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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

EXCEEDINGLY "RARE" 1930"s BEISTLE MECHANICAL OWL NUT CUP

This great seller is correct - this is one of a complete set of four mechanical nut cups that I know are exceedingly rare. Beistle issued the set for one season only in 1938. They slightly adapted already existing artwork to produce the set. (So many firms were hurting then due to the lingering Great Depression that cost reductions were more important than ever. Beistle wasn't immune, hence this set.) I had the good fortune of buying several complete and unused sets and then several singles out of an estate in Massachusetts in April 2015. I kept the best one, auctioned the next best one for ~$1800 and sold everything else over the next few years. (I am never in a hurry to sell anything.) Beistle printed these on surprisingly thin paper stock considering their intended use. Few survived unscathed. Few exist overall - so when an opportunity presents itself to get one, especially from such a wonderful seller, don't let it slip by. 

06/14 Update: This sold for a modest $119.50. 

Vintage Halloween Party Decoration Box 1930's

Whitman is like Rodney Dangerfield in that it doesn't get much respect. Their products were cheaply made and looked it. That said, elements of this set are not bad - especially the 6 nut cups. (I have the cat nut cup and until reviewing this listing I didn't know which manufacturer produced it.) The Zingo game, the crepe paper and some other minor bits weren't part of the original boxed set. 

Vintage Halloween Invitation Box Only Jack O Lantern Pumpkin Orange Black

This is a really great box. I've not seen it before. The JOLs along the edges and the use of the fat font are reminiscent of Dennison. However, Dennison was disciplined about marking their goods, so I tend to think it wasn't produced by them. (By the way, Dennison wasn't perfect about marking their items. A few, like the "Whoopee" diecut on page 144, escaped the factory unmarked.) This box has super graphics and would have made a splendid addition to my collection. I wish I had seen it in time! 

VINTAGE BLACK SQUIRREL OWL MOON HALLOWEEN DIE CUT EMBOSSED DECORATION USA

Beistle made the 12 diecuts from this series for many years beginning in 1932. One of the ways to tell if a diecut from this series is an earlier pressing is from the depth of the embossing. This diecut's embossing appears deep and prominent indicating it was made early in the run. Does this affect value? I think in a general sense, yes, but not dramatically so. 

VINTAGE HALLOWEEN GIBSON FULL BOX 12 WINKING OWL CRESCENT MOON SEALS MINT! 1920

Some boxed Gibson seals have recently sold for significantly more than SGV. Owls have never commanded the highest prices in seemingly any of the vintage Halloween genres, and this was no exception. The hammer came down almost precisely at the SGV. Although complete Gibson boxed sets are significantly harder to find than many of the Dennison boxed sets, the latter typically command high dollars. Gibson's production was more limited as was their distribution. Not helping the secondary market for Gibson's boxed sets is that their art was, by and large, pedestrian and uninspired. 

VINTAGE BEISTLE HALLOWEEN WITCH ON HONEYCOMB BALL DECORATION-as is

Beistle issued four roly-poly designs in this size during the 1930-31 seasons only. None surface often, and when they do they are in terrible condition like this one. Given the condition, I feel this was an excessive amount to pay. The four designs are a witch, a JOL-headed scarecrow, a seated black cat and an academic owl. (All can be seen on pages 226-227.) In terms of great imagery, that would be the same order I rank them. So, although I can understand why someone would want a compelling piece like the roly witch, the tattered condition should have acted as a brake on price. 

VINTAGE DENNISON HALLOWEEN BOX-GREAT GRAPHICS-AS FOUND

This is an exceedingly rare Dennison bob bob box that was first advertised in their 1919 Bogie Book. They issued two designs with the same stock number, H49. (Both can be seen on page 262.) Although I now have the other design, this box featuring sprites has eluded my avaricious grasp. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be satisfied with the condition of the one on offer. 

Bernhard Wall Halloween Postcard 1909 Embossed Original Antique Corncob Man #36

After long resisting the siren song of collecting postcards, I recently decided to collect a narrow niche of cards with art by Bernhardt Wall and published by Valentine and Sons. Although this is not a card published by Valentine, it does show off to good effect the artistic sensibilities of Bernhardt Wall. Let me tell you, finding any Halloween cards published by Valentine is tough going. Thanks to my long-time friend, artist-extraordinaire and evil genius, Matthew Kirscht, I have now embarked on a tough quest to the postcard equivalent of Mount Doom in Mordor. 

VINTAGE LOT OF 3 HALLOWEEN DIE CUT DECORATION OWL PUMPKIN WITCH DENNISON LUHRS

The same seller has listed a good number of exceptionally rare diecuts - none of which are in great condition. (Alas!) This JOL-headed traffic cop diecut was produced by Dennison and first appeared in their 1930 Price List pamphlet. Issued on the thin yellow-stock paper Dennison used often at the time, this one almost never surfaces. SGV is $325 for one in much better condition. It makes a good companion piece to the Hallo' Inn diecut shown on page 142. 

Vintage Halloween String of Die Cut Owl Cat Witch Skull JOL Jack O Lantern

I have never seen this interesting garland before. I like the simplicity of the design, especially the skulls. This was surely made by a small regional manufacturer with limited distribution. This didn't come from any of the big houses like Beistle, Dennison or Gibson. I wish the seller had listed the length of the garland. It'll be fun to see where this ends up.