One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is that warm, fuzzy feeling called nostalgia that just hits you with every glowing light and smell of pine trees and freshly baking cookies.  Around July, I felt my first wave of the 2015 season hit when I spotted one of the iconic nostalgia pieces of my childhood in Cary Towne Center (I know, for some reason I still go there but I always wonder why after about 5 minutes of seeing the depressing state of the Belk's store).  There it was: an 18 inch gleaming and shining ceramic Christmas tree, like it had jumped straight out of my grandmother's parlor from the doily covered end table between her pink velvet sofa and chairs and right into the mall expressly for my personal buying pleasure.

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Then I looked at the price tag.  At $162, I decided that maybe there is a price on memories. But for the past few months I've been constantly looking for a craigslist or etsy deal on one of these vintage trees, just hoping someone else didn't value their childhood memories quite as much as that store at the mall.

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Fast forward to Black Friday, when my friend Betsy and I stopped in our local Hallmark store for her to shop for recordable books for her nieces.  On our way out, I spotted a lonesome little green tree in the window display.  I hesitatingly lifted the tree cringing mentally for what I assumed the inflated price tag would read.  $39.99.  Wow.  A sales lady who had obviously spotted me manhandling the ceramics was now right beside me to help.  "Do you have any more?" I asked.

"That's the last one I think.  Do you want it?"

Was there some sort of trick here?  "Yes."

At that exact moment, a family of 5 women in matching all black attire and plaid scarves surrounded us.  They also wanted the tree.  5 of them.  The sales lady went to the back to check for more.  There was a brief moment where I thought I may actually get attacked for a piece of ceramic, but luckily there were plenty in the back.  I checked and these trees are not listed online, so if you are shopping for a similar tree, head to your local Hallmark store and take a look!