World’s ‘Humblest’ Christmas Tree Purchased for €3,639 at Auction
A Christmas tree that was bought for a few pennies centuries ago stole the show at the Hansons Auctioneers on Friday, December 15, 2023.
In Oxfordshire last Friday, the 31-inch Christmas tree with 25 branches, 12 berries, and six mini candle holders sold for a whopping €3,639. Before the auction, it was estimated to sell only between €65 to €92.71.
In reaction to the mindblowing sale at the auction house, the owner of Hansons Auctioneers, through a press release expressed his surprise and delight at the turnout of the auction of the Christmas tree.
“The magic of Christmas lives on! The humblest Christmas tree in the world has a new home and we’re delighted for both buyer and seller,” he said.
The Hansons Auctioneers further gave insight into the first owner of the Christmas tree in the press release on Friday. It first arrived in the house of 8-year-old Dorothy Grant in Leicestershire in England’s East Midlands in 1920. Dorothy decorated and cherished the Christmas tree till her passing in 2014 at age 101.
The tree was automatically inherited by her 84-year-old daughter, Shirley Hall.
“As simple as it was, Dorothy loved that tree. It became a staple part of family celebrations for decades. The fact that it brought her such joy is humbling in itself. It reminds us that extravagance and excess are not required to capture the spirit of Christmas.
“It would have been bought for pennies originally but it sold for thousands and that’s astonishing. I think it’s down to the power of nostalgia. Dorothy’s story resonated with people,” said Hansons Auctioneers.
