Dec 6, 2024 - Economy
The Christmas tree value play
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Christmas trees get cheaper as Christmas Day approaches — but that doesn't mean shoppers looking to get the best value out of their tree purchase should delay it as long as they can.
Why it matters: The reason for tree prices to decline as Christmas approaches is twofold.
- Firstly, the choicest specimens get snatched up early, leaving only the straggly also-rans.
- And secondly, there's simply less value in having a tree up for a week than there is in living with one for a month or more.
How it works: Lord Darlington tells Cecil Graham in Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan" that a cynic is "a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing."
- To back out the value of a tree, rather than just the price, Axios looked at the amount paid per day of enjoyment, assuming the tree stays up until Jan. 5.
The bottom line: By that metric, the best time to buy a tree is as early as possible.
