The Christmas Sleigh

It is a question that haunts connoisseurs of the late-​20^th-​century American history: whatever happened to Linda Tripp?
Whatever happened to Linda Tripp is the Christmas Sleigh! After disappearing from the spotlight post-​Lewinsky, she went on to marry her childhood sweetheart, a German man named Dieter Rausch, and open this rural fiesta of high-​end Christmas accessories, riding gear, and lederhosen.
Dieter was behind the counter when my husband and I went to visit last summer. I was six and a half months pregnant, and marveling at my size, he asked me if I had «two in there.» No. But then he gave me a pink plastic pig – apparently a German thing for good luck – so we were all good.
This place is EXPENSIVE. Think $ 1500-​for-​a-​cuckoo-​clock expensive. But then again, Middleburg is full of the sort of people who would think nothing of paying that. And the cuckoo clocks, like everything else on offer, are handmade by master craftsmen — truly deserving of the price.
At best, it’s a treasure trove; at worst, it’s an adventure. Worth a visit no matter who you are.

As good as it gets. I am a transplanted New Yorker in wholesale/​retail. This place is this shop is the real deal. The Germanwear awesome (Gorsuch you should be embarrassed at your prices for the same garments. Best of show are the nutcrackers and the 100% brass ornament hooks. The owner is sooooo nice. I don’t know about the rat. It’s the country but he needs to take care of that. Love. This. Place.

BUYER BEWARE! I ordered a nutcracker from this shop and was sent one that was broken and not as advertised (no music box). It had been poorly repaired and sent to me in very bad condition. I called and talked to the owner who said to sent it back. He apologized profusely about the condition and promised a refund check in the mail the next day. Needless to say, I have never received the check and no one answers the phone when I try and call. Do not do business with this shop as they are not ethical in their business practices. You can do much better in any number of Christmas venues.

We wandered into The Christmas Sleigh this past weekend while out exploring Middleburg. Having German parents and living in Germany for three years, this lovely store made me feel welcome and right at home. Its chock full of everything German — steins, traditional wine glasses, crystal, Nutcrackers, smokers, even lederhosen and dirndls in addition to the hundreds of ornaments and Christmas displays. It was overwhelming to try and see everything here.
I had broken some of my everyday wine glasses and wanted to purchase a couple of the traditional green stemmed glasses. At first the owner told me they are only sold in sets but upon seeing my disappointment, said he would sell me the pair. I ended up purchasing the set anyway after giving it some thought.
The owner was friendly and welcoming. There was traditional German music playing in the store and he would sing along as he made his way through the store to assist customers. He sometimes would start a sentence in English and end in German. It was all very comforting as these are things my parents do.
I found out later the store is owned by the kind German man who assisted us and his wife Linda Tripp. I found it sad that some reviewers based their entire experience and rating of the store on something that happened so long ago. Yes, the items are pricey. They are genuine German articles and would not be cheap anywhere else. I enjoyed my visit to this store and would stop in again next time I am in Middleburg.

I love the Christmas Sleigh. German culture is a wonderful part of my childhood and I feel like a jofyilled kid every time I visit this shop.
Middleburg is a quiet little town where things take time and so I have had to be patient while the candy I love from this place was on order. It was worth the wait.
The customer service is beyond friendly– It is special and I love this shop.
It is a blessing when someone does something to bring joy to others.
The past is over– so in spite of other people’s reviews I will continue to do business here.

I have had almost the same issue as Tony. I ordered an ornament online on December 2^nd and they charged my credit card right away. It’s been over 2 weeks and I have not received any shipment information, nor have I gotten the ornament in the mail. I have called 4 times in the past week and left voicemails and sent 2 emails to their information email (one which got bounced back today) and I have heard nothing back. No one ever answers their phone and they have absolutely NO customer service. At least Tony has been able to get a refund, I can’t even get them to talk to me.
I did visit the store a few months ago and their stuff is cool, but the guy working there followed us around the entire time and it was just creepy. I just want to get this issue resolved and never have to deal with them again!

Avoid doing business with this merchant. Their telephone answering machine says they are open seven days a week but no one answers the phone and messages left on the machine are not returned. I placed an online order on Dec. 5, my credit card was charged, and after waiting two weeks, my order was still undelivered. I left multiple telephone messages and e-​mails over the course of a week that were not answered. Finally, I spoke with an employee who told me the items I had ordered were out of stock. I asked for my order to be cancelled and for my credit card to be credited. They said they would send a check rather than issue a credit to my card account. Bad business. So I contacted my card issuer and opened a dispute on the charge from The Christmas Sleigh.

We ususally go in once a year when we are in Middleburg. However, not this year and likely never again. We were stopped as we tried to enter and told we had to wait because there were too many people in the shop. When I looked in I saw hardly anyone. Seemed like a ploy to me. Ridiculous. Most of the merchandise is overpriced anyway so I think we will skip it from now on.

If you’re in Middleburg, even if it’s nowhere near Christmas, this is a must visit store.
It is full to the brim with German and Austrian Christmas décor, plus a gorgeous selection of German clothing.