Some of America’s most devoted Christmas decoration fans, who eagerly await Home Depot’s oversized Santas, reindeer, and sleighs each year, are now shelling out hundreds of dollars on the resale market after what appears to be a U.S. shortage this festive season.
The giant yard decorations from the national home improvement retailer have developed a cult following.
Landon Richard, 30, of Louisiana, told the Wall Street Journal that after photos leaked from a Home Depot showcase in Las Vegas in March, his wishlist included an 8½‑foot reindeer, a towering Santa, and a red‑and‑gold sleigh.
However, come August and September, the massive decorations never hit Home Depot’s website. Many other fans noticed too, sparking online chatter, including in a Home Depot Halloween and Christmas Facebook Group with over 165,800 members, debating why the giant displays might not be sold in the U.S. this year.
A popular theory is the Trump administration’s tariffs as some large decorations, like the 12ft “Skelly” skeleton and Santa with reindeer, are imported from a Chinese company, Seasonal Visions International. Earlier this year, the company cited tariffs for policy changes, including suspending customer support.
A Home Depot spokesperson did not comment on the reasons behind the products’ absence when contacted by The Independent. Aubrey Horowitz, Home Depot’s U.S. holiday decor merchant, earlier told the WSJ that levies “would not be the sole reason as to why we would change our assortment and strategy.”
“The number one focus from my perspective is, we have to offer the best value and the best quality products,” Horowitz added.
A Home Depot spokesperson did confirm to The Independent that not all items seen in photos from the store managers' meeting in Vegas are always guaranteed to be in the store’s final assortment.
“There are a number of decisions that go into the timing of launching a product,” the spokesperson said.
Regardless, some panicked fans have created a gray market for the huge decorations, where prices have soared, at times seven times the retail price.
Collectors, like photographer Derek Weeks, have intensified their searches, posting on social media and making deals to secure items before the season ends. The 44-year-old turned to social media and enlisted friends to help locate a reindeer, eventually finding a listing about five hours from his home in Enterprise, Alabama.
“I thought about it for a few minutes and realized it may be the only chance I had,” he said.
Weeks put down a $300 deposit to hold the giant reindeer, a bargain compared with some prices online that exceeded $1,000.
A Home Depot spokesperson encouraged decorators to explore new collections this year, noting that past collections may return in the future.
That’s what another photographer, 37-year-old Amy Reed of Paintsville, Kentucky, found herself settling for after she regretfully passed on Home Depot’s 8½-foot reindeer in March.
“If I would have known, I definitely would have invested in it,” she told the WSJ.
In July, Reed searched Facebook and Home Depot’s website for a massive ornament that she envisioned for her holiday-themed photoshoots, but learned the reindeer wouldn’t be released.
Finding resale prices near $700, Reed opted for a smaller substitute, paying about $200 after a four-hour round trip.
“It’s definitely not as grand as the giants,” she said.
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