Pining
for real Christmas trees
By Jack Schneider
On-line Forty-Niner
Finding
the perfect tree is a tradition Christmas
lovers look forward to every year.
 Christmas
tree sales around the Long Beach and Huntington
Beach areas offer great deals on all types
of trees with different sizes and of course,
flocking.
Tom Johnson, owner of Johnson Brother’s
Christmas Trees in Huntington Beach said
that the most common trees people will find
this year are Douglas firs and Noble firs.
Johnson said that he predicts this will
be his biggest weekend for people purchasing
a fresh juniper.
“This is a great year with great sales and
everything,” Johnson said. “If people are
going to need a Christmas tree, this will
be a pretty busy weekend.”
Johnson’s lot offers 404 various types of
trees and said that the average price for
a Noble fir is $65 to $70.
Going north on Pacific Coast Highway towards
Seal Beach, one would find two lots separated
a block away: Sea Port Christmas Tree
Lot and Snowy Pines.
Snowy Pines, located on the corner of PCH
and Studebaker Avenue, is a colossal lot
where customer service is valuable and the
colors of the season, along with a giant
inflatable snowman, are found among the
giant rows of trees.
Gayle Thacker, co-owner of Snowy Pines said
that the scarcity of Grand Firs from Salem,
Oregon have caused the prices to raise a
couple of dollars.
Despite the setback of Grand Firs, Thacker
said she expects a dynamic season of sales.
“Business remains good,” Thacker said. “We
have been at this location for four years,
and we will be expecting some good sales
during the weekend.”
Walking along the lot, the arrangement of
the small to mediocre size Noble Firs, to
the 15 ft. Douglas Firs. The average price
for a 6 ft. Noble Fir averages around $79.99.
For those who cannot afford the massive
Douglas fir or don’t have the ceiling space,
Snowy Pines offers 2 ft. trees for only
$10.99.
Only a block away, on the corner of PCH
and Westminster, is the Sea Port Hotel Christmas
Tree Lot. From Their slogan stands out from
the road that reads, “Great Trees, Better
Prices.” Mark Adams, owner of the lot, expects
a good season, but has had some problems
due to weather in Oregon.
“The dry weather in Oregon has caused a
slight increase in purchasing price,” Adams
said.
Although his lot doesn’t have an abundant
selection as does Snowy Pines, all prices
for the trees were cheaper for the 306 trees
in the lot. For instance, a 6 ft. Noble
is going for $38.
Adams said that part of the reason why the
Sea Port Hotel lot offers cheaper prices
than Snowy Pines is due to a family owned
staff versus a hired staff.
“We’re all trying to make a little extra
money for Christmas,” Adams said.
For more information on finding a local
Christmas tree lot around the local area,
go to http://www.real
christmastrees.org/search.html.
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