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Our story
begins after the
close of World
War II when Kurt
Adler tried his
hand at
exporting
general goods.
As the business
grew and
European
economies began
to flourish, he
changed
direction to
importing. In
the1950's,
ornaments were
first offered.
Beautiful
handmade angels
from East and
West Germany
found an
enthusiastic
audience in
America. The
line was
expanded with
glass ornaments
from
Czechoslovakia,
hanging ceiling
decorations from
Germany, and
miniature lights
from Italy.
Suddenly,
America was
ablaze with
festive
decorations that
offered a
European flair.
The next decade,
Kurt Adler
started
importing
holiday goods
from the Far
East. Collectors
delighted in
colorful
snowglobes among
other items that
came alive with
movement and
innovation. In
the 1970's,
holiday
decorating was
transformed into
a fashion
business with
ornaments
crafted in
country colors.
When everyone on
the streets of
New York was
wearing long
striped scarves,
the popular
clothing
patterns were
redesigned as
popular
Christmas
stockings.
During that
time, people
were captivated
by the realistic
look of the
German Black
Forest™
Christmas trees.
Fabriché™ Santas,
Nutcrackers and
other
collectibles
were ushered in
during the
1980's and
1990's. Santa
was transformed
into a
fun-loving
character that
enjoyed hobbies
such as
windsurfing and
skiing. The
nutcracker was
reinvented, as
Merlin "The
Magician" and
other famous
legends became
collectibles. By
the late 1990's,
successes
included
Polonaise™
blown-glass
ornaments, Luxor™
Egyptian glass,
bubble-blowers,
icicle lights
and limited
editions. Many
have received
the highest
accolades in the
industry.
The rapid pace
of product
development
continued after
the millennium.
Customers
welcomed mixed
media ornaments
including
Carolin'
Critters™ plush
animals,
nostalgic
decorations from
The Early Years™
retro collection
and unique
electronic
novelty
decorations.
Recent
innovations
include
animatronics,
fiber optic
trees,
interactive
advent calendars
and synchronized
musical
decorations.
Our dominant
position is
achieved with a
unique blend of
innovation,
value and
service. With
headquarters in
New York City
and a state of
the art
distribution
center, the
business
continues today
to be run by
Kurt Adler's
children
-Howard,
Clifford, Karen
and Richard. The
one-stop source
for all your
holiday needs,
Kurt Adler and
the Santa's
World brand
showcase
talented
designers and
iconic licenses
with products
from some 200
factories in 15
countries.
Our strong
presence in the
market place
features
wholesale
showrooms and
trade shows,
which are open
daily in the
U.S. and Canada.
We also have
offices in
Taiwan, China
and Hong Kong.
Our line is
available at a
broad range of
retailers from
mass merchants
to fine
specialty shops
and everyone
in-between.
Today, Kurt
Adler remains a
trusted company
that has created
beautiful
holiday memories
for millions of
people, since
1946
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