A GRIMM CHRISTMAS IS A FESTIVE HOLIDAY

A lighted 1950s music box plays "Silent Night" with doors that open.

Bubble light ornaments were popular Christmas decorations in the 1940s and 1950s.

Stan and Jane Grimm at 2208 Crown Point enjoy collecting antique Christmas ornaments and other Christmas memorabilia.

Twas' the day before Christmas and all through the house, everyone was stirring -- except a mouse.

When it comes to Christmas at the home of Stanley A. and Jane Grimm, preparing for seasonal festivities is a major production that would put Santa's elves to shame.

It's also a labor of love that has become a family tradition.

Hardly a corner in the Grimm home goes undecorated. The antique stair railing bought during a surplus sale of materials following remodeling of the Common Pleas Courthouse and incorporated into the Grimms' new home, is hung with stockings for the family and for Pudge the dog.

There's a festive air already, and it's sure to get merrier as the Grimms welcome son and daughter-in-law Mark and Julie, son John and Mark and Julie's dog, Pudge. Another son, David, who lives in Texas, will share in the festivities from afar this year.

"It does look a lot like Christmas here," said Grimm, a Missouri Court of Appeals judge who enjoys spending his leisure hours in pursuit of quaint and unusual Christmas items.

Over the years, the Grimm Christmas collections have grown to include dozens of lights and ornaments of Christmases past; rare, hard-to-find feather Christmas trees that were popular around the turn of the century; and a number of other eye-catching decorations.

"The hobby is Stan's," said his wife, Jane, "but over the years I have become more and more interested in collecting antique ornaments and decorations."

While Grimm happily digs through boxes of old Christmas decorations at auctions, Jane Grimm furthers her collection of kitchen collectibles -- utensils, cookie cutters, napkin holders and cookie holders, many of which are displayed on a special board in her kitchen.

One of Jane's favorites collectibles is Hazel, a large doll now displayed in a glass case. The doll belonged to Jane Grimm's mother, and the hands and face are made of fine porcelain.

Grimm loves to share the history of many of his Christmas treasures and can remember exactly when he obtained many of his holiday jewels.

"I'll always remember a day I obtained my first feather tree," said the judge, who maintains an office in St. Louis. "I was home for the weekend and decided to stop by a local auction. There, on a wagon full of auction merchandise, stood a forlorn looking Christmas tree."

Most feather trees are not particularly good looking, and this one was no exception. Still it was a beauty in Grimm's eyes and he was delighted to be the successful bidder. Today, the five-foot feather tree is a focal point of the Grimms' holiday decorations and is the ideal spot to display some of their older ornaments.

Feather trees, Grimm said, ranged in size from 2 inches to just over 8 feet. All types of feathers -- goose, turkey and swan -- were used for the branches.

"The feathers were dyed, stripped of their quills and wrapped around wire branches," Grimm explained. "The reason for the wide spaces between branches was safety, because people often used candles on the trees."

Feather trees began fading from the Christmas tree scene after World War II when more artificial trees were being made.

But feather trees are still very collectible, added Grimm, who obtained a second feather tree which was given to him by a Cape Girardeau family. The second tree, about 2 feet tall, dates back to the early 1900s.

Many of the ornaments that hang from the judge's feather trees are as unusual and old as the trees.

"We have glass, plastic and paper ornaments," said Grimm. "Most are from the 1930s and 1940s, although some may be older or newer. Age doesn't matter, I just buy what I like."

Grimm started his Christmas memorabilia collection more than 15 years ago when he found a box of old Noma Bubble Lights in a box he had purchased at auction because of some cookie cutters in the box.

"I remember the old bubble lights when I was younger," said Grimm. "The lights were popular after World War II."

Grimm decided to obtain enough bubble lights to light a Christmas tree. That goal has been realized, and he has bubble lights to spare.

The Grimm house has a number of Christmas trees.

Besides the two feather trees, the Grimms have a larger tree decorated with lights and ornaments of all types and sizes.

The bubble-light tree is downstairs, along with another smaller tree.

The smaller tree includes some "Whirl-Glo" shades.

The Whirl-Glo shades were made by the Sail-Me Co. in Chicago, circa 1936. The shades were placed on cone-shaped paper cups, which were placed on the bulbs. The heat from the bulbs causes the shade to revolve.

The shades came in brilliant colorful detail with designs featuring Santa Claus, Santa and his sleigh, animals and outdoor scenes.

Adding to the Christmas flavor at the Grimm house is a miniature Christmas village setting.

"These are probably from the 1950s," said Jane Grimm. "The houses were made of cardboard and covered with a rough paper (like sandpaper), with cellophane for windows.

The village is complete with bottle-brush trees with snow on their branches and a frozen pond (mirror) nearby. On the backside of the village is a Christmas music box with doors that open and close as the music plays.

In another location is a vintage cardboard nativity scene, which was popular during the 1940s and 1950s.

"We really love Christmas," said Jane Grimm. "For us, it's a very special time of year."