Antique German Halloween Devil Jack-O-Lantern, Compo Nose, Ears & Horns--Great!

I’ve never been particularly attracted to lanterns, but this would be one that would have a place of some honor amongst any collection. As with retailers today spanning the spectrum from Dollar Tree to Nordstrom, back in the 1920s there were the dime stores at the low end where most holiday goods were sold and posh retailers at the high end selling such things as this lantern. The Durante proboscis, the add-on horns and those ears all differentiate this from the garden-variety lantern. The seller is a collector well-known for his vintage Christmas collection and expertise. It will be fun to see what this somewhat sizable lantern fetches.

04/09 Update: This brought $1,862.87.

VINTAGE 1930s HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREAT CANDLE LANTERN JACK-O-LANTERN, WITCH ETC.

Beistle produced this colorful lantern during the late 1920s. You’ll sometimes find these identical lanterns marked in such a way that you know they were produced in Germany - an artifact of a little understood arrangement that Beistle had with German manufacturers during the 1920s. This example has its oft-missing bottom, enabling the lantern to stay open and actually function as a lantern. It seems to be in beautiful condition.

RARE Vintage Halloween Composition Devil Head Lantern W/ Orig Insert Formalite ?

I’ve received a number of inquiries as to my opinion of this item. I know the seller to be an ethical and affable person who has long been a collector of vintage Halloween memorabilia. I have much regard for him. That said, I don’t feel this lantern has much age to it. From what I understand, the Formalite process applied to items made from original F.N. Burt molds simply means a gesso-like coating over the typically used pulp, like shown in the second photo. I question why the bottom of the one up for auction is flat. If original molds were used, why wouldn’t the bottom be indented, like the one shown in the third photo? (Notice, too, that the lantern shown in the third photo is marked.) The lantern up for auction seems to be made from composition, not pulp. I suspect it was probably made off-shore sometime in the last 15 years.
My thanks to a long-time blog follower for supplying the second and third photos.

Beistle Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Cut-Out Puzzle (14 pieces) #1809

A long-time collecting friend of mine scooped up this exceedingly rare Beistle treasure for the laughably low price of $136.16. (The clueless seller had listed it in the Halloween Modern category causing people like me, who seldom troll those dispiriting listings, to miss this treasure. I’ll be adding a daily perusal of this category from now on.) The lantern this uninspired Beistle creation - a puzzle for simpletons - depicts, was produced in 1930-1931, so the enveloped set was surely one of the last items they produced with the diamond mark. So, at this point, I know now that Beistle used the stunning art of the lantern, which was made in two sizes, only on one other item - this puzzle.

Vintage Antique Halloween Jack-o-lantern Pumpkin cardboard Papier Mache style

This cute happy/sad 1950s slot-and-tab JOL lantern used to surface much more often than it has these last few years. I haven’t seen one with such deep green highlights as are present with this splendid example. I really like this coloration. The condition is really clean. The ending price was nearly exactly double guide, but I can see its attraction.

RARE RARE RARE German Halloween Match Holder? Candy Container?

I’m not sure what to make of this item. It bears a resemblance to the refined German railroad lantern candy container shown on page 59. This item isn’t gracefully designed and seems clumsily executed. It is smaller than the one that has been in the collection for nearly 30 years. The borders are so thick and claustrophobic that they obscure the central JOL face on each of the four long sides. I wonder if this could be something made in Japan? I know I don’t care for it.

10/16 Update: The broad collecting market must have shared my doubts about this item. It brought $720, much less than half than an indisputably German item would have brought.

Vintage Halloween 3-SIDED LANTERN Paper Decor Witch w/ Glowing Eyes

This scarce witch face lantern was produced by Gibson in 1929, probably for a single season. The lantern was designed to be three-sided and held together by a black circle of construction-type paper with slits that would then slide down the points of the three witch’s hats. (There is a JOL lantern of the same design by Gibson you can see on page 43.)

One Sided Beistle USA JOL with Vented Body Construction 1950s

I’ve liked the look of these 1950s Beistle vented lanterns since I began collecting. Much of Beistle’s output during this time was uninspired. Granted, these are far removed from the memorable design heights they achieved during their Golden Age, but nonetheless I have always liked them. I applaud this seller’s many excellent photos. I wish all sellers took such care. Other designs from this vented line can be seen on page 35.

Antique Paper Mache Halloween Goblin Lantern / Candy Container Germany

This homely German candy container/lantern combo was probably produced during the 1930s, based on the decorative paper that lies at the base of the lantern head. The Germans used that kind of paper at that time as well as post-WWII. The BIN price seems high. Why not just start it at $500 and let the auction takes its course? For items that don't surface everyday, I don't understand the tendency to slap a BIN on something. 

1930s HALLOWEEN Dual Sided JOL LANTERN w Yellow Cardboard SIDES w Inserts

This lantern was produced by Beistle for the 1933-1935 seasons. It rarely surfaces. The seller measurements are a bit off since the lantern was made in two sizes: 11.5" x 4.75" x 12.5" and 10.5" x 4.25" x 10". The inserts were made with either green or orange paper. I found the one in the collection early on, probably around 1990. I didn't realize how lucky I was to find one. I've seen only a handful since. SGV is $300. Given this lantern's condition issues, it'll be instructive to see the ending price. 

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. 

Wonderful Six Sided Halloween Lantern Not Marked Germany New Old Stock Nice

If collectors have any one lantern in their collections it is this one. It is VERY common for a couple of reasons. This lantern was produced for many, many years. Also, a substantial quantity of true new/old store stock was discovered about 12 years ago, so finding near-mint or better examples is easy. (Generally, when a seller uses the term new/old store stock for purportedly vintage Halloween items, be suspicious.) So, with that said, this seller was lucky to get $300 for the lantern. They nearly always trade for $150, so the buyer had to be someone newer to the hobby. 

HALLOWEEN antique PAPER cardboard LANTERN rare SILHOUETTE

This is a very rare and very large German lantern made during the 1920s. Except for the one witch panel, it is remarkably good condition. The missing bottom connector is identical to the top connector, so if you are enterprising and creative, replicating one shouldn't be too big of a deal and wouldn't detract from its showiness. Perhaps 12 of these were found at a flea market in southern California in the 1980s. Perhaps this is one of those originally found then. (The seller is from that part of the world.) In any event, this may be an opportunity to acquire one of these eye-catchers for a reasonable price. The one in the collection is shown in my Inner Sanctum section on page 118. I acquired mine from a southern California dealer in ~1991. (She was the person who found the flea market cache.) By the way, this is the time of the year when good items seem to go more cheaply than normal on eBay. By this time, most casual collectors have spent their annual acquisitions budget, so it'll be fun to see what this brings.

10/31 Update: No bargain here. This sold for an astonishing $1,425.07. 

Antique Vintage Germany Halloween Black Cat Head Lantern

Whenever you come across a lantern or candy container with the mark, Container Made in Germany, know that the item was made after WWII. In this case, this pleasing lantern was manufactured during the early 1950s. Prices for post-war lanterns are a good deal less than for those made prior to the war. 

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!