I don't like inflatables at all, regardless

+1

Growing up we all got in the car a week before Christmas and went to Pilot Life Insurance, where a handmade life-size Nativity was set up. Cars lined up for a mile to see this display.
Later it was donated to Greensboro College, who put it out front. Being so old and from Italy they hired a student to guard it. He went to sleep and this other guy came in with an axe and chopped all the figures up into little chunks, rendering it impossible to restore.
At least the inflatable is replaceable, maybe repairable.

Personally I really like this one.

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Your local Adam & Eve shop has the kit to repair any inflatable

Probably tacky and tastless. I think most inflatables are. However, I really appreciate people that put them in in their yard. We put them up now too. My young kids (4,6, and 9) absolutely love inflatables! I take my kids around a few times a week in the car this time of year to look for "Christmas Lights". They really liked it the most aged 2-5, but little kids absolutely love pointing these out. Double points if you put up anything Star Wars or Minion related. Nobody puts these things up because they like them... it's for kids... like arcade games... o, wait...

OMG that Peanuts one is the most gloriously saccharine-subversive thing I've ever seen: it *completely* obliterates the entire message that special tried in vain to reinforce, oops!

I thought inflatables were tacky and resisted for years until I saw a Big Mouth Billy Bass wearing a Santa hat a few years back and... just had to have one, I couldn't explain why let alone justify it. But I got one. And my kids - now teens - would probably rather skip the tree than not put out the fish. Ha!

Couple years later I saw a "Fish Taco Truck" and my inner masochistic humorist had to have it... to put next to poor ol' Billy of course...

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And for all my former reservations, the affection our neighbors have is indeed genuine. When the dear 90+yo lady across the street passed away, her son made sure to tell us how much she enjoyed that stupid fish day after day each season. We've seen cars come to stop and people get out and take photos. Joy is good! I'm glad my warped humor and tacky lawn can brighten someone's day. If someone else doesn't like it they can pass on by.

Bonus about inflatables that I didn't appreciate until owning one, is they're way easier to store than old-school rigid plastic decorations. Much as I've come to hate stockpiling crap, I really dig that.

Ford Aerostar! Kickin' it old-school!

My wife buys/sells the hard plastic ones we all had as kids, we have over 300 of them and travel all over the place to get them. I was cleaning out the garage last year and someone stopped thinking we were having a yard sale.
P.S. a real nativity scene....

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Should have put an option for "Better than nothing"

I don't know much about them, but I've seen certain ones fetch quite a bit. My issue would be the space they take up. No cramming them in a plastic tote.

I'm a lawn care nut and can't bring myself to put anything out on the lawn long term. I don't feel like fixing the damage in the Spring.

Inflatables tacky? Maybe in certain circles? If it brings you joy and isn't hurting anyone I say go for it.

I have a friend that has around 1000 of these blowmolds. My wife has her fair share too but mostly collects earlier Christmas stuff (1920s-1960s). If you think pinball collectors are enthusiastic about our hobby you should see the Christmas people. They can be as hardcore and obsessive as they come. Passion is a good thing though in my book.

You don't have to tell me. I married one of those Christmas people. The 27th of November is officially Christmas season in my house. I pulled 20+ totes and 2 Christmas trees out of the attic this year.... that wasn't even all of it.

I prefer my nativity scenes non-inflatable, and accurate. Zombie wise men for (eventual) zombie Jesus. He does (eventually) come back from the dead, right?

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Yeah if it's made with Zombies, or somehow overtly sexual I'd think it's pretty cool.

Well, I didn't vote but my other option was "Quite respectable and sincere." Not sure that's a best choice either. It's kind of subjective. My friend has a vintage Nativity set made by a company called Artistic Latex. It presents itself in a classier manner than an inflatable but if you think about it's still a baby Jesus made of rubber.

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My main issue with them is the fact that during the day your house looks like it suffered a near miss by a tornado.

That or a Christmas crime scene...

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No problem here with the Blow up Nativity Scenes. Just got my blow mold set out today. Bought the 3 main pieces used and built the manger about 8 years ago. Collected the other pieces for the next few years. That is where that hobby ends for me, but I do like to set it up most every year.

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I assume this is her payback for letting you fill your basement with pins (which I have seen)!

Yessir! Tho sadly, the legendary, beloved-by-all "Aerobarge" is finally showing its age and nearing retirement after 27 hard but stubbornly steadfast years. I bought it as a death row refugee for $263 in 2012... and drove it every day 'til spring 2019. Not kidding about the legends either; among pin-relatable ones would be re-enacting the Whirlwind backglass (both into ditch AND back out... if sans tornado, sadly). Hauled more stuff and pins than you could believe. I'm torn between giving it a Bluesmobile-style viking funeral or a rural backlot retirement, and have no idea what to replace it with (I mean the Aerostar was far from perfect but for its good parts, modern minivans just... suck).

It sings AND moves its head! Well, used to move its head until the plastic ring gear in the mechanism inevitably cracked its teeth And the voice box sings the most cringe version of "I Will Survive" you've ever heard (granted, it was obviously meant to be terrible ha ha) so I muted it because I don't want my neighbors to hate us. If I could fix the ring gear I'd put a cheap bluetooth speaker in there and have him sing something more... metal...

Oh, it can get out of hand.

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