Real or Fake- Christmas Trees that is [Archive]

Sled Dog

11-29-2010, 09:26 AM

Going to get the tree tonight, got a little bit of snow on the ground which always makes it better. Going to fresh cut a fir, can't beat the smell in the house either! Anyway, who likes the fakes and who likes the real ones?

HK3-

11-29-2010, 09:31 AM

I do fakes only because the dogs like to piss on the real ones. :tu

longknocker

11-29-2010, 09:33 AM

We Did The Real Every Year When The Kids Were With Us. Now We Have A Nice 8' Fake Tree With Lights That We've Had For 3 Years. Looks Great & Much Easier!:tu

jledou

11-29-2010, 09:38 AM

Fake and pre-lit tree for us. With everything going on and little ones running around every bit of timed saved and mess avoided is a bonus.

kugie

11-29-2010, 09:42 AM

Real, I love going out and picking a tree with the Kids.
The wife not so much :hy

Blueface

11-29-2010, 09:44 AM

I started out with a fake for years.
About 14 years ago, moved to real.
Two years ago, went back to fake.
They are so real looking now, with lights already on them, three pieces to simply put together.
Way to simplified to go through the trouble of a real one and the worries of fires, etc.
The real ones that my wife would want go for over $100, every year.
The fake cost me $300 and done for life.

aich75013

11-29-2010, 10:05 AM

I'm slightly allergic, so we stick to fake.
Bought a nice one this year for $300 on sale.
Had the same one for 10 years that we paid $50 for before that.

Ashcan Bill

11-29-2010, 10:16 AM

Real. Tried a fake one for a few years, but missed the sap, smell and dead needles of a real one. ;)

timj219

11-29-2010, 10:23 AM

Live. We bought one about 2.5 feet tall in a pot last year. After Christmas it lives outside. We're getting ready to bring it back in soon. It's about 3' tall now. When it gets too big we'll plant it somewhere.

Wanger

11-29-2010, 10:24 AM

As a kid, I remember going out with my family and cutting down a real one. Every year, it was a tradition. Now, we do fake. The space we have it in, plus 3 kids, a horse-dog (great dane), and 2 cats, we go fake. Just a lot easier for us to deal with and clean up. Maybe some year we'll do a real one.

Lucky_Hippo

11-29-2010, 10:57 AM

Used to love going out and getting a real tree from the lot. The guy was just like the "used car salesman" in A Christmas Story. We'd barter around and when I smoked cigs he'd bum one and take a dollar off the price for that and help me tie it down. LOL

My mother gets choked up from the Pine scent when she visits so we've switched to fake trees. It's easy but I do miss shopping for the "perfect" tree each year.

E.J.

11-29-2010, 11:04 AM

Artificial.

Use to do 2 trees, one real and one artificial... But now we just do the one....

We do pine scent for that real Christmas Tree smell...;)

chippewastud79

11-29-2010, 11:07 AM

Real. Fake trees = fake Christmas :D

Blueface

11-29-2010, 11:12 AM

Real. Fake trees = fake Christmas :D

:r

So does that correspond to no snow = fake Christmas?

If so, we are so, so screwed in Florida.:D

Knip23

11-29-2010, 11:15 AM

Fake all the way. Less to clean up. And the dog doesn't try and pee on it lol.

Martel

11-29-2010, 11:20 AM

We had to go fake a few years ago because my wife started breaking out just brushing against a tree, some weird allergic reaction. I didn't like it at the time, but the convenience factor has grown on me.

Cheers,
G

chippewastud79

11-29-2010, 11:24 AM

So does that correspond to no snow = fake Christmas?

If so, we are so, so screwed in Florida.:D

I thought there was no Chirstmas in the southern part of the US :confused:

Blueface

11-29-2010, 11:26 AM

I thought there was no Chirstmas in the southern part of the US :confused:

:r

My wife took a while to adjust when we came down from NJ.
Took her at least three years to finally accept no cold, ice, snow, etc.
We now just look at it differently, in shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops and outdoor.:D
Believe me, it was not hard at all for me to accept that change.

Threadjack Off.

sikk50

11-29-2010, 11:27 AM

I always cut my own tree, however the one I have here at school is a fake bc one of my roommates may or may not be a rutard and we don't want the house to burn down

CasaDooley

11-29-2010, 11:29 AM

I used to get real trees every year until one year when I came back from a tree hunting excursion beat and bloody, wet and muddy and told myself "Never Again!"
These days it's a fake tree for me, less hassle and less stitches!:tu

Gophernut

11-29-2010, 11:44 AM

Last year with the real trees. As we were cutting it down I turned to my 14 year old son, and said that when he moved out, we were switching to a fake tree. After he helped cutting it down, trimming branches and hauling it in, he said he really didn't mind fake. So we'll be watching the after Christmas sales...:noon

jmsremax

11-29-2010, 11:46 AM

Real...we usually cut one down ourselves up in Maine on a christmas tree farm.....Griswold style. :D

RGD.

11-29-2010, 11:50 AM

I did real trees for the first 30 some years of married life. The wife refused to even consider an artificial tree. Two years ago I just went ahead and ordered one online. Put the thing up and lit a Balsam and Cedar Yankee Candle.

She was home for about 4 hours before she found out it wasn't real - :r

So yeah - artificial for me. After this Christmas, based on what I paid for real ones - I'll be saving money!

Ron

theoneandonly

11-29-2010, 11:51 AM

I've had a fake tree for as long as I can remember. We use to have this one with separate branches that got hooked onto a metal pole. The fake that my Grandfather use to put up was even older. Since being in the CG, I haven't done one for myself and with not knowing if I am visiting family, I am passing on a tree this year.

HollywoodQue

11-29-2010, 11:55 AM

Definately, do the real thing...the aroma is great during x-mas, almost makes you forget how much money you spent....:sl

BigCat

11-29-2010, 11:59 AM

Real...just put ours up last night. I really enjoy the process, the smell, etc. And I've yet to see a fake one that didn't scream fake with one quick look.

smokehouse

11-29-2010, 12:09 PM

I do fake with the lights attached, and love it.
I don't like cleaning up the dead needles everyday and having to worry about watering it.

wayner123

11-29-2010, 12:09 PM

Fake for my family. When I was younger, we used to go cut our own, but that got old really fast, and we lived in the Pine Tree Capital. I guess when you live with the real ones all year long, you get a certain disdain for them.

Bill86

11-29-2010, 12:12 PM

As a kid we always cut them down fresh, but we lived in Michigan at the time. The trees there are EPIC ...seriously EPIC. Now down south we just hit the corner and buy a pre-cut fresh tree, the trees here suck. I can only imagine moving to fake trees soon, it makes sense with 3 cats.

Skywalker

11-29-2010, 12:32 PM

Fake!!! Due to fear of squirrels:D

mmblz

11-29-2010, 12:34 PM

The real ones that my wife would want go for over $100, every year.

WOW!
How tall?
I should rent a truck and drive down to Florida :D

Sled Dog

11-29-2010, 01:41 PM

Fake!!! Due to fear of squirrels:D

Lol.... i'm not going to lie, I give it a good shake before bringing it in!!

MiamiE

11-29-2010, 01:44 PM

Fake one. Sucks, but the $600 vet bill when your dog starts eating pine needles sucks!

VTDragon

11-29-2010, 01:53 PM

Had real for my entire life. Now the kids have moved out and on their own and we have moved into the new house we built, so finally went with fake... It's a nice 9 footer that fits in our sun room beautifully, but I am still getting used to it.

rizzle

11-29-2010, 02:43 PM

Realio is the dealio.

Blueface

11-29-2010, 02:47 PM

WOW!
How tall?
I should rent a truck and drive down to Florida :D

Average we would get was around 9'.

Is that cheap?

I never bought a real one outside of Florida, in fact outside of Boca Raton, that I can recall so wouldn't know how that compares.

Last one or two ran me a bit over $100. I recall no more than $110 though.

Wouldn't even be able to guess what they go for now.

Sled Dog

11-29-2010, 02:51 PM

Average we would get was around 9'.

Is that cheap?

I never bought a real one outside of Florida, in fact outside of Boca Raton, that I can recall so wouldn't know how that compares.

Last one or two ran me a bit over $100. I recall no more than $110 though.

Wouldn't even be able to guess what they go for now.

I usually get an 8' tree for about $45... $100 is pretty steep to me

GTsetGO

11-29-2010, 02:52 PM

fake here.

Blueface

11-29-2010, 03:00 PM

... $100 is pretty steep to me

Believe me, I agree.
That is why I went fake.
Told the wife I was getting pretty tired of that tag annually.

maninblack

11-29-2010, 06:55 PM

My wife puts up 5, yes 5, fake trees every year. But its her thing so I don't argue. I go overboard with Halloween, she does it with Christmas. Our house is very festive.

longknocker

11-29-2010, 06:59 PM

My wife puts up 5, yes 5, fake trees every year. But its her thing so I don't argue. I go overboard with Halloween, she does it with Christmas. Our house is very festive.

Awesome!:D Pics?

VirtualSmitty

11-29-2010, 07:02 PM

Real tree for me :tu

E.J.

11-29-2010, 07:05 PM

My wife puts up 5, yes 5, fake trees every year. But its her thing so I don't argue. I go overboard with Halloween, she does it with Christmas. Our house is very festive.

I am a big fan of excess festive during those two holidays... Don't really know why, but the more the better in my book....

maninblack

11-29-2010, 07:05 PM

Awesome!:D Pics?

Yeah, give me a minute. We have many I just have to track them down.

maninblack

11-29-2010, 07:19 PM

Here ya go Greg. This is only 3 of 5 .

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af287/picklejack/tree3.jpg

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af287/picklejack/tree2.jpg

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af287/picklejack/ptree1.jpg

Sorry for the crappy iphone pics.

hotreds

11-29-2010, 08:19 PM

A genuine faux tree.

Salvelinus

11-29-2010, 08:32 PM

gotta be real, and I don't see changing that as long as I live up north. I feel like I'm cheating because I go buy a pre-cut tree instead of harvesting my own. I think I'd be disowned by my folks and my folks in law if I so much as thought of a fake tree.

mmblz

11-30-2010, 07:02 AM

Average we would get was around 9'.

Is that cheap?

I never bought a real one outside of Florida, in fact outside of Boca Raton, that I can recall so wouldn't know how that compares.

Last one or two ran me a bit over $100. I recall no more than $110 though.

Wouldn't even be able to guess what they go for now.

would be 35-40 here for a blue fir. other types cheaper :)

Sled Dog

11-30-2010, 07:14 AM

When I bought my house a few years back, in the one back corner flower bed I planted a 4' Douglas fir, and groomed it to have the shape, so that It would turn into a great looking tree to decorate out in the yard. It's now a 10' perfectly shaped tree, we put 800 lights on it, and when it's covered in snow with all the lights, there isn't a prettier sight! I've enjoyed quite a few cigars sitting back there looking at that tree while the dog tires herself out in the snow

longknocker

11-30-2010, 07:44 AM

longknocker

11-30-2010, 07:45 AM

Blueface

11-30-2010, 08:23 AM

would be 35-40 here for a blue fir. other types cheaper :)

Wow.
Bring a truckload down here.
We will make a killing.

Don Fernando

11-30-2010, 08:31 AM

I started out with a fake for years.
About 14 years ago, moved to real.
Two years ago, went back to fake.
They are so real looking now

and you're doctor friend taught you how to spot the fakes between the real ones right :D

I have no x-mas tree. I am not religious.

zappaFREAK

11-30-2010, 08:34 AM

For my entire life we have had real trees. :noon:noon I always cherished going and picking one at the farm. 2 years ago my wifes allergy doctor said we need a fake tree. :confused: We went and got a descent one for 300 bucks! I felt ok as the worst part is having to put the lights on and the fake had built in lights. Year 2 and some of the lights do not work!! :fl:fl

shilala

11-30-2010, 08:47 AM

I've always had a real tree, like forever. Last year I got a fake one. It's fake from here on out, even though I enjoy a real tree lots better.
A fake tree is just easier and I don't have to water it, etc., etc...
I think the biggest reason is that I always liked to drag the kids out to cut a tree or pick out a Charlie Brown tree. They always liked giving a really awful tree a good home, and we always had the very worst of Christmas trees. It made them feel good and it was fun.
Now they got old and they don't even care if we have a tree. Fortunately for me, Lisa loves a tree. She claims we'll have two this year. It'll be nice to do the tree thing with her, cause I enjoy it, too. :tu

tchariya

11-30-2010, 09:01 AM

fake ones....they still feel nice in my hands.
wait what...oh yeah...trees...heh

Ogre

11-30-2010, 09:09 AM

With the cost increase of real trees I switched to fake 3 years ago. I picked up a $600, 9 foot tree for $250 at Home Depot the day after Christmas. After next year it will have paid for itself. I prefer the smell and tradition of the real, but cost is getting out of hand.

KillerCelt

12-01-2010, 12:23 AM

I've always done real trees, but next year my girlfriend and I will likely be living together and she has terrible pine allergies. She told me that if it's that important to me, we can get a real one, but I don't think I could live with myself knowing how miserable it would make her feel. :td