David Jones 210cm Northstar Flocked Christmas Tree

Oh Xmas tree, Oh Xmas tree.... What ever am I to do with thee? – I purchased this tree at David Jones last November so I could retire a stunning tree (which I had purchased from Myer's in Sydney CBD store 42 years ago). I still have that tree, thank goodness! Its replacement was a massive let down. Yes, I new it would be a 'slimmer'-bodied tree, but it was squashed into its cardboard box in 3 pieces (not counting the stand), and many of its branches were seriously misshapen and took ages to straighten out.

But the major problem I have with this tree is the sloppy hinges on the branches. Touch a branch the wrong way, and it shifts - noticeably - in the direction of pressure. You could see the gaps between the sides of the mounted hinge, and the arm of the branches.

The only positive thing I can say about this tree is that it comes in three parts that just get stacked on top of each other. With my other tree, each branch is a separate piece - color coded for ease of construction, but the upside of that is that when you disassemble the tree and pack it away, you get to pack it all up neat and tidy without having to force three bulky bunches of branches that you have to seriously squash down to pack back into the box.

Needless to say, the 42 yr-old tree has been brought out of retirement this year, because the pathetic replacement just doesn't do the season justice.