The Merchants of Joy, a Prime Video documentary film directed by Celia Aniskovich, is based on the Epic Magazine article, which was published in partnership with the New York Magazine. The article, titled “Secrets of the Christmas Tree Trade,” was written by Owen Long, and as the title suggests, it gave us a glimpse into the lives of 5 families who came down to New York City every year to sell their Christmas trees. I think this Prime Video documentary sets the tone for the upcoming festive season. I have to say here that it does not have much to offer information-wise, but it’ll still leave you feeling nostalgic and excited about the festivities that are soon going to follow. For me, personally, Christmas made me believe that magic existed in this world, and I think these traders, more than doing business and making a profit, try to sell that feeling. When children go out to buy a Christmas tree with their parents, they carry a heart full of hopes and dreams. They’ve already imagined exactly how they’ll decorate it this year. So with every tree, the traders also fulfill the dream of a child. The documentary tells us that though these five families were competitors, they still felt like one big unit who together shared a part of their lives with each other. So as the families stand on the brink of a new horizon, with the younger generation poised to take over their business, they reminisce about the good old days, talk about the challenges they encounter in the trade, and reflect upon their own lives and the choices they’ve made along the way.
Who were the Five Families?
Greg Walsh, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Claus, was the owner of Greg’s Trees. His son, Greg Junior, joined his business, as he wanted to help his father out, and moreover, he was just bored and didn’t want to carry on with his education. Greg had been in the business since 1985, and he really looked forward to that time of the year when he would start selling Christmas trees. When he was not selling trees, he ran a flower shop. The second business owner was George Smith, who ran the NYC Tree Shop. He came from a humble background, and he said that, back in the day, he had to really work hard to earn his living. Those formative years taught him that there was no substitute for hard work. George was single, and he was actively trying his luck on dating apps. He seemed like a man who wanted to seize the moment and enjoy life. He knew that life was unpredictable and short, and so one couldn’t waste time mulling over what had been lost.
Jane Waterman and her husband, George Nash, were the third family, and their company was called Uptown Christmas Tree. All their children and grandchildren at some point in time had worked with them, and now their daughter, Ciree Nash, was handling the business. George knew that it was going to be their last Christmas in business, as they were going to retire and hand over the business to their daughter, who was already managing a lot of things. Heather Neville, a fierce entrepreneur, was the fourth trader, and her venture was known as the NYC Tree Lady. She was probably the only female owner in the business for the longest time, and she wanted to flaunt that and tell the people that she had worked really hard to carve out a niche for herself. But even with that ferocity and the urge to be the best, she was a really kindhearted woman. She took great care of her workers and made sure that even people with a criminal record had a chance to work and afford a decent life.
The fifth business owner was a mysterious man named Kevin Hammer. He was the only person who didn’t want to be a part of the documentary. The other families said that Kevin was the uncrowned emperor of the Christmas tree business, and nobody dared to cross him. The man was notorious, and so I believe the other families (apart from Heather, who herself had a criminal record and in general was a fearless woman) were quite intimidated by him. So there was a turf war between these families, and often they had to put in a lot of hard work and execute well-thought-out strategies to make profits and outcompete the rest.
What happened during the bidding of the stand locations?
There was a bidding process to decide which family would get which spot for their Christmas tree stand. Usually, if one family had been setting up at a certain location for years, the others didn’t bid for that particular spot. This was also because they had created a customer base for themselves, and they wanted to take advantage of that fact. But there were times when a family lost a location, like what happened this time. Greg lost a very important location, and even Heather’s spot was taken by Kevin Hammer. Also there was an unspoken rule that if one person is setting up their stall at a given location, nobody else would have their stand in and around that spot. But at times, egos clashed, and a businessman’s competitive nature fueled them to break those unspoken rules. The families always dealt with the fear of their business being hampered by the box stores that sold plastic Christmas trees. They had to assess the demand of the market, understand how to lure in more customers, and most of all, not disappoint anybody just for the sake of making a profit. Even though there was this unspoken war between the families, they all respected one another and never crossed the line.
What Happened To Greg Walsh?
We got to know at the end of the documentary that Greg Walsh was suffering from prostate cancer. The man, instead of grieving, decided to live his life to the fullest. He said that he was one of those fortunate people who had had the realization that life was going to end one day. He said that the day he got diagnosed with cancer, his perspective towards life changed altogether. He stated that he stopped taking life for granted, and that made a whole lot of difference. The man was happy that his son had joined his business, and he wanted him to learn the trick of the trade and be able to handle everything on his own once he was gone. According to reports, Greg Walsh passed away in May 2025, and today his legacy is being carried forward by his son. Greg is still remembered as the man who dressed up like Santa Claus, gave treats to kids, and put a smile on their face. In the end I believe he didn’t just sell Christmas trees; he sold a little magic packed in them too.
