Fans of Home Depot's oversized Christmas decorations, including giant Santas, reindeer, and sleighs, are paying hundreds of dollars on the resale market after an apparent shortage in the United States this festive season. The home improvement retailer's large yard decorations have developed a cult following, but many items have not appeared on the company's website this year.
Landon Richard, 30, of Louisiana, told the Wall Street Journal that after photos leaked from a Home Depot showcase in Las Vegas in March, he wanted an 8½-foot reindeer, a towering Santa, and a sleigh. However, the decorations never went on sale, sparking online debate in a Facebook group with over 165,800 members about the reasons for the absence.
A popular theory points to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, as some large decorations are imported from a Chinese company, Seasonal Visions International. Earlier this year, the company cited tariffs for policy changes, including suspending customer support. A Home Depot spokesperson did not comment on the reasons, but Aubrey Horowitz, the company's U.S. holiday decor merchant, told the WSJ that levies would not be the sole reason for changing the assortment.
The shortage has created a gray market where prices have soared, sometimes seven times the retail price. Derek Weeks, a 44-year-old photographer from Alabama, drove five hours to secure a reindeer after paying a $300 deposit, a bargain compared to online prices exceeding $1,000. Another photographer, Amy Reed of Kentucky, settled for a smaller substitute after resale prices neared $700.
A Home Depot spokesperson encouraged customers to explore new collections this year, noting that past collections may return in the future. The company also confirmed that not all items from the Vegas showcase are guaranteed to be in the final assortment.
