I know it's early but I like to do things in advance...

I got married this year so we'll be looking to buy a tree for our new home. I want an artificial one but that's all I know at this point. Any advice on where to buy them? Stuff I should specifically look for? Types/brands to avoid?

Does anybody have one that isn't green? I've seen how colored ones are apparently trendy now. I can't imagine what a red tree in your living room would look like...

10/13/2010 9:04:51 AM

already?

10/13/2010 9:16:16 AM

artificial FTL

10/13/2010 9:16:25 AM

^^ not buying it yet, just looking around and researching early

10/13/2010 9:27:18 AM

hang it upside down

10/13/2010 9:29:19 AM

they actually do get bought up pretty quickly at lowes, home depot, etc. we bought one of the GE just cut 6.5' trees last year. the branches looked the most real of all the ones you can buy at a big box store, imo. ones from places like frontgate look nice but they're $texas.

i always swore we'd never have a fake tree, then i got a cat who made it his mission to destroy any live plant in the house + all the ornaments. he died very unexpectedly in may this year, and we're switching back to a live tree this xmas. last year it was so hard to ride past the place we always bought a tree (i live in the same town i grew up in).

10/13/2010 9:45:15 AM

we've got a pre-lit martha stewart 7' tree that we bought from k-mart - have used it the past 3 years and it's still in great condition - i'd recommend it if they still make it - we're going to sell it this year on craigslist and get a real tree because my wife wants one

10/13/2010 10:10:28 AM

i suspect we'll buy a pre-lit tree this year...i love real ones (the smell, the look, the overall awesomeness), but the it's just too much effort and too much money for something that you GENERALLY just throw away a month later (or it dies because you tried planting it )

10/13/2010 10:34:05 AM

Quote :

" artificial FTL"

10/13/2010 10:34:54 AM

^^^ Keep it. My family did that a few years ago and regretted it. Ended up getting a new one a year later. Even if you want to get a real one, it doesnt hurt to keep it around incase you want it later.

10/13/2010 10:46:18 AM

do places even have them out yet? I don't want to order one online without seeing it in person

10/13/2010 10:47:23 AM

Lowes in Cary was already putting their Christmas stuff out when I went there last week.

10/13/2010 10:57:05 AM

rocky mount lowes has had theirs up for 2 weeks now

10/13/2010 11:48:20 AM

Quote :

"i got a cat who made it his mission to destroy any live plant in the house + all the ornaments. he died very unexpectedly in may this year, and we're switching back to a live tree this xmas. "

Am I the only one who lolled at this?

10/13/2010 11:57:48 AM

something we do is buy a non-cut live tree

then give it someone to plant in their yard after Saturnalia is over

i know that's not helpful to your post, but it's always an option

10/13/2010 12:03:49 PM

I'm getting a real tree, and so should all of you people living in NC. Support a local farmer sequestering some carbon rather than some importer of toxic plastic shit if you want to feel festive. It is more work to box the fake tree up and put it in the attic and try and make the branches look decent the next year than to go buy one at a stand, have the guy cut it and trim the limbs and tie it on your car, and then just set it by the curb on the appropriate day.

10/13/2010 12:12:09 PM

^damn right, get a beautiful REAL tree. What is this, the 50s?

Quote :

"artificial FTL"

[Edited on October 13, 2010 at 1:07 PM. Reason : leave the carbon shit outta this]

10/13/2010 1:06:35 PM

Quote :

"It is more work to box the fake tree up and put it in the attic and try and make the branches look decent the next year than to go buy one at a stand, have the guy cut it and trim the limbs and tie it on your car, and then just set it by the curb on the appropriate day."

this. is true.

10/13/2010 1:13:42 PM

Some people do have allergy-type reasons not to get a real tree. Not that he necessarily does, but everyone who has a plastic tree isn't automatically evil.

10/13/2010 1:16:33 PM

I don't have allergies, it's just my preference. I really hate stringing lights, I'd hate to go get a tree every year (it was never a family tradition for me) and I'm too lazy to maintain a real one. Getting a tree in and out of a box has never been a hassle for me when I was growing up either.

10/13/2010 2:12:36 PM

Gunzz that's what I'm doin this year. Already got all the instructions and supplies

10/13/2010 2:30:03 PM

Quote :

"and I'm too lazy to maintain a real one."

lol, yeah it's a real bitch topping off the water level every few days.

10/13/2010 4:08:57 PM

.... and cleaning up needles toooo

lol, I never said it was hard but it's more work than a fake one and I am lazy about something I don't have a hardcore preference towards like other people

also, they're cheaper, which is key

[Edited on October 13, 2010 at 4:15 PM. Reason : .]

10/13/2010 4:13:41 PM

We got this one last year. It's great quality for the price.

http://shop.bjs.com/Sylvania-7-5--39--Frasier-Fir-Tree-with-700-Soft-White-Lights-Front-Page_stcVVproductId79418391VVcatId428349VVviewprod.htm

10/13/2010 7:36:10 PM

i really hope my roommates don't go with a real tree this year

a weekly dustpan full of needles and dog fur = FTL

not to mention all the moisture that bitch pulls out of the air, meaning it's mandatory to run the humidifier nonstop

10/13/2010 10:24:56 PM

fuck you

I'm getting a real one and you'll like it.

10/13/2010 10:43:13 PM

This is a completely bizarre tradition. I hope no one stresses out over a quaint holdover from long ago

10/13/2010 10:50:04 PM

^^

10/13/2010 11:02:11 PM

^^^^i need to put one in every room in my house then lol

^^whatever. your omgi'mtoocool&progressiveforthis schtick is lame. xmas trees are awesome & i love having holiday traditions. i can't wait to pass them on to future kids.

10/14/2010 7:25:47 AM

1. Go up 421
2. Find a tree farm up near Boone that you think looks nice.
3. ...
4. Profit

10/14/2010 9:04:50 AM

We have an pre-lit artificial tree we bought at Walmart the first Christmas we were married. We put it up in the bonus room.

Last year we bought a 12' live tree for the downstairs. I could take or leave the live tree, however it is my job to put the lights on it.

The key to putting up a cut tree is to re-cut the stump and put it in a 5-gallon bucket of water for a couple of days before you bring it in the house (and run the dehumidifier as ncstatetke said)

10/14/2010 9:23:07 AM

Support NC farmers!

Fuck plastic trees.

10/14/2010 9:28:32 AM

Fraser's don't lose many needles, either.

10/14/2010 9:57:05 AM

Quote :

".... and cleaning up needles toooo also, they're cheaper, which is key"

The trees I buy don't shed a lot of needles, except for when you get the tree, and then when you later remove it (when it's almost dead and dried out). So yeah, sweeping up needles twice isn't really a big deal.

Fake trees are most definitely not cheaper than a real tree unless you buy a really shitty one. Granted this is just looking at one year. After the 2nd year the fake tree cost you less, and less and less for every year thereafter.

10/14/2010 12:57:22 PM

Quote :

"it's a real bitch topping off the water level every few days."

hahaha

Fake frees make me I was stuck with one for the past four years and there's no way in hell I'm buying one here lol. Plus I love going out to the farm and picking out my tree

10/14/2010 3:11:10 PM

Quote :

""it's a real bitch topping off the water level every few days.""

They make long green funnels that velcro around a branch on the tree and blend in. that way you bring a pitcher of water and fill up, no crawling around or moving gifts required.

10/14/2010 4:14:51 PM

^ Sounds like I could just buy some green tubing and some velcro for less

10/14/2010 4:27:18 PM

Quote :

"Granted this is just looking at one year. After the 2nd year the fake tree cost you less, and less and less for every year thereafter."

Right. Who purchases an artificial tree for one time only usage?

10/14/2010 5:09:23 PM

^How would I know your financial situation?

^^&^^^hey 'tards, I was being sarcastic

10/14/2010 11:02:31 PM

Quote :

"They make long green funnels that velcro around a branch on the tree and blend in. that way you bring a pitcher of water and fill up, no crawling around or moving gifts required. "

Oh no way...You just for real taught me something I needed to know.

10/14/2010 11:14:42 PM

get a frasier fir

of the real variety

10/15/2010 12:03:39 AM

Quote :

"Fuck plastic trees."

As someone who's volunteered at a tree lot since he was 15, I can't agree more.

If for no other reason, real trees smell like heaven. Fake trees smell like, well ... nothing.

10/15/2010 9:45:37 AM

If you are going to get a fake tree, at least try a real one this year and buy the fake one after the holidays. You'll save 50-70% and get a hell of a deal. Plus once you've used the fake tree, you can then decide which route you'll stick with permanently. If you decide you do not like the plastic tree, sell that shit on Craigslist in November and you may even make all of your money back if you bought it on clearance.

My wife and I use a fake tree because our cat will fuck up the real tree, but other than the hassle of setting it up (which is a true bitch) and then storing it after Christmas, it has been a good investment. A $100 or so and it's now on it's 7th season. Make sure you get a pre-lit one though and one where all of the lights work regardless if one bulb is blown or missing.

10/15/2010 10:03:26 AM

I like the pre-lit fiber optic trees. My parents got one a few years ago and it's easier to setup and decorate than my POS/cheap tree. Mine you have to take everything out of the box, put together the base and "trunk", sort the "branches" by length/tag color, hang the individual branches, and then adjust the ends to make it look full/decent. My parent's tree OTOH is only 3 pieces, I think you may have to lock the branches by pulling down on them, and then adjust the ends (also no lights to string). Their tree came with a few color wheels that are interchangeable/stackable that rotate in the base and can make the fiber optic lights twinkle/shimmer/wtfever and/or change colors.

Also, like ^ said, the best time to buy a xmas tree is right after the holiday when the stores are trying to clear out the remaining stock. They'll be at least 25% off the day after and 50% or more off a few days after. I spent $35 on my 6ft tree a couple years ago and my parents spent $100 on theirs, which is 7 or 8ft, a few years ago.

10/15/2010 10:10:01 AM