MAPLEWOOD, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com)—
In the 40's and 50's flocked Christmas trees were all the rage.A Flora, Illinois man thought they were ready for a comeback. Calvin Booth had wonderful memories of flocked trees while he was growing up.
"When I was 17- to 18-years old my Mom used to have flocked trees for years. And, I always enjoyed them.", said Calvin.
He tried to bring back this ghost of Christmas past. In an ill-fated project that started in May, he leased the old Hood's store in suburban Maplewood.
He bought 10,000 lbs of flocking material at a dollar a pound from a company in Mobile, Alabama. The company usually services markets in Southern cities where fake snow popular. He even found craftsmen to make the trees look like they were out in a snow storm.
They do look beautiful, although they were a little pricey. Tree Salesman Brad Baum says, "They were $300 to $700."
Calvin rolled the dice, but luck was no lady. Now he'll have the majestic trees, still bio-degradable despite the flocking, ground up for landfills.
Calvin may be down, but, he's far from out and will be back at it again next year.
The lot is located in the 6800 block of Manchester road in Maplewood. It'll stay open tomorrow as an effort to liquidate what they can. The trees are priced somewhere in the $50 range during this last sale.
Click here for a map to the tree lot.
