AUSTIN, Texas — KVUE visited Papa Noel Trees to find out if they were feeling the effects of the recession that happened a decade ago.
During the recession, farmers were planting less Christmas trees and buyers were spending money on other things.
Michael Taylor, a manager at Papa Noel off MoPac, said the biggest effect they were dealing with was finding tall trees.
“It takes about six or seven years for a tree that is about six or seven feet tall to grow," said Taylor. "So 10 years ago, your 10-foot tree was being planted and none of them were planted."
Taylor said the price for a Christmas tree has gone up about 5%, which is about $10.
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Joyce Bowen buys a real tree every year and told KVUE she did not notice higher prices.
"I know they had told us it was going to be a shortage or more expensive, but I didn't see it," explained Bowen.
Bowen's 6-foot Noble tree cost her $119.
"To me, it is more Christmas and loving than an artificial tree," Bowen said. "So if I can get a real tree, I will."
Taylor believes the struggle to find a tall Christmas tree will be short lived.
"So now we are about to start catching up to that in the next two to three years and everything will be normal," Taylor said.
Taylor said they have sold over 2,000 Christmas trees at his location. According to Taylor, the sales are due to people moving away from plastic trees to real trees that are recycled easier and better for the environment. He said for every tree cut down, another is planted.
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