The first artificial Christmas tree was not made out of very glamorous material. A company that manufactured brushes made it and the tree branches were created from pig bristles. This is a far cry from the plastic, tinsel and PVC needles that help create the glittering and festive look of the modern artificial xmas tree. In fact the artificial Christmas tree is made out of so many different materials today that it is essential for you to read the description of the fake tree that you are ordering from a store or catalogue very thoroughly so that you know exactly what you are paying for.

The materials that an artificial Christmas tree is made of also might be an issue when it comes to safety. For instance if you have pets or tots in the house stay away from artificial plastic trees that have plastic needles. They are easily pulled off the tree by children or animals and swallowed. The type of artificial Christmas tree that has ornaments that are fixed onto the branches so that pets and toddlers cannot pull them off is a good investment if you want a child-proofed xmas. You can also buy a prelit artificial tree, which saves innocent creatures from being snarled up or tangled in wires or touching hot bulbs.

The pre lit artificial Christmas tree first hit the holiday season market in the latter part of the 1970s. The earlier versions of pre lit xmas trees often came with a light in the base and a rotating color wheel that caused various colors of light to dance across the branches of the tree. If you like the retro look of a seventies artificial tree you can still find this type of artificial model on auction sites. The modern pre lit artificial Christmas tree is a lot steadier and features glowing fiber optics lighting up the tips of its branches. The more fiber optics that a Christmas tree has, the more expensive it will be. Artificial Christmas trees with light bulb type fixtures on its branches tend to be cheaper than the glitzy fiber optic Christmas trees.

Very much in style lately is the white artificial xmas tree. Decidedly 70s vintage in style these types of trees are available with glowing white fiber optic tips or pre-decorated with Christmas bulbs in various color themes such as red and white or gold and silver. Solid silver or gold tinsel trees, protected by fire retardant coatings are also back in style.

The time to buy a mail order Christmas tree is roughly four to six weeks before the Christmas season actually arrives. This is because the stock of prelit artificial xmas trees often disappears quickly from the stock of the more reputable online Christmas tree supply stores.