Friday, Dec. 25, 2009

Local man gets into holiday spirit with village collectibles

Joe Sanchez working on six-year hobby

Joe Sanchez has been collecting items for six years now. And each year he can't help but develop his hobby into something larger than he planned for.

"I do it for my enjoyment," Sanchez said.

Sanchez has created a miniature city out of Christmas village figurines, buildings and all the trimmings.

Sanchez said he spends about four hours a day for three weeks each year putting everything together.

Some call his creation "Christmas on the Porch," as the village of nearly 30 buildings, 200 trees and just as many characters, sits on his porch in a 5-by-10 foot area outside his Mercey Springs Road home.

Sanchez's village is displayed in a different layout each year as it grows. But after 2009, he said he's slowing down.

"I have no where else to expand it," he said.

The amount of thought, intricate detail and imagination put into his hobby is what Sanchez loves most about it. And the fact that it's all about Christmas, and something he's built entirely on his own, makes it worth the time and money he's put in.

From about Thanksgiving to a week or so after New Year's, Sanchez's village sits on his porch showing off his talent of detail and creation of a Christmas masterpiece.

And at night, the lights of porcelain buildings shine through for Highway 165 travelers.

"I got kicked out of the living room," he said. "So, I came out onto the porch."

Sanchez said someone gave him a couple buildings six years ago and it just rapidly grew from there.

"I like what I do," he said. "And I'm proud of it. It all works together."

Enterprise reporter Samantha Salas can be reached by phone at (209)388-6562 or by e-mail at ssalas@losbanosenterprise.com