Mary Hancock of Weston has collected the North Pole village since its inception in the early 1990s. There were no limits on the fact that a house had to look realistic. Hancock said the majority of her 40-plus village pieces have been gifts. It's just continued to grow, and I love doing it. Even if the collectibles have a winter or Christmas theme, people keep them up year-round.
Some people have cupboards, shelves or glass-covered display cases to exhibit their collectibles.
People who have more than one collection will display them on rotating years, Hoffmann said. Collections don't necessarily have to be from a particular company. If they like it, go ahead and collect it. Hoffmann has collectors who sign up on a list even before a piece is available. From now until November, there will be customers signing up for certain houses that will come out this year.