This is a set of 12 red pre-World War II Christmas ball ornaments that were handblown. I know Shiny Brites and other balls made in the 1950s-1960s are trendy right now, but to me, these older balls are gorgeous as well as valuable because of their extra history.

They range from about 2” to 2 ½”, including the necks. They have the slightly flat bottoms indicative of these types of balls. They were not all part of the same original set because the caps and the shapes (some are more of a “flatter” round) are different. They are in a box, which is beat up (the lid in particular) but still quite functional.

The hues vary among the set (one is more reddish-pink and some are faded). They have the gorgeous patina of vintage glass balls that just can’t be replicated with new ones. But along with that beauty comes age marks—some scratches, crazing, fading, spots, discoloring, paint loss, rust or tarnish on the caps, or other imperfections. Six of them have more of these issues than the others. See pics.

I have a few more pictures—let me know if you’d like to see them.

The bowl in the pictures is not part of the listing—it's just to show some of the many ways these balls can be used beyond the Christmas tree. But I have plenty of milk glass bowls in other listings that these would look good in. (I personally would put more balls in the bowl to maximize the effect!)

This item is sold from a vintage boutique in Jenkintown, Pa.