I had an artificial tree for 8 years and after all the packing and re-assembling...it just didn't look too much like a tree anymore.
I decided to buy a tree from Home Depot one year and each year I go back there to get my trees. The trees are healthy and large and for $30 its a bargain for a tree that lasts after the New Years. The workers at Home Depot who are doing the trees are usually very courteous while helping to select your tree, wrapping it and loading it onto your car...all in the freezing cold.
I have bought trees from local street vendors only to have the needles fall way too soon after Christmas day.
Don't forget to tip the workers and don't forget to recycle your tree to make mulch to grow new trees.
Find a store location here: http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/pg_index.jsp?CNTTYPE=NAVIGATION&CNTKEY=pg_index.jsp&m=1132776721358&cm_mmc=hd_goog-_-Search-_-D-Brand-_-bid20168939-home-depot
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