The USSR Occupied Zone mark is unusual on this diecut. Typically, the mark is in black or purple ink in a circle, not a simple line declaration. This version with inserts of what is a common diecut is harder to find.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Antique Vtg Papier-Mâché Paper Mache Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Halloween RARE
This rare lidded JOL with closed features sold for $1000. (eBay's system shows it sold for $1200 but in checking the actual ending price the figure was $1000.) I wonder if $1000 is the record for this rare and very attractive JOL? At 10" high the piece is a stunner and would easily be a cabinet's centerpiece. Although nearly all of the US pulp JOL output is not uncommon, there are the few strays that either weren't produced in great numbers or didn't tend to survive intact. I believe this item checks both of those boxes.
04/18 Update: Sadly, the buyer, a stalwart and ethical person, let me know the seller was anything but. The seller cancelled the sale after my friend paid for the item in full. The seller refunded the price saying his wife objected to the sale after the fact. Shouldn't he have just said to her, "Sorry, what's done is done."? Naturally, that assumes the reason given was the truth. Could it have been he simply got a better offer?
Another 04/18 Update: After scrolling through the eBay listings just now looking for something to comment on, I see this same item has been listed by the same seller for $10,000 OBO. The seller is certainly not someone with whom I'd want to do business! Where is eBay in all this? Shouldn't they step in and stop this listing?
ANTIQUE PAPER HALLOWEEN CANDY CONTAINER PUMPKIN
It is great to see such a rare lantern listed on what has become the fetid swamp of eBay - at least in terms of a properly curated vintage Halloween category! This colorful item was produced by Beistle in the early 1930s in what was surely low quantities as they almost never come to market. Inserts were made in both orange and green, although today most green inserts have a blueish tinge. SGV is $275, so as of this writing it has exceeded that metric. It has been a long time since one of these was listed so it'll be interesting to see where it ends on Wednesday.
03/15 Update: Due to two determined bidders, this rare Beistle lantern ended at $625. It appears that it otherwise would have ended at $325, very close to SGV. The seller stated in the listing that it was found at an estate sale along with many others. I see the seller has already listed another, albeit one in significantly lesser condition.
04/02 Update: The same seller listed two more in much lesser condition. One sold on March 19 for $224.72. The last one listed so far sold on March 27 for $211.50.
Vintage 1920's Halloween Black Cat & JOL Candy Box Margaret Burnham's Inc.
I have taken a real liking to seasonally produced candy boxes from local and regional candy makers. They are typically quite rare. Being essentially ephemera, few were kept and fewer still remain in collectible condition. I had never seen this design before or was even aware of Margaret Burnham's. The selling price of $66.99 should be considered a real bargain.
Vintage Halloween Packaged Beistle Diecuts... 6 Cat & JOL Faces
This is a package of JOLs and cat faces produced by Beistle no earlier than the 1960s. Older ones have more subtle features and are typically marked with their H.E. Luhrs' moniker. Values for these "newer" versions continue to significantly lag the more vintage market.
vintage Dennison Halloween die cut tally card...jack-o-lantern...pull tab, mint
Dennison produced two designs of what they called "Novelty Tallies" beginning in 1928 and continuing for only a few seasons. (The other is a startled cat with a bell. It can be seen on page 258.) These typically trade for $65, so the buyer willingly paid a meaningful premium.
Vintage Early 1930's Dennison's Halloween Envelope for Pumpkin Heads (0) Pumpkin
The seller must be ecstatic with this result. Although Beistle enveloped goods are hard to come by, $152.50 for an empty envelope seems excessive.
20 VINTAGE 1950'S HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN JACK-O-LANTERN PARTY INVITATIONS UNUSED
Buzza was known for many innovative designs. Their output is avidly collected - and most of the time I get why. In this case, I don't see the attraction for these to have sold for over $27 each. The design is plain and uninspired. As is so often the case when something sells for significantly more than is sustainable, two bidders were vying for supremacy.
Vintage Super Small Halloween German Pumpkin Lantern
This near-mint diminutive JOL was made in West Germany during the 1950s. These typically sell for between $75 - 125. Whenever you see the mark, Container Made in Germany, you can assuredly date the marked item to the 1950s. You cannot go wrong doing business with this seller!
Antique German Die Cut Pumpkin Jack O Lantern
Whomever the buyer was got a true bargain. This again illustrates the peril of sellers listing something they know little to nothing about in a BIN format. If this had been run as an auction, this near-mint diecut would surely have fetched at or above SGV of $50.
Antique German Jack O' Lantern Halloween Humpty Dumpty
I've seen this imaginatively designed lantern several times in 30 years and it always makes me smile. Except for the blemish on a cheek, it is in better condition that the others I've seen. The shoes are typically trashed and the inserts are singed or gone. The inserts look right to me, although it is impossible to be sure short of a personal examination. This lantern was made in Germany, probably during the very early 1920s. You can't go wrong with this knowledgeable and nice seller.
07/22 Update: I was happy to see this great item brought a strong $710.
1930'S GERMANY HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN DECORATION
This candy container looks more squat than it should. (It could be just the angle.) The complete mark on the underside is hard to discern. I think it says "Container Made In Germany." If that is so, that mark was used exclusively during the early 1950s.
04/13 Update: This sold for a mere $148.50, so the marketplace had its suspicions as to age as well.
Vintage HALLOWEEN Paper LAMPSHADE w/2 CATS, 2 JOLs-Black w/Orange Inserts
This uncommon (RSIN = 4) shade was produced by Gibson during the 1930s. SGV is $35, so given the overall condition, the seller simply wants too much for this shade.
Vintage Glass Hand Painted Halloween Jack o Lantern, VGC
These cold-painted glass JOLs are not particularly rare, but what sets this one apart is the condition of the paint. Made in the teens and into the early 1920s, these typically have severely deteriorated paint. Often they are cracked and missing the threaded top. This seems to be one of the nicest examples I've seen for some time. I think a price up to $200 is reasonable.
03/21 Update: Someone snagged themselves a deal, picking this up for a relative song at $154.63.
Vintage 1920's Halloween Embossed Black Pumpkin Head JOL Made In Germany
This diecut was made in two sizes and at least one variant. This appears to be the smaller of the two based on the teeth. (You can see the difference in the teeth with the larger size on page 171.) The variant is that this size was also produced with a printed paper backing for the eyes, nose and mouth. This variant, also shown on page 171, is exceedingly rare. I've only seen it one time and I bought it straight away.
