We had old 50s/60s versions of these growing up too. Not sure if my mom still has them. They didn’t move around the house, but all sat in the window on the porch. That was creepy enough tyvm.

Very much a cop. No elves in our house. No naughty list either. "Do good, be good. It will make you feel better and it's the right thing to do...you'll get presents because you are loved." Santa watching anxiety was getting to my youngest so he had to go too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who finds it weird to have this fake mass produced tradition instead of authentic things that are part of your family?

m
Nope. Never done this mass-market creepy crap.

And I certainly wouldnt "post" every moment of our family traditions for everyone to see...over and over. I dont post our Thanksgiving Day Hike or our late night drive drinking hot chocolate through Festival of Lights in Watkins Park, etc. Im also not sure how fear based parenting became a holiday tradition.

Can you post a picture? I'm curious.

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who finds it weird to have this fake mass produced tradition instead of authentic things that are part of your family?

m
Nope. Never done this mass-market creepy crap.

I got my Elf around 1966 - came with a small Whitman's Sampler with 4 pieces of chocolate. Ate the chocolate, still have the elf.

We had one in the 60's, but my mom called it a Pixie. It was just a decoration, not a spy lol.

Apparently, they are a knockoff of earlier elves that the creator grew up with, Lille a kneehugger elf (google it)

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/the-elf-on-the-shelf-history_us_5a24c89be4b0a02abe920d71?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNhLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJScyRNbedOteoHAa0_8ebD6CzXCTyRI8q0YCOcdfX_tNE7RIkmaprNhIRqeAjB5q968PdQREwQMvPGRHtDpdOK9f68j4CjSd_QOcRGGPTXUG1cLsd9SG2BAzJ8vYOcHZtXHv7IW3epqZVI9e-1mmeUiE0dARCOIbNT9PrDYXhNP

we still have two elves from the '60s "elf on the shelf."

they're beautifully intact and preserved and bring smiles every year when we open the box again.

ours came from liquid dish soap bottles.

Anonymous wrote:My grandma had one, before it was "elf on the shelf." It's identical. She used it as a ornament/decoration. I think they were common.

+1.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My grandma had one, before it was "elf on the shelf." It's identical. She used it as a ornament/decoration. I think they were common.

Me too. My aunt had one that's sitting exactly like the elf on the shelf (knees pulled to chest), and a second one that was laying on its stomach with hands under chin and feet in the air. Perhaps they were mass produced sets.

I had one from my childhood in the late 60s, it always creeped me put so I got rid of it when going through Christmas decor at my parents house. But I don't remember there being any spying or back story going on with the elf.

I grew up with that elf (60s/70s). Could kick myself for not seeing the market potential.

Mine dates to at least early 1950s. I was born in 1940. Mother bout ours when we were children under our tree.

Anonymous wrote:I am frightened of any elfin or small statured person, except maybe Peter Dinklage, as I would definitely hit that.

11:16 here. You made me realize mayhaps this is from where my love for Dinklage came. I would absolutely hit that hard.