Beistle produced a set of eight of these small form-factor diecuts during the early 1950s. Except for this one, where it seems the designer was really searching for something - anything - to complete the set, the other diecuts are spot-on and worth having. See the entire set on page 157.
10/21 Update: Unbelievably, this brought $202.49. Sustainable value is around $50.
I have never seen this 15” tall Marks’ horn variant before. I own an equally tall Marks’ horn with different graphics and a 7.25” horn with the same squiggly pattern, but this variant is a new one for me. The buyer got a killer deal. Congrats!
This is an odd listing. The heads of these Johnny Pumpkins appear to be double-sided, but Beistle didn’t make these figures double-sided. If you are interested in these, I’d advise proceeding with caution as they may be fakes.
I typically don’t pay much attention to the hard plastic segment as I’ve never collected it, but I learned something from this listing. Who would have guessed that Rosen sold these four pieces together as a “Halloween Circus?” The existence of the box, tattered and beaten up as it is, adds significantly to the knowledge of how these companies sold these once low-priced items. I’m sure Rosen never guessed what kind of prices they’d bring decades later on the secondary market!
10/21 Update: This lot fetched $565.
At ~8” high, this is the largest such candy container I’ve ever seen. The seller took a risk at starting it at $498, but the lot has received two bids already. What a monster!
The lid graphics on this game are outstanding - and it is for those that the Halloween collector would want to add this game to their display. The witch was not attached to the game board. A player would rub the chamois across the plastic atop the game board causing static electricity that would lift the witch silhouette. Once the rubbing stops, the witch would fall on a particular spoke of the game announcing the player’s fortune.
10/21 Update: This sold for $259.97.
What a true steal some lucky eBay prowler got in acquiring this exceedingly rare 1913 Bogie Book for a mere $185, with free shipping to add insult to injury. This edition is the only one that has escaped me these 31 years of collecting. It is the second hardest Bogie Book to get, with the 1909 edition being the hardest by far. (There is only one known copy.) I’m sure this listing didn’t last more than minutes. The seller left gobs of money on the table.
If you ever have a chance to acquire an early Beistle envelope like this one, jump on it. By the ending price, it is evident that at least two people understood just how rare and desirable early envelopes are. This isn’t even one of Beistle’s masterpieces. Take a look at the Hallowe’en Elf envelope on page 125 to see what is arguably the pinnacle of their artistic care of something truly meant to be disposable.
It’s great to see pieces from this larger-than-thought set of candy containers made in Germany beginning in ~1916. Prices for any items from this set have been strong for years. I’ve never seen this particular form before so was doubly curious as to what it would fetch. Please refer to pages 58-60 to see pieces that form part of the collection.
Here’s a great item worth having. The Germans made a line of porcelain Halloween-themed tea set pieces in three sizes from 1908-1932. This green leaf saucer should measure 3.25” in diameter, and would have been made for their smallest tea set size. An otherwise identical pattern in orange was also made. Please refer to pages 119-121 for other items from these desirable sets.
10/15/Update: This sold for $392.77, quite strong considering a cup and saucer set sold the same day from the same seller for $421.
Although I am so very happy that this seller received such prices for many of their listings, I am confounded by this ending price. The seller very clearly outlined the condition issues, yet this devil bat diecut still brought a record price. Was it simply auction fever? I worry that results like this signal that the hobby is becoming restricted to the well-heeled.
This season has seen some crazy, unsustainable results. This is an example. Looking at the bidding history, only three bidders are responsible for this result, else this Dennison invitation would have sold for below $100. I worry about these steep, silly prices being paid for things and the effect it has on the hobby’s ability to attract new collectors over time. I’ve said it often and it bears repeating - I don’t want this truly fun hobby to become the exclusive province of the well-heeled. If someone wants to purchase the one in the collection, I will happily sell it for $450, shipping included.
This season has seen some crazy, unsustainable results. This is an example. Looking at the bidding history, only two bidders are responsible for this result, else this tally would have sold for below $100. I worry about these steep, silly prices being paid for things and the effect it has on the hobby’s ability to attract new collectors over time. I’ve said it often and it bears repeating - I don’t want this truly fun hobby to become the exclusive province of the well-heeled.
Hats using Aleinmuller designs were made from very thin paper stock, hence it is truly rare to find one complete. Typically, chunks - and sometimes large chunks - are simply missing. This example is almost certainly in the best condition I’ve seen. I feel the prevailing bidder got a relative bargain.
This is arguably the very best design of the set to which this German mini-diecut belongs. Its intricacy while maintaining such a small form-factor is appealing. Prices this season have been extraordinarily strong, which causes me to wonder where all the money is coming from. Typically, at this point in the cycle, prices start to droop due to many, many listings and the depletion of the more casual collector’s monetary resources. I haven’t seen that repeated this cycle to the extent I forecasted. One theory is that our hobby is experiencing an influx of well-heeled new collectors. (Thankfully, I started collecting in the 1980s!)
