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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Vintage Halloween Litho Paper And Cardboard Horn Noisemaker

For the longest time early in my vintage Halloween collecting days, I felt paper-litho horns with this design were produced by Beistle given the fairy motif imagery. Over the years as I became more informed, I was curious as to why I couldn’t find evidence that Beistle produced such items. Well, it seems horns like these were made without license. The mystery producer merely appropriated the art work and sat back hoping to make a buck without litigation. So, if you are a potential buyer, know this isn’t a Beistle product, but a by-product.

02/23 Update: This brought $123.50.

VINTAGE 1930's Gibson HALLOWEEN Party Tally Card BLACK CAT inside JACK O-LANTERN

This tally bursts with energy - so typical of many Gibson small paper items. Contrast this smile-inducing gem with the static and drab artwork shown on the candy box in the post below. You can’t go wrong with this long-time and very knowledgeable seller - one of my favorites.

02/23 Update: This awesome seller received a top bid of $46 for this super tally.

Super Rare Vintage Antique Halloween Store Candy Box Display Advertising

The seller has set the opening bid at $169.99. Granted, this box from a little-known candy company is rare, but is it worth even the opening price? The imagery isn’t memorable or unique. I question how noticeable it would be in a display case, especially given the space it would consume. It will be fun to see if this item with an out-sized opening bid price gains traction.

02/23 Update: The seller has changed the opening price to $129.99, still too high.

Vintage 1929 Colorful "The Call" Halloween Party Invitation

This cleverly designed Dennison invitation was first sold in 1928. It isn’t one that often surfaces. This listing is a good illustration of why the small paper market segment is so hot. (Although at times overheated, I feel certain items from certain producers still have a ways to run.) Most of the time what comes up for sale is just like this invitation - used and then kept as a souvenir of a memorable event by being placed in a scrapbook. The delta in value between one in usual condition and one in near-mint condition is sometimes multiples of the former. Some collectors are laser-focused on condition while others appreciate an item for the journey on which it has traveled. I appreciate this seller listing this item as a true auction with a low opening bid rather than the too-often-seen “auctions” where the opening price represents the full value (sometimes plus) of an item. Let’s hope this rare invite does well.

02/23 Update: This sold for $69, a tad lower than I would have forecast.

Vintage Halloween Decor: Beistie Cat, Witch and Cats--Poor to Fair Condition

The cat with the honeycomb pumpkin is the throwaway element to this assortment. The two Beistle cats are desirable, but the star of the lot is the Gibson table neckwear place card. It was made during the early 1930s. These seldom come available. The condition is typically problematic, like this one. Still, it would make a good placeholder if it can be gotten cheaply enough.

This lot sold for $161.49!

!!! EXCEEDINGLY RARE !!! 1920s Halloween Cymbals Gotham Stamping & Die N.Y. 5.5"

This exceedingly rare set of cymbals was made by the Gotham Stamping and Die Corporation of New York, NY in the later 1920s. These are big, eye-catching items that display remarkably well. I have seen only around twenty sets surface in 32+ years of collecting. I know the seller. He is an honest and knowledgeable guy, mainly a collector who sells on the side, like me. I like how he started the auction at nearly zero rather than beginning the auction with an opening price that already reflects full market value. The proper strategy for establishing the opening bid price on eBay is a tricky proposition, but too many default to picking any high price out of the ether and crossing their fingers.

HALLOWEEN INVITATIONS/ W BOX

This seems to be a nice collection of unused Whitney invitations, with a box included. Whitney, which permanently shuttered in 1942, didn’t have a methodology for filling their boxes. It seems they would randomly fill each box with 10 invitations. Sometimes the contents were identical, sometimes there were two of each design, sometimes three of each design plus a kicker - you never knew. I’ve seen many such boxes over the years. I will see five of any of the cat designs to one of any of the witch designs, meaning the Whitney witch invitations are much harder to find than any of the cats.

01/28 Update: This sold for $145.50.

Early Vintage Witch & Bat T. Conn Inc. Wooden Ball / Tin Halloween Noisemaker

T. Cohn produced two designs of what I call putty knife clangers during the 1930s. Neither comes up for sale or auction often. (In fact, I can’t recall the last time I saw this one come available.) It looks to be in excellent condition. The tin litho market segment has been cold for many years, but there have been signs of thawing. The more unusual designs and pretty much any item in near-mint or better condition have been bringing solid dollars.

01/24 Update: This sold for $110.50, solid dollars, indeed.