Ever wonder how many vintage illuminating Santas can be collected in one year’s time?
That was the question that Chris Willis posed when the first Santa Clones installation went up on East Burnside street back in 2010.
“I just thought it’d be a funny, quirky little project to see how many of these little Santas I could round up on eBay in one year,” Willis said. “I gave myself a time limit and a budget and ended up with 150 at the end of the year.”
The story of why Willis began collecting the Santas in the first place goes back to his grandmother.
“My grandmother had a large four foot, blow mold Santa that was always at her house,” he said. “And for me, that was Christmas: the warm glow, [it’s] very nostalgic for me remembering that.”
The Santa Clones are back in town, but this year they are sporting handmade masks in light of the pandemic.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Chris Willis has been putting up the Santa Clones installation annually in empty storefronts in the Portland area since 2010.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Six of the over 400 Santa Clones are wearing their masks incorrectly.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
The Crise family of Happy Valley, figured out clues posted on Instagram to find this year's display location.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
The Crise family, left to right, McKenna 16, step-mother Amy, and Addisyn, 14, look for Santas wearing their masks incorrectly as they look at the display, Dec. 16, 2020.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Willis has acquired the Santas over 10 years, purchasing them off of eBay.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Willis said he did give careful thought about the display this year, and if people would be able to view it while being socially distant. He felt the location was perfect, with ample large windows that allowed viewers to spread out while looking.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
This year's display features over 400 of the vintage plastic statues in handmade masks, are arranged in formations inspired by China's first emperor's terracotta warriors.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
The Santas were made in the late 60s by Empire Plastics Corp.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Willis’ grandmother ended up gifting him the Santa, starting his journey to collect Christmas blow molds—those hollow, hard plastic lawn decorations — from the now-defunct Empire Plastics Corporation.
“The characters I collect were made [in the] late ’60s, early ’70s.” Willis said. “And at some point, I thought — I dunno if I was reading about, or it had always been in my head — about China’s first emperor’s terracotta warriors. Just all the figures in formation, sort of lined up in groups together. And I thought, ‘Oh, what would a bunch of little 13-inch plastic glowing Santas look like in that configuration?’ "
This was in the days before Instagram and other social media platforms became as widespread as they are today. For the first installation, people would either just stumble across the Santas or they would find the project by word of mouth.
A few years later, Willis put the Santa Clones in a friend’s front yard. By that time, the project had gained a bit of a following, and Willis was leery of publishing a friend’s address outright. So, instead, he decided to give clues to the clones’ location.
“The clues weren’t that difficult,” he said. “And people loved the idea of trying to find them and wanting to make sure nobody told them where they were. They liked the idea of the hunt.”
Willis says one of the biggest challenges of setting up the Santa Clones is actually just finding a location for them.
“I just drove around town and looked for empty retail storefronts,” Willis said. “I would write the number down, give them a call, [and] let them know what I was thinking of doing.”
There is really no rhyme or reason to where the Santa Clones end up. They’ve been scattered throughout the city in Northwest, downtown, Southeast, and North Portland.
This year, because of the pandemic, the Santas have been quarantining together. And while they’re on display, they are keeping with all the state’s recommended precautions.
“All 400 little Santa Clones have masks this year,” Willis said. “I felt that was an appropriate thing to do. Masks are part of our daily lives, so why wouldn’t the Santas have them?”
We’re not going to give away the exact locations of the Santa Clones this year. But, if you want to see them for yourself, Willis offers these clues:
OPB’s Tiffany Camhi and Crystal Ligori went on the hunt for the Santa Clones themselves, and you can hear the full story by clicking on the audio player above.