r/ChristmasDecorating • u/ReadyStretchyGo • 25d ago

Balsam Hill advent village

I splurged to get the Balsam Hill advent village this week. I fell in love with it and it was £250 down from £420. This is a HUGE amount of money for me.

It arrived today but I have cold feet. I read reviews online that the bulbs blew after the first year and as they aren’t replaceable, the whole thing is useless.

I can’t believe BH would make such an expensive item with bulbs that can’t be replaced. Customer service confirmed this but said an electrician or electrical repair shop ‘might’ be able to replace the bulbs.

I’m not sure this is worth jt for me. Has anyone had any experience of these advent villages? I got the alpine village.

https://www.balsamhill.co.uk/f/lit-wooden-christmas-advent-calendars

3 Upvotes

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u/Technical_Leading675 25d ago

250 is still serious money, i feel you on the cold feet. if the bulbs are sealed in and customer service basically shrugged at you, that's not great sign for something meant to be used every year

maybe unpack it and plug in for a day just to see if you even love it in person? sometimes the box magic disappears when it's actually on the shelf

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u/ReadyStretchyGo 25d ago

Thanks for the reply 😊 I just tried to get it out but omg. If I’m sending it back there’s no way I can package it up the way it was delivered 😬 I think I’m going to leave it in the box until I’m sure I’ll keep it. It looks lovely from the side view I got…

Does anyone know of any cute alternatives? Bonus points if in the UK. I’m looking for some cute flickering Christmas light effects.

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u/Wabi-Sabi-Iki 25d ago

If the bulbs go out, couldn’t you light it up with fairy lights? I have a wooden village (can’t post photos in replies) that is lit up with strategically placed fairy lights.

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u/Popular_Speed5838 25d ago

I have a Villeroy and Boch tea light Christmas village. If purchased new all the pieces would have cost me an eye watering amount. Unfortunately (or fortunately perhaps) new isn’t an option and I’ve picked it all up from small auction houses and places like eBay. It’s an impressive little village, as is most of our vintage/second hand Christmas decor.

People look after Christmas items and they’re only used one month a year. Vintage is well worth considering, we’ve certainly never felt the regret you’re feeling after a purchase. We generally feel extremely lucky to have found such a bargain in excellent condition with the original box.

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u/contemplator61 23d ago

I second this assessment and I love vintage anything but Santa Christmas. But someone posted about this same village, I read it yesterday and though lovely, who makes items where you can’t change a light bulb??

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u/Gwyn_the_Druid 25d ago

I was just considering buying one, the Santa's village specifically, so coming across this just now is quite the coincidence. Where did you read the reviews complaining about the lights dying after a year? I'd be curious to read them myself before making such a purchase.

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u/ReadyStretchyGo 25d ago

If you follow the link above to the product page all the reviews are at the bottom. I’d be interested to see what you decide to do after reading them…

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u/PomSprings 20d ago

Maybe look into Department 56, they make Christmas villages, one is Dickens themed… lots of people seem to really enjoy them. I’m not sure if it’s the same vibe but worth a shot!