is $24.99. More Little Golden Books live in my vintage children's books.
The ABC for Christmas lot of 3 holds ABC for Christmas, a Golden Press carols book, and The Baby Born in a Stable by Janice Kramer (Concordia, 1965). All three are Good, readable copies. The carols book has sticker residue and pencil writing, and The Baby Born in a Stable has a name in pencil. It is $24.99.
What Should You Check in a Used Vintage Christmas Book?
The printing line, not just the year. That ABC lot is a good example. The 1965 in its title belongs to The Baby Born in a Stable. The listing shows ABC for Christmas is a sixth printing from 1980. That is fine. Just know it before you wrap it.
Names and notes inside. A name on the "belongs to" page is common. Some people love that. Some want a clean page. Decide which kind of person you are buying for.
Covers and spines. Paper annuals and song booklets curl and rub. A detached cover is a bigger deal than shelf wear, so look for it in the photos.
What the seller can't confirm. If I can't confirm a detail from the book itself, my listing says so. If you want a full checklist, here are the questions to ask before buying a vintage book online.
How Do You Pick a Vintage Christmas Book as a Gift?
Start with the person, not the shelf.
- For a little one: a picture book with bright pages and sturdy covers.
- For the reader: a story book or an annual they can sit with.
- For the singer: a carol book, honest wear and all.
- For the one who remembers: ask what they remember. The animals in the barn? The snow on the cover? Start there.
If you want more than one book in the box, my vintage and classic book bundles put a few together for you.
Lists of the best Christmas books are everywhere. The right copy for your person is harder to find, and that is the one worth wrapping.
A Quick Shipping Note
Most orders of $35 and up ship free. Order by Dec. 1 for free shipping. After that, choose Ground Advantage at checkout.
I ship orders in 1 business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are vintage Christmas books?
Vintage Christmas books are older printings of Christmas story books, holiday annuals, carol books, and children's Christmas books. The ones in my shop right now run from 1929 to 1980. Each copy carries its own wear and history, so read the condition notes and the printing line before you pick one to give.
Q. Are vintage children's Christmas books good gifts for kids today?
Yes, for the right child. Picture books with bright pages and intact binding hold up to reading aloud. Some buyers want one to replace a copy from childhood. Check for loose pages and writing inside, and decide if a previous owner's name matters to you.
Q. What is a Tasha Tudor Christmas book?
It is a Christmas book written or illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Take Joy! The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book (World Publishing, 1966) is one she selected, edited, and illustrated. She illustrated more than one Night Before Christmas edition, so the year and publisher on the copy matter.
Q. How can I tell what year a vintage Christmas book was printed?
Look at the copyright page, not just the cover. Many books list a printing line, like "sixth printing" or "second printing," that tells you when your copy came off the press. A copyright year alone tells you when the book first appeared, not when your copy was made.
Q. Is a name written inside a vintage Christmas book a problem?
Not always. Many Christmas books were given as gifts, so names on the first page are common. Some buyers see that as part of the book's history. Others want a clean page. A good listing names the writing so you can decide before you buy.
The Right Copy Comes Out Every December
A Christmas book gets opened once a year, often in the same chair, by the same voice, for a lot of years. That is why the copy matters.
Pick the type. Check the printing. Read the wear.
Find the right copy for you in my Vintage Christmas Collection.
The best vintage Christmas book is the one somebody keeps bringing out every December.
Keep Reading
- Questions to ask before buying a vintage book online: what to ask so the book that arrives is the one you pictured.
- My Tasha Tudor article on X: if her books are on your list, I wrote more about her there.
About the Author
Pam Fournier is a bookseller and the owner of Reading Vintage in Midland, Michigan. She has been out hunting sales for fifteen years, five of them as co-owner of an estate sale company. Every listing shows the actual copy you get, wear named. Reading Vintage has over 500 reviews across Shopify and Etsy.
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