There are a few high quality candy containers listed right now. This is a superior German composition candy container produced during the 1920s. Just look at that molding! The expression is captivating and the paint near-perfect. It’ll be instructive to see what this fetches.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
WOW! Antique Made In Germany Halloween Paper Mache Candlestick Candy Container
I’m not sure what this is, but it wasn’t made in Germany. The seller describes it as being in “overall great condition.” Hmmm…. It looks like it has been through quite some torment. The candle portion of this thing has all the hallmarks of Japanese paper design - namely cheap, lifeless and forgettable. What shocks is that the item has been already bid up to $160.50 with over 6 days left. I’m not sure why. If you want to see the actual and elegant German design, turn to page 132.
04/02 Update: This atrocity actually brought $318.88.
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.
Antique German Halloween candy container Witch on cat TINY!
This great seller rightly states that most such German compo items were cheaply made and cheaply sold so the molding isn’t the finest. That said, some were very finely cast indeed. Those items were expensive then (~1910-1914, then late teens through the mid-30s) and command quite a premium today. For what this is, the result is quite pleasing. The witch looks comfortable as she sits on a sturdy black cat with an enormous spring tail. This would have a home in any respectable collection. I do wonder if the candy box is original to the piece.
02/19 Update: I thought this would bring more than it did - $227.50.
Vintage Smiling Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Squeaker Satchel Candy Box!
This is an item made in Japan modeled after the superior such items made in Germany. The latter are significantly better made. This derivative object was made during the 1920s and has a value much less than a German counterpart.
01/31 Update: This sold for $202.50, right around where I expected this item to sell.
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.
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.
Orig. Rare Vintage 1910-1914 Halloween Devil Candy Container 8" Made In Germany
This is an exceedingly rare and desirable devil from the grand trio of capacious candy containers made in Germany in the early days. (The others are a witch and a black cat.) This listing represents a rare opportunity to acquire a tippy-top-shelf item through an auction format. I am personal friends with the seller and know him to be a knowledgeable and selective collector. The fact that he is fun, decent and forthright are simply bonuses. If you want to get an item that will almost certainly enhance your collection, you are looking at it.
04/02 Update: This brought $1725.
Germany Halloween Cat with hat & veggy body candy container OLD!
It's nice to see one of these cylinder candy containers that actually appears to be the real deal. This form of candy container has been largely overrun with the fakes currently being cranked out in Germany, being a fairly easy form to fake. (Whenever you see one of these with a slanted hat brim, know that it could have been made yesterday.) From the photos, everything looks supportive of a conclusion that this was made sometime between 1925-1935.
Old Rare 1920s German Pumpkin Face Cdbd Suitcase Squeaker w/ Candy Container
I think this is an item made in Japan during the 1920s as an homage to the first-rate German pieces with a similar look made from ~1916-1921. The German pieces have eyes that lean toward each other rather than away as with the piece up for auction. None of the German items from this set have crepe paper sides. (Most Japanese candy containers liberally use crepe paper.) Its value is about half of what a German-made item would bring. I would opine that at its current price, it is already fully valued, if not more so.
02/08 Update: This sold for $316.
Vintage 1920s German Halloween Candy Container Witch Riding on Black Cat
The photos are poor enough that I cannot be sure, but this appears to be a standard 1920s German composition candy container rather than bisque. I have not seen rubber tails used on German candy containers. They are typically metal springs. The tail has almost certainly been replaced.
Vintage W German Hobgoblin(?) Pumpkin Head Halloween Candy Container
I think the buyer got a solid bargain in acquiring this item. The more expensive department stores of the day, during the 1920s, carried imported holiday goods that were made with greater care, and therefore would command higher retail prices. One of the tip-offs that this remarkable candy would have been carried by The Emporium rather than, say, Kress, is the paint job. I have seen other candy containers with similar variegation. A high percentage of them still have their store tags, as having an item from such a place carried some social value at that time. So, collectors, buy candy containers that you love. If they still have their original price tags, by all means - leave them on!
RARE! VINTAGE PAPER MACHE CANDY CONTAINER - CAT ON PUMPKIN BEING STUNG BY BEE
Although this candy container is uncommon, I have seen a number of them and all have a spring tail. I suspect the chenille tail is something added to it sometime after its purchase from a store.
The seller of this pleasing candy container contacted me, saying that photos of another such container show a red chenille tail. She asked if it was possible the container was made both with chenille and spring tails. Here was my reply: "Thank you so much for your email. (By the way, I very much enjoy the quality of your listings!) It is absolutely possible that the Germans made two versions, one with a chenille tail and one with a spring tail. Existing documentation on when such things were made and what original materials were used is quite incomplete. Production of goods back then was idiosyncratic, something not really true today. My guess is that if the Germans actually used chenille when completing this whimsical candy container, they used it when the supply of metal springs for such decorative purposes was low to non-existent. (This would have been the case ~1935.) A plausible unifying theory is that the earlier candy containers had spring tails and a few produced very late in the run may have been made with chenille. A discordant note about the use of chenille is the color. I would have guessed black or orange would have been used, not green and red. In the end, we’ll never really know why such decisions were made. Thanks again for your email!"
Pre 1920's German Halloween Veggie Child Candy Container Carrot Arms & JOL Head
This is a great little candy container being sold by an outstanding and knowledgeable collector. I appreciate the many excellent photos, the no-holds-barred description and the chance to acquire such a solid piece at a potential bargain price point!
08/25 Update: I sure was glad to see this wonderful item brought such a strong price, fetching $351. Congrats KL!
1920s German Composition Arched-Back Black Cat atop Devil Head Candy Container
This is one of the most pleasing devil head candy containers I've seen for some time. I like its surprised, slightly dazed expression. I see that someone asked whether this is a truly vintage item. I don't have any doubts on that score. In looking closely at the ample photos provided, everything is as it should be. The flaking of the cat's paint is quite common, and for those whom it really bothers, easily remedied. (I would encourage the soon-to-be-new-owner to leave the paint untouched...) I am not buying vintage German compo candy containers much these days, but this one sure is tempting!
