New Lantern Design from Tim Ramzyk of Pulp Novelties!

Tim Ramzyk is nearing release of his latest fantastic creation, The Halloween Alley Cat! Just look at the craftsmanship! Tim tells me this lantern is his most ambitious to date, consisting of no less than seven separately molded pieces. He was able to craft this scary and unsettling feline even though the raw materials necessary to actually produce them were most costly and more elusive than ever.

This lantern proudly joins my collection of Tim’s limited edition releases he has been creating for the last several years. The detailed molding and coloration of the fur, the care to show its war-torn ears, the cleverly distinctive eyes and unbelievable realism of the mouth and fangs on this chilling lantern are, frankly, astounding. I plan to put it at eye level so my visitors will be a bit spooked.

Tim is a Wisconsin-based artist who meticulously and painstakingly hand molds his own designs from a heavy, durable material. I am in awe at the workmanship and the true craft Tim brings to pulp design. I proudly have seven of his treasures now on exhibit in my main display room. (For those who I've been lucky to host at my home, you know that in order for something to be placed in that room, it has to carry its own weight.)

Tim is offering The Halloween Alley Cat for $205 plus shipping, way too cheap for an item of this quality! He’ll begin selling them on Etsy on September 19th. As with all of his most recent lanterns they will be made in a limited number of small, handcrafted batches. When they are gone, they are gone. Do not miss out on the chance to have a limited edition piece of sculptural art from this great Wisconsin guy. The name of Tim’s Etsy shop is PulpNovelties. You can also contact him directly at pulpnovelties@aol.com.

For those who know me, you know that I rarely buy anything Halloween unless it is vintage. I've made an exception - and you should too. My advice is to place a pre-order with Tim now. I am privy to the number he plans to produce in his initial batch. That number compels me to repeat the advice - place a pre-order now. :)

Rare Antique American Pulp Halloween Skeleton Lantern

This US lantern doesn’t surface very often. They were not made with inserts, so this fine example is complete.

German HALLOWEEN Dual Face JOL LANTERN - 1928- BEISTLE - FANTASTIC - 8" X 8 1/2"

Beistle had a short-lived, but apparently fruitful, relationship with German artisans. The common lantern seen on page 37 and this precursor to their iconic 1930 are two solid examples of this alliance. This lantern was produced in two sizes with this one being the smaller. It comes available less frequently than the larger version. This seems to be in quite nice condition having both the original bottom and the very-often-missing top connector.

Vintage German Halloween 1920's Twelve Panel Lantern Mint

The seller has to be ecstatic to have gotten this record-shattering price for one of the most common lanterns from this period. These 12-panels were printed in Germany (and are so marked) but at Beistle’s direction. These were produced in huge quantities for several seasons and then were wholesaled for many more. These typically trade in the $150-200 range.

Prices for vintage Halloween have largely gone crazy, a long-term negative for the growth of the hobby. How will newer collectors afford to enter the hobby when such common items sell for boobish prices?

Vintage Halloween Skull Candle Lantern ~ Jack O Lantern ~ Skeleton

There was a time when these surfaced far more often than they do these days. The Dolly Toy references I have indicate this design was produced from 1936 into the 1950s. I am doubting this information. I suspect the skull was produced during a narrower time frame, whereas the devil head lantern, much more often seen, was surely made from 1935 into the 1950s. This skull lantern has some discoloration due to wax residue. The bidding as I type now is at $120.50. What will it fetch?

08/16 Update: This sold for $400.

Antique/Vtg BIG Die Cut Cardboard Halloween Cat Double Face Lantern Orig Insert

Beistle produced this lantern in the very early 1940s, along with an owl face design they often sold then as a set. Neither lantern has ever garnered much enthusiasm on the secondary market, for reasons that escape me. Is the item too large? Is the design unappealing?

Rare 2 Sided Vintage Halloween Pumpkin Candle Lantern Honeycome Sides Fold out

It’s hard to tell from the poor photos provided with this listing the precise condition of this lantern, produced by Beistle during the early 1930s. Is it slanted so that it won’t stand properly? The description is almost indecipherable, almost as if the seller was trying to write a haiku. In any event, if the lantern isn’t slanted from poor storage, this is a hard one to find and would be a good one to acquire for a collection. Dimensions aren’t provided by our very poor poet, but if it like the one in the collection it measures 9.25” high by 10.25” across.

05/02 Update: The seller stopped the listing and relisted the lantern due to an accident involving the lantern wherein it was further damaged.

Antique Halloween German JOL Head Lady Candy Container Jack O Lantern Fab!

The Germans were able to portray such emotion in their moldings. One can almost feel the anticipation and joy this JOL-headed woman exudes through the skillful rendering of the body. This would certainly be a show-stopper in any display. The seller is a long-time collector who did the hobby a very great service with her publication in the 1990s of The Boo News, an informative, well-written newsletter with a diverse offering of articles. I own virtually every copy Dawn Kroma ever published, and cherish them for their information. If she has any copies left, I hope she’ll offer them up for auction. They are very much worth having as part of any collector’s reference library.

Cardboard Slot & Tab Black Cat Halloween Lantern/Container. Face on both sides

This cat head lantern was produced by Alberts Display and Novelty Company of New York only from 1941-1946. It was produced without inserts and is almost always found with bends to the prominent ears.

Early Antique German Compo Halloween Lantern: Comical Boy; Great!

I don’t see any association between this lantern and Halloween. Do you?

02/18 Update: This non-Halloween item sold for $423.55.

RARE! Skeleton Halloween Lantern Trick or Treat Basket Original Paper Insert

I used to see more of these than I have recently. These were reproduced in the later 1990s and after, but these reproductions are easy to identify. The truly vintage slot and tab skull lanterns will always have this tan toning to the surface whereas the new ones are very white. Please keep this in mind if you see this lantern design for sale online or in shops.

Small Vintage Halloween Jack O Lantern JOL Candy Container Pumpkin hj6020

I’ve received lots of questions as to my opinion on this lantern. Given that I owned the larger and one-of-a-kind parade lantern made by the same artist or artist’s collective from 1997 through 2017, I am confident that it is genuine, dating from 1908-1912. (However, short of personally examining it, this is only an opinion. Don’t rely on it for anything.) I feel that the mouth insert is not original. Please refer to page 129 for more on the parade lantern.

10/04 Update: This lantern brought $5600, significantly in excess of the $2500-3000 they’ve brought over the last 5 years.

Vtg 1916 HALLOWEEN LANTERN DEVIL SKULL OWL BLACK CAT Knorpp Candy Co Brooklyn

It seems I haven’t seen one of these desirable four-sided lanterns being offered for auction in a while. Produced by the Knorpp Candy Company with a patent date of July 11, 1916, it was marketed as a Four in One Lantern. The imagery isn’t very complex, yet it resonates long after you see the four unique sides. Knorpp also issued four tiaras with each replicating one of the lantern’s four sides. Given the rough condition of this example, I am surprised it received a bid at the opening price. To see the one in the collection, the envelope and one of the tiaras, please turn to page 128.

Vintage Halloween EMBOSSED DIECUT LANTERN - GERMANY - 1920's - RARE & NEAR MINT!

This wonderful seller is doing it again - offering a rarely seen item in fantastic condition! This is a large lantern made in Germany during the 1920s. As I write on page 118, “This is an imposing lantern due to its sheer size and detailing, measuring 16” h x 8.25” w.” I think the seller is smart not to attempt to construct the lantern simply for the sake of photos. These things are nearly 100 years old! I treasure the one in the collection, and know you’ll treasure this, too!

08/28 Update: This sold for a strong $1728.99.

Rare BEISTLE Halloween Pumpkin LANTERN Cardboard Tissue Vintage Antique 1930-31B

eBay’s site shows this selling for $5,000. It didn’t. It sold as a result of a “Best Offer” for $560 according to a site I use to see the actual prices for which items sold.