• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Christmas is coming

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Was at Canadian Tire the other day. Patio sets, Halloween stuff, and it looked like they were just starting to put the Christmas stuff.

I have to admit I love going to the store when all the Christmas stuff is out. 😀 I feel it's TOO early though, at very least wait until Halloween is over!
 
Was at Canadian Tire the other day. Patio sets, Halloween stuff, and it looked like they were just starting to put the Christmas stuff.

I have to admit I love going to the store when all the Christmas stuff is out. 😀 I feel it's TOO early though, at very least wait until Halloween is over!
With the supply chain problems, all the Christmas stuff IS already out.

....I vote we panic.
 
I actually wanted to buy a nice new tree this year, but I dont think I will.
My wife and I bought one of the top of the line Balsam Hill prelit flip trees last year, like 2 grand, and after we set it up (which as advertised took like 30 seconds) we immediately decided to return it. Was incredibly cheap looking, we were really disappointed. Our current tree is a much older Balsam Hill that looks fantastic.
 
Speaking of Christmas early (yay!) I bought some holiday eggnog from safeway a week or 2 ago (mid September).
 
I actually wanted to buy a nice new tree this year, but I dont think I will.
Decorate a potted plant or a lamp instead.


We trudged through 3 ft of snow and ice, uphill in both directions for decades to cut down our tree. Now days its (mercifully), a fake 2ft Adirondack with fairy lights.
 
It's crossed my mind to do a real tree, but I'm one of those people that likes to start early and make it last, so I think the tree would start to be in pretty bad shape lol. I also feel it's a bit wasteful to cut a tree for a temp thing. I guess you can cut it into firewood and let it dry for the next season so it's not that much a waste. There is something fun about going in the bush searching for the right tree. I remember doing it a few times as a kid, though I don't remember actually having a real one inside... I think we may have gotten one to put outside or something like that or maybe it was for church... don't remember.
 
My wife and I bought one of the top of the line Balsam Hill prelit flip trees last year, like 2 grand, and after we set it up (which as advertised took like 30 seconds) we immediately decided to return it. Was incredibly cheap looking, we were really disappointed. Our current tree is a much older Balsam Hill that looks fantastic.


$2k for a fake xmas tree? 😵

Sorry but somebody sure saw you coming! 😉

At least you returned it. *(btw.. would you like to buy a bridge?)
 
$2k for a fake xmas tree? 😵

Sorry but somebody sure saw you coming! 😉

At least you returned it. *(btw.. would you like to buy a bridge?)

Some of the artificials are stunning. Our old Balsam Hill is fantastic (think it was something like 7-800 a decade ago?), the new one was just prelit and took 30s to set up which would be huge huge time savers and easily worth it (to me).
 
Some of the artificials are stunning. Our old Balsam Hill is fantastic (think it was something like 7-800 a decade ago?), the new one was just prelit and took 30s to set up which would be huge huge time savers and easily worth it (to me).


$500 for a fake tree would be borderline-absurd IMO no matter how shiny the plastic is rotfl. $2k = you are a mark unless the thing was hand-crafted from organic silk in Katmandu by fasting, celibate monks!

😉

(Sorry)

Fake tree's are way less work though so I understand the rationalization.
 
Last edited:
I would not mind paying $500 for a very GOOD tree that is guaranteed to last my life time. More if it's made in Canada, I will always be willing to pay a bit more for that. In a way I prefer non prelit as with prelit as the bulbs start to burn out, especially with the mini lights, they eventually all burn out, and it's hard to find replacement bulbs. The voltage standards for those are also all over the place.

I kind of want to look into playing more with LEDs and LED driver circuitry some time and once I can dial that in I want to look at making my own custom Christmas lights. What would be cool is addressable bulbs the size of C9's that are indoor/outdoor rated, and run off straight DC. No PWM rubish. Could maybe run off POE and can use some form of telnet to control them. No phone app, just a web interface that talks to it via telnet. Honestly I don't know why that's not already a thing, would be great for commercial applications.
 
Yeah 2k would be pushing it pretty far I think... You can buy a top of the line chainsaw for less and get a real tree every year and still come out ahead. 😛
 
Yeah 2k would be pushing it pretty far I think... You can buy a top of the line chainsaw for less and get a real tree every year and still come out ahead. 😛


Just think.... you already own a lifetime-supply of NATURAL Canadian xmas tree's and cutting em down can also help clear your land!


😀
 
It's crossed my mind to do a real tree, but I'm one of those people that likes to start early and make it last, so I think the tree would start to be in pretty bad shape lol. I also feel it's a bit wasteful to cut a tree for a temp thing. I guess you can cut it into firewood and let it dry for the next season so it's not that much a waste. There is something fun about going in the bush searching for the right tree. I remember doing it a few times as a kid, though I don't remember actually having a real one inside... I think we may have gotten one to put outside or something like that or maybe it was for church... don't remember.
It was fun and I may have exaggerated the experience. Around here there are tree farms grown specifically for Christmas trees, so I never got the waste vibe. I'm also mildly allergic or sensitive to pine pitch, so every year the itches, so no ty on the pine toilet paper yikes.
From the Old Testament, Itchyassticus.
 
My sister worked for a very high-end Manhattan florist quite a few years back. She remembers going to one rich couples house where her boss had helped them decorate multiple Christmas trees for the holiday season. Each one had a theme. And each one cost over $5,000 to decorate.
 
Back
Top