Vintage Christmas display still turning heads in February

If the winter blues have you feeling a bit down as February gets underway, you may want to take a short road-trip to a place where it still feels very much like Christmas.

It takes James Studley about a month to set up his elaborate display of outdoor vintage Christmas decorations at his home on Kearney Lake Road, so he starts on Nov. 1.

"I absolutely love Christmas," Studley told CTV News Wednesday.

"(Growing up), I never really had a big Christmas display. I mean, we did, but it was a white Christmas. It was never colours and the classic blow molds and stuff like that," he said.

"I want my kids to have what I didn't have."

The various pieces have been gradually collected over the years, often through online auctions, one of the few places they're still available.

Relics of Christmases past, the classics are well-represented, along with more modern stories, featuring the Peanuts gang, Disney characters, and others.

Studley estimates he's spent about $20,000 over the years — and he's still shopping.

And yes, it attracts a lot of attention.

Some of James Studley's Christmas decoration are pictured on Jan. 31, 2024. He has some vintage decorations and characters from Disney and the Peanut gang.

"I've had thousands of people stop by. We get all kinds of compliments, Christmas cards, people bring cookies," he said.

"But that's not really what I do it for. I do it just to bring the joy to the neighbourhood. It's a fantastic feeling, seeing how many people come by."

Studley doesn't offer a dollar figure of how much all of this drives up his power bill, except to say it's worth it.

He actually started dismantling everything a few days ago, but ironically, Christmas-like weather got in the way.

"We had so much snow that it kind of set me back," Studley said.

James Studley's home, decorated with Christmas pieces, on Jan. 31, 2024.

"This is probably about it. I'll probably take it down once this melts off and that'll be it until next November when I start to put it back up."

As for why he's waited this long to start taking it down, Studley says it's a much-needed mood booster.

"January is one of the darkest months of the year."

"At least when they're driving by, going to work, trying to make up what they lost during Christmas or over the holidays, at least they've got something to look at. It's 'Hey, something to look at! Something good!'" he said.

Click here for a photo gallery of James Studley's vintage Christmas decorations.

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