1. Measure your ceiling height before buying, and take into account whether the tree will be standing on the floor or on a table.

You don't want to get carried away and have a tree that's too tall for your room.

2. Go to a shop that is well-lit and which keeps its trees in a shaded area.

3. Try to buy a tree that has just been delivered to the shop.

It you buy one soon after its arrival it will be very fresh, having been cut recently.

Ask the retailer when the trees came in and how often they have deliveries through the Christmas season.

4. Test for freshness. Green needles on fresh trees break crisply when bent sharply with the fingers -- a bit like a fresh carrot.

Pines have different indicators because of the fibrous nature of their needles compared to firs.

The needles on fresh pines do NOT break, unless they are very dry.

Look for other indicators of dryness or deterioration: excessive needle loss, discolored foliage, musty odor, needle pliability, and wrinkled bark.

A good rule-of-thumb is, when in doubt about the freshness of a tree, select another one.

If none of the trees on the lot look fresh, go to another shop.