Sister Sue and I would shop for trees together every year, usually on what ended up being the coldest day of the year. Our best trees were bought on the 23rd one year - perfect shape and height and only $7. Her husband would always suggest we get an artificial tree. We refused for the longest time. Finally, 25 years ago or so, we couldn't find a decent tree for under $50 so we ended up at Seasonal Concepts and bought a fake tree. I got home from work one day and she had left me a message - when you put up the tree, do it naked. The instructions suggested shaking each branch over a sheet to get any loose "needles" to drop on the sheet for removal later. However, the stupid things clung to her clothes and she ended up with them all over the house. I quit feeling guilty when I realized I wouldn't have to drag the tree to the curb by myself when it was ready for the trash. I still have that tree.
It is a version where you have to click each branch onto the trunk. I finally figured out that the best way to put the lights on the tree was to put the first level of branches on, lay the lights on those branches, add the next layer of branches, lay the lights on those branches, and so on. It works really well.