The condition of this is typical of these large diecuts. The Germans produced four different designs of these “windowpane” diecuts during the early 1930s. None surface often. This is surely the oddest imagery of all - a lascivious JOL! The others to this set can be seen on page 170.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Vintage 1940's Halloween Paper Mache Jack O Lantern Pumpkin with original insert
The Japanese made few JOLs - or conversely few have survived. I sold two in my May 2018 auction. One of these, Lot 79, was identical or close in size to this one. Here is how that lot description read:
”The Japanese made a half-hearted attempt to penetrate the JOL market dominated by Germany in the 1920s and through the mid-1930s. They were largely unsuccessful. Consequently, JOLs produced in Japan, especially early compo-wash-over-cardboard examples are breath-takingly rare. This one measures ~4.75” high by ~5.5” across. (All measurements exclude the bale, if present.) The multi-piece inserts are original.”
That lot sold for a scant $66 - a true bargain. This one is in better condition. I feel these are rare enough that they should bring $100-150.
07/28 Update: Inexplicably, this sold for only $56.69.
Large Antique German Electrified Jack O Lantern
Here is a good example of unwarranted optimism. This seller is offering this forgettable item as a BIN for “only” $2,495! I value it at maybe $125 on a good day.
1920's L.E. Smith Glass C0 Jack O Lantern Halloween Pumpkin Candy Container JOL
I like the seller’s no-nonsense “just-the-facts-ma’am” description. Often, less is more. These glass JOL’s were cold-painted, which is why they very seldom surface in such pristine, original condition. Although these aren’t particularly rare, I can’t recall seeing one in such nice shape in a long time, totally justifying the ending value. (The bonus is that I learned something from reading about the item!)
VTG 1930's? HALLOWEEN PARTY INVITATION OPENS DIE CUT DOOR CAT WITCH UNUSED
This incredible invitation is part of a set of at least three produced by Whitney during the early 1920s. (One shows a cat on the stoop, while the other has an owl on the stoop. This one is the most populated and, in my opinion, the very best.) As I forecast some time ago, small paper has become a white-hot market segment. This same seller sold another one of these in September of 2018 for $495. Most collectors I know have decidedly moved on from lanterns and many candy containers to concentrate on small paper (invitations, place cards, tallies and nut cups) made by a wide variety of manufacturers and diecuts made by Dennison, Gibson and Beistle. As the first generation of serious collectors leave the stage, defined as those who began collecting in earnest during the 1960s, the market will see a relatively large influx of lanterns and candy containers become available. Few first, second or even third generation collectors concentrated on paper goods, so few collections richly featuring such items will be coming to market in the near to medium-term. My analysis routinely indicates that certain market segments will slacken while others grow even more competitive. The small paper market segment, for one, will continue to see price increases that will outstrip, maybe far outstrip, price increases seen elsewhere.
Vintage Halloween Hat w/ Honeycomb Crape Paper Pumpkins and Cats
This sure looks like a Beistle hat to me, although I’ve not seen this particular design before. Based on the USA mark, it was probably produced during the later 1930s.
04/11 Update: This sold for $52.
Vintage Halloween Paper Mache Jack O Lantern
Someone got a solid bargain picking this up for $49 plus shipping. The seller should have used an auction format. They would have almost certainly fetched a higher price.
Smiling Jack-O-Lantern Face Vintage German Halloween Candy Container; Mint!
It was refreshing to see such a high-quality item appear on eBay. This genre of item is among my favorites. (Check out pages 58-60 to see the items in the collection.) These were made from 1916-1921. They seldom surface in such nice condition. There is an identical design made in a slightly larger format that you can see on page 59. The ending price was right where I expected it to be.
Vintage antique Halloween MINI JOL pumpkin NUT CUP in very good condition early
This seller has listed this very common pulp nut cup at the laughably high price of $975! Shipping is only $10.80. How rose-colored are their glasses? It must be great to be so optimistic!
01/10 Update: Some sense in making its way into the seller’s head as the BIN price has now dropped to $800 OBO. Fair market value is $35.
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.
Two antique Halloween JOL & Funny Face Lapel Pins
This seller left money on the table by listing this pair of lapel pins for a BIN of $10. Although you could toss the one on the right in the trash, the JOL face pin is worth considerably more than $10, perhaps 20 times more. I don't understand why sellers list things they know nothing about for a BIN price. (By stating they were from the 1950s, the seller signals their lack of knowledge in the same way using tongs for tongues indicates only a glancing acquaintance with spelling.)
VINTAGE JOL DIECUT~US MADE ~ STAND OUT FACE
Beistle produced this line of at least four different designs during the mid-1950s to wide yawns from the marketplace. They didn't catch fire then and haven't to date. The 3-D effect is rudimentary and the differently lidded JOLs are forgettable. Beistle was largely empty of creative juice by this time - and this line clearly shows it.
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.
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!
