SEARS SOLD THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREES FOR $0.50 AND $1.00 IN THE LATE 1800S The production of lead tinsel was halted in the early 1970s, according to History.com, when the U.S. Food and ...

"You can achieve the hair tinsel look yourself by purchasing tinsel kits, these can be found for as little as £5 on Amazon.

Christmas trees with tinsel glistened as they reflected candlelight. Through the years, silver was swapped for other less-expensive metals like copper, tin, aluminum and lead, according to the BBC.