Where to Buy a Creche

Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Nov 2008

My husband would like to get our daughter a small nativity/creche for Christmas this year. He looked on-line but would prefer to actually see the set in person before he purchases it. Can you please recommend somewhere in the area, like a Christmas store, or a church's gift store, that sells a variety of different nativity sets. Thanks! already thinking about the holidays

I love this store called ''Sagrada'' in that groovy block in Temescal, down the street from Bake Sale Betty's, on Telegraph. They have really gorgeous items from various spiritual backgrounds. things hand made from around the world. andrea

Please visit Sagrada on Telegraph Avenue, near 51st Street. It has an amazing collection of all things religious, whatever your spiritual persuasion, and is a pleasure to visit. The owners have a lovely collection of creche's and the prices are quite reasonable. Enjoy! Jacqueline Frost

I started this tradition with our kids. We bought a Fisher Price Little People nativity set, then the Playmobil one. This year, I was going to visit Sagrada on Telegraph near 51st. anon

try sagrada in oakland. I think I have also seen them at a few ethnic-oriented shops (ethnic arts in berkeley and a place on solano near the bone room and the store that has lots of mexican ceramics out front near the flower shop right aboe the BART tracks on solano) Good luck. anon

There is something called the ''Roly-Poly Nativity'' in the current Signals Catalog. (signals.com) anon

Nov 1999

Hi all. I would like to buy a nice creche (nativity scene). I've tried a couple of antique stores (and Cost Plus) with no luck. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm looking for one that is neither too cute nor too abstract... Tahani

I too am looking for a nativity scene that doesn't depict Mary and Joseph as European. I would prefer one with mixed races, but I suppose that's too much to hope for...

Try one that doesn't have skin tones at all... Hearthsong offers a lovely (but pricey) set carved from olive wood and left unpainted; a couple of the toy catalogs have offered more reasonably priced versions designed for kids where the figures are cut in silhouette and each figure is painted a solid color (e.g., red, blue). I'd bet there are other options out there, too. Barbara

I bought a non breakable nativity scene made in China at Sears a few years ago. It was some sort of carved plastic (melamine?). It was pretty non specific in terms of race, though one of the kings was pretty clearly African. I really wanted a nativity scene that wouldn't break since I wanted my kids to play with it. It was extremely affordable (about $25) and relatively attractive.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has a very beautiful one, with all European looking pieces. It's available at their web site. http://www.mfa.org/shop/

www.christmasdepot.com has 47 nativity scenes. I didn't have time to look through them all, but it's worth looking.

For a good creche, you should try the United Nations Association gift store (1798 Shattuck at the corner of Delaware). They have creches from El Slavador, Kenya, Mexico & little ones from Peru. For everyone, don't forget this store during your holiday shopping! They have wonderful gifts from everywhere, including children's toys & books, UNICEF gifts, all the UNICEF cards, and terrific ornaments. It's a very worthy cause as well. (The UN Association of the East Bay gets a small % of the UNICEF sales, and UNICEF gets the rest. All the other sales in the store support the Association 100%.) They also have a library in the back with all kinds of UN info. in case you're interested. Leah

Ideas on where to get Nativity Scenes

1. Hearthsong on 4th Street in Berkeley has a nativity set that I liked. It's about $45, all lightwieght wooden figures that you stain yourself. The set comes with the wood stain and instructions. It's about a 10 or 11 piece set, I think.

2. I remember either last year or the year before seeing some very nice (though I think they were rather expensive) nativity sets at a store on Piedmont Ave. in Oakland. I think its called FolkArt.

3. You might also try calling some of the Christian Bookstores. They may carry nativities as well.

Good Luck in your search,
Marie

Check out Illuminations Sacred Arts in Oakland...482A 49th St just east of Telegraph. They have lovely religious items for Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu faiths. They may have items from other faiths as well, but I am not certain which. They do have creches, too. The phone number there is 653-7196.

Have a happy season, Holliday