Christmas Tree Shortage Has Some Shelling Out Top Dollar For Holiday Decorations
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- A shortage of Christmas trees has people paying more for their holiday decorations this year.
As CBS2's Brian Conybeare reported, some experts said you may want to get one before it's too late.
"I'd be very upset if I couldn't get one," Samantha Englert said.
Englert said a Christmas tree shortage would ruin her holiday season, but she has already taken action.
"We just got a tree for my apartment, $50, but it's a small little baby tree," she said.
Large or small, you may not see as many evergreens at your local tree stand this year.
The Department of Agriculture reported that Christmas tree production dropped by about 31 percent over the past decade.
The recession also put more than a thousand tree growers out of business nationwide, and the drought in the Pacific Northwest is also to blame.
"We're having a touch time finding Fraziers this year," Dave Cavilla said.
Cavilla is a landscaper in Tenafly who has been helping the local Boy Scout troop with a fundraising Christmas tree sale.
"I spoke with my vendor yesterday and he said Noble Firs are unavailable because of the drought out west," Cavilla said, "All of these trees are sold by Boy Scouts and all of the profit is for the troop, we;re not trying to gouge anybody."
Prices vary depending on the size and type of tree you're buying, and your location, but tighter supply generally means you'll pay more.
For a six foot Frazier prices ranged from $35 to $120.
But where do New Yorkers draw the line on cost?
"I would say maximum $45," one said
"I would say $50-$55," another added.
"If it's a good quality tree and a big tree, I'd go to $100," said a third.
If the shortage of real trees gets too bad you can always spend up to $1,000 or more on a pre-lit artificial tree.
