Searching, and Finding, a Replacement of One of the First Self-Purchased Christmas Tree Ornaments

When I was about 18 to 19 years old, I decided to buy myself really nice, high end ornaments. I didn’t think I would use them right away, but I assumed that it would be one of my only chances to buy them and not feel guilty about it. Also, the Great Recession was starting to take hold, so the quality, availability, and price point of these ornaments would change sooner rather than later. This is why buying these ornaments was so important to me.

One of the first ornaments I purchased is a Lenox ornament. Its official name is Star of Bethlehem and was released in 2007. I purchased it because the shape is very attractive. I also knew it had 24K gold on it, so it fit into the category of ornaments I wanted to purchase.

Over the years, it became one of my favorite ornaments. It fit into any style I used to decorate and I loved looking at it. Even though I loved it, it was broken by a relative I took care of for many years.

This year marks six years since the relative passed away. Since I don’t need to worry about them breaking things, I decided to search for a replacement. Yet, it wasn’t easy.

The ornament was hard to find. Every time I searched on Etsy or Ebay, I couldn’t find it. I don’t know if it was because it was rare, had 24K gold on it, or just was so loved by its owners that they didn’t want to sell it. I couldn’t find it anywhere. I also had a hard time finding another ornament my relative broke from the same year. Even though it took me years to find it, I was able to track one down without the box. Yet, the Lenox ornament was no where to be found.

In November, I did online Black Friday shopping. While shopping, I found other Lenox ornaments, including a cross and snowflake in the same size as the star, on sale for a very reasonable price. They didn’t have 24K gold, but they still looked very pretty. Seeing the ornaments gave me an idea: Maybe I should try searching for my old ornament again?

Quickly searching on Ebay turned up some promising leads, but not the ornament. After searching with different keywords, I finally found three for sale!

I always thought the ornaments would cost more than what I purchased the original for, but they were priced from the sale price I purchased the ornament for to close to what full retail price was at that time. I was very happy to find a selection with prices well within my budget!

After careful consideration for price points and the ornament and box’s condition, I finally settled on one. I purchased it, and now it’s here at my house!

I still miss my old ornament. It hurts to know my relative broke it and why. Unfortunately, they broken my ornament on purpose for a petty reason. It hurts thinking about how proud I was to own the ornament and why my relative broke it. It makes me released I don’t have to take care of them anymore.

Even though this is not my old ornament, I feel relieved to have found one in its original box in really good shape. I missed it so much and enjoyed it as part of my Christmas decor. Now that it’s back, I’m planning on taking good care of it and not taking it out if I suspect it could be broke!

Well, that’s all for now! Thank you for reading!