Serious About Santa: Dallas Woman Has a Handle on 200 Vintage Mugs, and She's Thirsty for More

Caroline Nelson is drinking in the holiday season, and she's got plenty of mugs and holiday spirit to go around. The Park Cities collector doesn’t wait for December to roll around to start thinking about raising a glass to Christmas. She does so year-round while hunting for vintage ceramic Santa mugs to add to her collection, which is closing in on 200 pieces. “There’s just something so nostalgic about them," Nelson said of the classic drinkware that features a smiling Santa face. "It's hard for me to pass them by." The mugs often have the tail of the big guy’s hat twisted into a handle. Similar styles are still made today, and have spurred snowmen and reindeer variations. But Nelson is loyal to Santa.In the five or so years since she started buying the drinkware, the collection has become a full-blown passion.“I really like to buy them, and I don't want to stop. So what do I do?" She and an aunt — an antiques dealer in Colleyville — set out at least once a week to see what they can find. "Every time I come home with a Santa, my kids just sigh and are like,'Moooom,'" Nelson said.  Continue reading...