It isn't surprising that these two superb diecuts ended up together in a paper bag as described by the seller, as they were sold as a set. Beistle sold these as enveloped sets, with the envelopes having a number of variations. (The orange envelope is earlier.) They were marketed as Mechanical Hallowe'en Silhouettes and sold in the early 1920s. Somewhat later, the owl was made as a table decoration with a flip-out base.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
antique papermachie paper card board Germany Halloween OWL clacker noise maker
The Germans produced several different clapper designs during the 1920s, all the same in the way they were assembled - two identical diecuts affixed to an orange shaped cardboard paddle. What some collectors don't know is that more often than not these diecuts were painted to look distressed. What a casual observer may conclude is wear actually isn't. You can see other clapper designs on page 196.
Vintage Halloween OWL CANDY CONTAINER in great condtion. 1940's - 1950's
These small pulp objects that were made in the 1950s are devilishly difficult to find in collectible condition. There were a number of designs, but I'd say this owl and a small, arched-back black cat with yellow eyes are two of the harder ones to find. The owl nearly always has significant ear wear with much paint loss throughout. This looks to be in such good condition that I wonder what it would have brought through a standard auction format. This lasted mere minutes between listing and purchase.
Vintage Halloween flying owl--wings flap-
These owl decorations were made by Gibson in the early 1930s. They were made in two sizes. These appear to be the smaller of the two sizes. The larger design measures ~7.25" high by ~6.75" wide by ~11" long. The larger one typically trades for $65.
06/05 Update: The prevailing bidder got a bargain scooping these up for $56.69.
VINTAGE 1950s CROWN OWL TRICK/TREAT LANTERN LIGHT BATTERY OPERATED
I love listings like this where another piece of the "Who made that?" puzzle snaps into place. I've seen these frosted glass owl battery-op lanterns many, many times over the decades but I've never seen one with the box before. Now not only do we know that Crown Electric Works Limited of Japan made the lantern, but that they had assigned inventory number 1420 to it.
Vintage Halloween Advertisement Owl Pick a feather out of my wing!
This is an exceptionally rare fortune game made by Gibson in the later 1920s. I have only seen it offered for sale one other time in 28 years, and that one was in poor condition, missing several of its feather fortunes. Gibson didn't venture too often into the games category, and when they did they typically made drawing and tongue twister varieties. (This may be the sole Halloween fortune game this venerable firm made.) This is a large, eye-catching game, measuring ~14" h x ~14" w. Gibson items are much more rare than equivalent items made by Dennison or Beistle. The market has been slowly waking up to this fact. I project that prices for Gibson items in near-perfect condition will escalate more rapidly than other manufacturers over the next few years.
VTG 1920'S 30'S HALLOWEEN SMALL OWL IN MOON CANDY CONTAINER BOX
This is a rare enough Rosen candy box that I've never seen one before. Rosen made exquisite candy boxes as well as point-of-sale containers that are quite sought after. Even though the condition of this compelling box is somewhat problematic, it reached a solid price of nearly $200. I wonder what other Rosen treasures remain undiscovered?
Very HTF Halloween Owl German Die Cut Embossed Decoration 7 3/4"
This result is absurd. The prevailing bidder, the same in all four of these examples, has been caught out by an underbidder who was equally insane. I'm sure that neither party ever expected another bidder to place such a silly and never-to-be-seen-again bid. The only winner here is the seller who has to be scratching his head at his good fortune. Seller, run out and buy a lottery ticket. You're on a roll! The prevailing bidder now has to shell out a laughably high number of dollars for a diecut that surfaces every now and then. Results like these can contribute to the demise of a great hobby as potential new collectors see these incomprehensible results and decide to move on to other pursuits. I am gob-smacked.
Vintage antique U.S.A. Halloween owl lantern - large
It is nice to see this owl lantern get some loving. Years ago these commanded high prices, but as eBay upended the market's assumptions as to what was rare and what truly wasn't, prices for this lantern, as well as its cat mate, began to fall. When Beistle reproduced this lantern a couple of years ago (doing it the right way by making the new ones MUCH smaller than the vintage ones and ensuring these new items were well marked), prices continued to fall. To illustrate, in my 2007 second edition, this is valued at $70, whereas in the new third edition the value is given as $55. Now, whether this auction result is an anomaly or the start of a trend will have to await more data.
Ca 1930s Whitney Diecut Place Card Big Eyed Owl Jack O'lantern unused mint
This cute place card was made by Whitney during the early 1930s. There are six different designs comprising a full set. You can see the entire set on page 281.
Vintage Halloween Beistle Owl Tell Your Fortune Game
This is an extraordinary result for a somewhat common fortune and stunt game in this condition. These nicely designed games were issued by Beistle from 1955-1961. In unused condition, these typically fetch around $100, so someone really wanted this well-used item. As in nearly all such instances, this result came about by just two determined bidders. If you look at the bidding history, these two ratcheted the price up between them to this level, certainly making the surprised seller ecstatic.
1920's Vintage German Halloween Crecent moon and owl die cut Near Mint!
Although this diecut's RSIN is 3, it isn't often that you find one in this great condition. I don't know this seller, but he seems to have many diecuts available. I'd make an offer of $175-190 if you need this one for your collection.
1930'S "SCARCE" HALLOWEEN BEACH & ARTHUR PAPER PLATE. WONDERFUL GRAPHICS N MINT
Wow! Three bidders, intent on adding this fine plate to their collections, drove the bidding into the stratosphere to an entirely unsustainable $123.50. I am happy for the seller, but would counsel the underbidders to bide their time. These plates show up regularly, and typically fetch $30-40. A bit of advice to newer collectors: understand the relative scarcity of the items on which you are bidding. If something is common, seldom bid over guide value as another will surface in one forum or another. Try not to overpay as the prevailing bidder here most definitely did.
Vintage Beistle Black Cat Owl Bat Pumpkin Halloween Orange Tissue HoneyComb Hat
I haven't seen this choice hat surface for some time. Early Beistle (1918-1935) is arguably the hottest sub-genre of vintage Halloween right now, something that has remained true for many years. Even with the condition issues specific to this hat, it fetched a strong price. What captivates me about this hat is the energy the artist conveyed with the four principal figures.
1920's Vintage German Owl Bat and man in moon Die cut
I sure wish the photos were better on this listing. The seller grades this as "fine plus," but it is hard to make an independent judgement. Doing so is important, in that this diecut is so rarely found. One of six mini-diecuts made in Germany from the early 1930s through the late 1940s, this, in my view, is the one of the two best from the set, the other being the witch at her cauldron. (You can see the others on page 185.)
