Vintage Blow Molds | America's Antique Mall (2024)

Your holiday wishes have come true! Holiday blow molds are making a comeback. In a nostalgic blast from the past, blow molds make the perfect vintage addition to decorate your home for any holiday. Don’t just limit these rare finds to Christmas; you can have a vintage blow mold for every holiday!

Collecting Christmas blow molds and other holiday vintage blow molds can be the perfect reason to explore your local antique mall. Joining antique enthusiasts in their quest for rare Halloween blow molds or candle blow molds will ignite your interest in the classic décor. Does a snowman blow mold represent the holiday décor of your childhood? Then you are going to love this vintage blow mold walk down memory lane.

Vintage Blow Molds | America's Antique Mall (1)

What is a Blow Mold?

A blow mold is a hollow object that has been created by blowing plastic into a mold cavity. Blow molding is a special type of molding process, but it has some similarities with traditional glassblowing. When air is blown into the mold cavity across the heated plastic, the plastic expands across the interior walls of the mold to create a hollow object. Specifically, the Christmas blow molds we have come to know and love!

Christmas blow molds are the plastic, light-up figures and lawn ornaments of our childhood. If your lawn didn’t boast a Santa blow mold, reindeer blow mold, and a snowman, were you really celebrating Christmas? Vintage blow molds have been the source of holiday delight for many years and will continue to delight for years to come.

Do They Still Make Christmas Blow Molds?

Sadly, there aren’t many manufacturers of Christmas blow molds anymore. That’s what makes the vintage blow molds so valuable. However, blow mold makers do still exist, and they continue to produce new blow molds for retailers who sell them online. There are a few sellers that sell Blow Molds on Amazon like the snowman, classic light up nativity and this cute reindeer dog.

The most recognized Christmas blow mold maker, General Foam Plastics, closed its doors in 2017. After 60 years of producing holiday décor, their final orders were shipped. No doubt these last additions to the blow mold market will see a steep increase in value as they age.

Why are Blow Molds So Popular?

Fifty years ago, holiday blow molds were a common lawn decoration. You could see all types of blow molds throughout your neighborhood. Christmas blow molds such as Santa blow molds, snowman blow molds, and even nativity blow molds were very popular additions to a festive yard.

Popular Christmas Blow Mold Styles:

Vintage Blow Molds | America's Antique Mall (2)
  • Santa

  • Reindeer

  • Snowman

  • Nativity

  • Candle

These days, Christmas blow molds are harder to find. Some collectors have taken to exploring antique malls to add to their vintage blow mold collection. Christmas blow molds remain popular because they remind us of times past, and they bring back that old, vintage charm every holiday season.

Are Vintage Blow Molds Valuable?

If kept in good condition, a vintage blow mold can become increasingly valuable depending on its size and age. As the companies that made Christmas blow molds went out of business, the vintage holiday décor suddenly became more valuable as collector items. Their nostalgic value remains immeasurable.

How Can You Tell How Old a Blow Mold Is?

The age of a holiday blow mold can be easy to determine with just a little practice. The age of the vintage décor is important for collectors and a point of interest to most. When you are scouring the antique malls for an authentic vintage Christmas blow mold, there are a few things to look for.

5 Ways to Identify a Vintage Christmas Blow Mold

Vintage Blow Molds | America's Antique Mall (3)

1. Look at the markings on the bottom. Older Christmas blow molds have embossed dates.

2. Look for a barcode. Barcoding didn’t start until 1974, so the Santa blow mold you found can’t be too old if it has a barcode!

3. Look for signs of wear and tear. It is normal if the Grinch blow mold you found at the antique mall has sun-bleached areas or dirt and scratches.

4. Look for a plug. If you come across a candle blow mold with an older electric plug, you may have found a true vintage blow mold.

5. Look online and do a little research. If you find a snowman blow mold at the antique mall and question its age, do a quick search of images online.

You will get a rush when you find the vintage blow molds that remind you of your past. The golden rule of antiquing also applies to finding a Santa blow mold at the local antique mall – if you love him, buy him; you will always find a place for him come Christmas!

Are Vintage Blow Molds Just for Christmas?

Vintage Blow Molds | America's Antique Mall (4)

Absolutely not! You can find vintage blow molds for other holidays, including Halloween blow molds and Easter blow molds. Santa blow molds may be all the rage during Christmas but blow mold décor comes out of storage more than once a year!

Avid blow mold collectors include Easter blow molds, such as the Easter bunny and colored eggs, in their springtime yard decorations. And Halloween blow molds, such as spooky pumpkins and ghosts, scare up some frightening yard décor, as well. Blow mold nostalgia is all about bringing the sights of our childhood out of storage and onto our yards a few times a year.

Where Can I Find Vintage Blow Molds?

While there are some online retailers, like eBay or Amazon, the selection on these sites can be small and the shipping is often costly. The best place to find a vintage blow mold is at your local antique mall. Walking through the vendor stalls, you are sure to find a Santa blow mold peeking out of festive holiday décor. And if you find Santa with a set of reindeer blow molds by his side, you know Christmas has come early!

Buying from your local antique mall ensures you will have plenty of friendly, knowledgeable people to help you authenticate the vintage of your new Christmas blow mold. There is no better place to lose yourself in a world of vintage décor and find the perfect holiday blow mold to start your collection – or join the massive collection of vintage blow molds you have been collecting for years!

*If you purchase something after clicking one of our Amazon links, we get a small commission which helps us keep these blogs going. Thanks!

Vintage Blow Molds | America's Antique Mall (2024)

FAQs

Are blow molds worth anything? ›

If kept in good condition, a vintage blow mold can become increasingly valuable depending on its size and age. As the companies that made Christmas blow molds went out of business, the vintage holiday décor suddenly became more valuable as collector items. Their nostalgic value remains immeasurable.

How to tell if a blow mold is vintage? ›

Be sure to turn your blow mold over to look for any markings. Many times these markings will be embossed, and if they are there, they can be usually seen easily. In addition, sometimes there will be a date listed as well, and that is an instant way to determine if your blow mold is old. This is the front of a new one.

What are the rarest blow molds? ›

Which blow molds are the rarest?
  • Halloween decorations with a haunted theme: Antique blow mold decorations are rare. ...
  • Christmas Favorites: Like Halloween, there are rare Christmas decorations, too. ...
  • Special Editions: Sometimes, companies make special versions of these molds.
Feb 11, 2024

Does anyone make blow molds anymore? ›

Although two of the leading manufacturers of classic blow molds, General Foam Plastics and Union Products, went out of business in 2018 and 2006, respectively, other companies such as Cado, which acquired Union's molds, the Twillery Co. and Mr. Christmas are turning out new models and reproductions of old ones.

What kind of plastic are vintage blow molds made of? ›

In the 1950's High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polypropylene (PP) were used to produce containers for water, oil, and most importantly, the lowly milk jug.

In what ways are molds valuable? ›

Some molds perform valuable functions in our lives. For example, they age and flavor cheeses and they are used in bread making, fermenting liquor, producing soy sauce, producing penicillin and manufacturing citric acid used to flavor soft drinks.

What is the oldest blow mold? ›

The first blow molds were made in the 1940s, but they didn't really catch on until Don Featherstone graduated from art school in 1957 and went right to work for Union Products. He designed a duck and then a pink flamingo.

Are blow molds making a comeback? ›

Believe it or not, blow molds are making a comeback. We've rounded up the best Christmas blow molds, including everything from toy soldiers and festive gift boxes to an adorable golden retriever donning a Santa hat. Retailers like Walmart, Lowe's and Ace Hardware still make the decorations today.

Can you repaint vintage blow molds? ›

If the paint on your blow mold appears faded or scratched, Sansing says you can freshen it up with plastic-friendly spray paint, such as Fusion All-in-One by Krylon. "First, use masking tape and a precision knife to cover the sections of the mold you don't want to paint," she advises.

When did they stop making blow molds? ›

Many American companies created blow-mold ornaments from the 1950s through the early 1990s. Blow-mold yard decorations are still available, but few blow-mold companies are still operating in the U.S. at this time. Some have been made in the 2000s in China.

What are the three types of blow Moulding? ›

In general, there are three main types of blow molding: extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, and injection stretch blow molding.

What is the most commonly blow molded product? ›

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

HDPE is the world's #1 plastic and the most commonly blow molded plastic material.

How do you date blow molds? ›

If your figure still has a barcode label attached, this will often have the manufacture date (month/year) stamped on it. This is the only way to date a figure conclusively, excluding exceptions where a figure was only manufactured for one year.

How do you store vintage blow molds? ›

Storing of Vintage Blow Molds

Storing these treasures properly is just as crucial as cleaning them. Wrap each blow mold in soft fabric or bubble wrap and place them in a sturdy container to guard against dust and physical damage. Keep the blow molds in a cool, dry area with minimal temperature fluctuations.

How long do blow molds last? ›

The life of a mold depends on the age of the mold and the numbers of products it has produced. According to Richard Bell, our Tooling Manager, “A well-maintained blow mold should last 15 – 20 years before the materials begin to fail beyond repair.”

Is blow molding expensive? ›

On average, an extrusion blow mold of a single cavity is as cheap as $3000 whereas a multi-cavity extrusion blow mold can go up to $25000 which is expensive but it comes with enough efficiency to return the profits and cover up the initial cost. Injection blow molds are more expensive than extrusion blow molds.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Nathanael Baumbach

Last Updated:

Views: 6353

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (75 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nathanael Baumbach

Birthday: 1998-12-02

Address: Apt. 829 751 Glover View, West Orlando, IN 22436

Phone: +901025288581

Job: Internal IT Coordinator

Hobby: Gunsmithing, Motor sports, Flying, Skiing, Hooping, Lego building, Ice skating

Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.