When you first walk into the Minster's Penn Forest Township home, it looks a little like the North Pole.

But instead of busy little elves, you quickly realize it's the Jolly Old Elf himself who seems to have taken over every nook, cranny and surface in the spacious living room and open kitchen.You realize too, ironically, that the Minsters Larry with his neat white beard and Rose with her twinkling eyes could easily pass for Mr. and Mrs. Claus.The couple began collecting Santas about 25 or 30 years ago, when Rose picked up two tin bird houses at a Sears outlet in Long Island. Little did she know, those bird houses, each painted to look like Santa Claus, would be the beginning of something big."It's sort of been contagious," says Rose. "Friends who have seen it look for something we don't have to add to our collection."There are several typical Santas, made of cloth or plaster, but there are even more that are made from unusual materials, such as pine cones, corn cobs, pie plates and cheese graters. There are pens, pencils and erasers, sea shells, peanuts and walnuts, and even a lobster claw. Each is an individual work of art.The Minsters, who have been married for 38 years and who are semi-retired from their teaching profession, met in college. As Penn State graduates, they naturally have a Santa wearing a suit of Penn State blue.They enjoy traveling, and their trips often result in something new to put on display."If we travel, we take our time," says Rose. "If we see any antique signs, we stop and walk through."She says the same applies to gifts shops and craft fairs."The fun is trying to find the more unusual ones," Rose adds. "I have a starfish, a piece of leather made into a Santa, an oyster shell, a wooden spoon, a landscape spike and a bullet casing."Other Santas are made of light bulbs, a can opener, a potato masher, a skate key and much more.Rose credits Larry's woodworking skills with helping put Santa on display, as he has created numerous stands for her to prop up some of the more unusual pieces.A wrought iron "tree" between the kitchen and living room holds Santa ornaments. It currently sits on a table, and is several feet tall. Rose says it has one more extension that will allow them to add to it if the Santas continue to multiply. Some years the Santa tree stands in for a traditional pine tree.While the collection is extensive, the cost has been minimal."We've paid anywhere from $1 to $12-14," says Larry.Some of the Santas that would have been pricier may have been gifts, or were purchased at after-Christmas sales.This year, Rose tried her hand at making a Santa. After seeing an old book with its pages folded to look like an angel, she fashioned a similar one into a Santa, which currently sits on the fireplace mantle.Above that Santa is a little something that speaks to the magic of Christmas. Although Rose and Larry did not meet until college, they grew up in the same town.As youngsters, sometime in either 1956 or 1957, they each paid a visit to Santa at Gables Department Store in Altoona, where they had their pictures taken sitting on his lap.Years later, they came across the photos, which are almost identical and look as if they could have been taken the same day. They had the photos set into a frame, separated by the cover from the original photos. It hangs in a place of honor above the fireplace.Their most recent Santa acquisition is a mounted pen and ink drawing by Chaz Letzkus of Pittsburgh. Hidden within the folds of Santa's coat and bag are tiny drawings of toys, as well as their name. They bought it last week at the Pennsylvania Christmas Show in Harrisburg.The Minsters have one son, Larry Jr., who lives in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.After a recent visit, with the house arrayed in all of its St. Nicholas glory, Rose said to him, "Someday, all of this will be yours."Taking it all in, he just rolled his eyes."I don't think he knew what to say," chuckles Rose.