All About Shiny Brites

*This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my small business…at no extra cost to yourself!

Shiny Brite vintage Christmas ornaments are a beautiful and nostalgic way to decorate for the holidays. You might even have some mixed in with your newer ornaments and don’t even realize it!

I don’t remember the first time I discovered Shiny Brite Christmas ornaments, but I do know I’ve been hooked on collecting them ever since. I’ve mentioned before that I think I was born during the wrong time. I love midcentury home décor, music, and clothing so much…surely that was supposed to be “my time”. In all seriousness, though, the decorations from that time, especially Christmas, are just so magical and happy! I’m drawn to the colors and design so much. Not only that, but to me, the pieces all have a story behind them. Someone loved them at one time, decorated their home with them, and made memories with them—at Christmas time, the most special family holiday!

With all the vintage ornaments in the marketplace, it can be hard to distinguish their origins or if they are, in fact, Shiny Brites. I think a lot of people just call all vintage glass ornaments Shiny Brites, but they might actually have a collection of Shiny Brites and mercury glass ornaments from West Germany, Poland, and even Colombia.

I’m not an expert, but if you wonder if you have a Shiny Brite in your collection, send me a picture and I’ll try to help you decide!

There is so much to learn about vintage Christmas ornaments, but I’m just going to cover a bit about Shiny Brites, in the hopes that it helps you understand a bit better and makes it easier for you to spot them when you’re thrifting, at an estate sale or garage sale, or even looking through boxes at your grandma’s house!

I am always in awe of people’s collections of Shiny Brites (and other vintage mercury glass Christmas ornaments), especially how many different colors, designs, and styles that were made! I thought it would be fun to share a few of my friends’ collections, including how they display them for Christmas.

I can’t wait for you to see their beautiful pictures and be inspired. I love looking to others for decorating inspiration, and it’s even better when they share a passion for something that is so special to me. Shiny Brite ornaments are a huge part of our holiday history here in the United States and it makes me happy that so many people want to save them and tell their story!

I asked on Instagram the other day if anyone had questions about Shiny Brite ornaments. I had several people respond and many of the questions were the same, which is awesome, since now I can share the information that will be the most helpful!

The brand Shiny Brite was born out of World War II. Max Eckardt, a German immigrant understood that the war would probably stop the import of German Christmas ornaments (where most were made pre-war), so he decided to see it as a business opportunity. He and a manager at Woolworth’s approached the Corning Glass Company to use a machine that had been used to make light bulbs, to now make Christmas bulbs.

The first ornaments were simple, but in later years, colors were added, and any designs were hand painted! They also added mica for a “snow” effect. During the war, any metals were only to be used for the war effort itself, so the appearance of the ornaments changed a bit. During this time, the ornaments lost any “shiny” metal luster. Instead, they were a transparent colored bulb with mostly striped designs painted on.

In addition to the metals being removed, the metal caps and hangers were replaced with cardboard. This is an easy way to tell the age of the Shiny Brite ornaments. Any that are transparent or have the cardboard hangers are very collectible, since not as many were made!

Shiny Brite ornaments don’t always come in their original box when we find them now. Even if they are in a box, you can’t be sure they’re original to that box, unless you know how to distinguish them. As a collector, one big way to tell if Shiny Brite ornaments are authentic is by their hangers. Pre WWII, the caps were stamped with “Made in the US. of A.”.

As I mentioned before, during the war, the metal caps were replaced with cardboard caps and hangers. After the war, the metal caps came back and were stamped with “Shiny Brite-Made in U.S.A.”. In addition to the stamps, the caps are scalloped on the bottom edge, and many are crimped (sort of like a tart pan). Another cool way to tell how old the ornaments are is by the style of the hook. Before the war, the cap and hook were connected and the hook itself was just one size. After the war, an adjustable hook was released. The hook itself slips into the cap and has two “settings” where it will clip into place, allowing the ornament to hang higher or lower, depending on your needs.

The boxes themselves are almost as collectible as the ornaments are. There are many different designs on them, one being Santa shaking hands with Uncle Sam. I love how patriotic this product was—proud of being made in the United States!

In the 1970’s the Shiny Brite name was sold to another company. Quality went down and the name lost its standing in the market. In the late 1990’s Christopher Radko took over the name and brought Shiny Brites back to life. He has recreated many of the same classic designs and made Shiny Brite a household name once again.

I love knowing the history of just about anything, but especially the items that I collect. Part of the appeal of collecting vintage, for me, is the stories behind the pieces. I love envisioning the families who bought and enjoyed the items. With Shiny Brites, it’s so neat to think that I’m holding Christmas ornaments that have been used for decades to dress someone’s tree. Just imagine the stories they could tell!

One question I receive a lot, regarding most vintage items, is “what is a good price to buy them at?”. I always tell people that if you’re going to collect something, do it because you love it, not because you’re going to resell it. The value of the item is totally in the eye of the beholder. If I really want something because I love it, I am willing to spend a little more on it than I would other items. If I’m buying because I’m planning to resell, the price needs to be much lower, so I can make a profit.

Prices on Shiny Brite ornaments have only grown over the last several years. They’ve had a resurgence in popularity and have had more press coverage in magazines and on social media. Every time this happens to a vintage collectible (think Pyrex), the market becomes hot hot hot and prices go up. Vintage Christmas, in general, is at an all-time high for pricing, but is almost always a popular genre to collect.

All that being said, I don’t really have a set number on what is a good price for Shiny Brite ornaments. I try to have a number personally that I won’t go over when I’m buying for myself. For individual Shiny Brite ornaments, that seems to be $3, unless it’s an amazing piece! I’m in Iowa, though, and the midwest seems to always have lower pricing than the South or either of the coasts, so median prices may be higher where you are.

I’ve shared several images of Shiny Brite ornaments in my own home, but I thought it would be so fun to share how other creatives have used them in their Christmas decorating. I love to see how imaginative people can be—I hope you will gain some inspiration from their images as well!

Megan @goodsresurrected has amazing vintage collections and her Shiny Brites are no exception. It’s still possible to find Shiny Brites in their original boxes, but finding the mini sizes for feather trees is an extra treat!

@k.grayinteriors has a beautiful Chinoiserie style display in her entryway with vintage Shiny Brites mixed in! I love the two different styles together and her color palette is so good! I love that she layered so many pieces together to create a large focal point in the space. The fishbowl planter used as a base for the tree is perfect and it looks extra special on the silver tray.

Kelly @kelly.elko has amazing collections, including hundreds of beautiful vintage Shiny Brites! She added a bunch to her collection this year, allowing her to create a cool centerpiece for her dining table, using a dough bowl, not to mention twinning Christmas trees on either side of the room.

Kim @luluandolivevintage has so many beautiful vintage Shiny Brite Christmas ornaments. She has a gorgeous color scheme in her home, so it’s fun to see how she arranges certain ornaments together, including this blue, green, and chartreuse combo on her tinsel tree!

Lance @parkerkennedyliving’s tree is outstanding this year! This flocked beauty is covered top to bottom in vintage Christmas ornaments, including plenty of Shiny Brites! The mix of colors, shapes, and designs makes the tree both stunning and interesting!

Jennifer @pearlsandapaintbrush has an amazing vintage collection of just about everything! Her vintage ornaments are beautiful, including lots of Shiny Brites. I love the way she has displayed some of her favorites, using a vintage rubber stamp holder!

@vintageholiday has incredible collections of decorations for different holidays. His Christmas ornaments are so beautiful and I love the Shiny Brites and other mercury glass beauties displayed in silver bowls en masse!

After seeing all of this Christmas decorating inspiration, I am already planning for next year! Also, I realize that I need to up my Shiny Brite hunting game. I have hundreds…but now I want more colors, shapes, and sizes!

I hope you’re feeling inspired as well…and have learned something about Shiny Brites too. I’d love to see your Shiny Brite collections-share a picture in your Instagram stories and tag me when you do! You can find me on Instagram at @hilaryprall.

*Sources for Shiny Brite history info: thecavenderdiary.com, wikipedia.com