Vintage Halloween Party Favor Stand-Up JOL Man With Cat

Many collectors may not know that Beistle slightly altered the design of this, the smallest of their Johnny Pumpkin family, for one season only. The version being sold in this lot has a folding side easel and the bottom of the piece does not have the typically appearing copyright symbol and the name Beistle. (Hence, this version is slightly shorter.) The overall color on these is always more orange than maroon. This version was only sold in an enveloped set of five with a stock number of 514. Interestingly, the illustration on the envelope shows the item as it normally appears, evidence of a shortcut Beistle took when recycling this design. Originally, this Johnny Pumpkin family first appeared in 1920. Only the smallest version was sold in subsequent years. I feel this version was sold as late as 1925. 

Pumpkin Head paper figure,16"tall,Beistle, NOT a Repro

Here is yet another stratospheric ending price for a superb Beistle item. My hat is off to the two determined bidders, both of which no doubt possess excellent taste, who between them pushed this item well past its sustainable value. As I wrote in an earlier post, if you take just two or three avid bidders out of the equation, prices invariably fall to more of an expected final price. Look at the recorded bidding history for this item and you'll see what I mean. Taking the prevailing bidder and the under-bidder out, the price would have ended around $167. This observation is buttressed by the fact that this same seller offered a near identical item that ended a mere three minutes later. That second Johnny Pumpkin ended at $180, pretty much what I feel this item should be fetching by and large.  If you are a new collector with the typical money constraints faced by most, don't get discouraged by these ending prices. Once these discerning bidders obtain a piece, they won't be bidding and prices will return to more of a sustainable level. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but admiration and respect for this handful of determined bidders for whom price is seemingly not a primary concern. Just don't assume that the prices you see being recorded for these items represent the sustained value, for I don't feel they do.