When did Santa photos become so expensive every year?

[QueenIsabella]

When we lived rural, one of the very few "famous" local business was a tree farm. It was already a winter wonderland--upstate NY, just outside Adirondack State Park, so there would be snow on the ground in December. They would have a Santa walking around, passing out candy canes, and they borrowed a few reindeer from another, nearby reindeer farm (probably the only one within 100 miles, and it was ~5 miles away!). You could get all the pictures you want--no formal set-up, but you could use the rustic buildings or the reindeer or whatever as a backdrop.

Added bonus, the Boy Scouts would do a tree-wrapping (nylon fencing-type stuff) fundraiser--it cost a few bucks per tree to get it wrapped. People would come from Saratoga, Albany, whatever, make a day of it, and get several trees. We used to joke about the "traffic jam"--4 cars backed up at the light in the center of town.