I’m impressed with the condition of the highlights on this cat head diecut. The green, red and white highlights were applied by hand. These highlights are often degraded over time with use and light exposure, so it is a treat to see one with near-perfect highlights. Rolled-ear aside, I hope it brings strong dollars.
06/07 Update: This brought $129.02.
This lantern was produced in two sizes for one season (1928) by German designers working for Beistle. It is the direct ancestor for Beistle’s now-iconic 1930-1931 lantern, also produced in two sizes, and shown on page 32. I really appreciate the fine seller taking such care in describing the lantern. I wish that all eBay sellers would take such a detailed approach with their listings! It’ll be fun to see what this brings.
The quartet of designs comprising the 1930s windowpane diecuts produced in Germany have long been avidly collected. Prices have escalated markedly over the last 5 years. That said, this is a very strong price, deservedly so for this fine seller. I really like the time she takes to explain what is being sold and some data points on past sales for similar items. Make sure you formally follow agmccloskey!
This hanging witch with a latticed-paper body was merely one design among six that the Minnesota-based seller offered with very strong results. There were a few more Halloween designs produced beyond the six offered, but collectively the ones on eBay give a great representation of the cleverness, if not fragility, of these kinds of things. Because they are so difficult to display, I long ago purged the designs I owned from the collection, so it was fun and instructive to see what they fetch these days. The range was from $227 to $589. These are almost certainly among the earliest German paper Halloween items produced and exported to the United States.
Skeleton diecuts can be so boring, but this design has always made me smile. The figure may be waving while saying, “Welcome to your new home!” The seller states this may have been produced by Beistle. It wasn’t. This was produced in Germany for export along with a large number of other diecut designs, primarily pumped out from ~1920 through 1935. The waving skeleton was once seen more often - a statement that could be made for almost any vintage Halloween item. Prices are all over the board lately, so who knows what this will fetch.
I watched this listing with great interest. For a long time I referred to these kinds of items as skittles based on information given to me long, long ago by Paul Schofield and Mary Lou Holt. That information was incorrect. These kinds of items were really table pieces that could act as a place card holder. (Many of the wood bottoms had grooves to hold a place card. Others didn’t, so I suppose a place card could have just leaned against it.) There were apparently two sets made. An example of the more common set is shown in this listing’s final photo. Others can be seen on page 26. The larger item, which sold for $405, is part of a set that truly is not often seen. Another from this set can be seen on page 26. I’ve long coveted examples from this latter set, but don’t own a single one. The date on this, if correct, confirms my hunch that this rarer set was made after the more common set. I suspect the rarer set was produced for a single season. I know I have a photo of many of the items from the rarer set somewhere. If I find it, I’ll post it here.
OK, this result blew my mind. (Another from this set of at least six, with broomed witches, sold a day earlier for a hair over $1,700.) These are very cool and rare items, but c’mon. If any one buyer wishes to own four of the six satchels, shown on page 137 from my personal collection, they can be yours for $7,000.
A long-time collector kindly shared a previously unknown design from his private collection, folded to be used as a hat rather than a satchel - expanding the known designs from four to five. You’ll find this below.
Another collector kindly shared a previously unknown design from her private collection, folded to be used as a hat rather than a satchel - expanding the known designs from five to six. You’ll find this below.
It is nice to see a rare item of quality on eBay. Sadly, that forum has largely been a shit-show since they inexplicably compressed the holiday categories about one year ago. This smaller version of this JOL design is one that just doesn’t surface much. Made in Germany during the early 1930s, it will win hands-down in a staring contest. (I now feel this design and related ones were made during the early 1930s. The book’s errata has been updated to reflect this new view.)
This wonderful seller is right - collectors who have discovered the visual allure of the Halloween tea set line produced in Germany from 1908 through 1932 buy and hold. Pieces, especially the cups without handles, once surfaced with some regularity, but like someone without enough roughage, that regularity is now missing! When you see these, especially solid examples offered by trust-worthy sellers, both of which we have here, snap them up.
The buyer of this lot of three German diecuts got a bargain. If these had been listed under “Vintage Halloween” rather than “Old Halloween” they would have received more action. The seller might have seen more, too, by listing them separately. The one on the right, the distressed maid with bangs, is the star of the lot. That alone should have reached what the entire lot brought.
The star of the lot is the German porcelain teacup, grouped with three items FAR below in caliber and desirability. The buyer got a true bargain!
This is one large diecut, measuring ~16” high by ~14.5” across. The comment I want to make is about condition. This large highly embossed decoration is in what I would consider “normal” condition. I’ve been a collector since 1988 with a penchant for condition, but sometimes it is too easy to forget that such examples in near mint or better condition are truly rare, and a pleasant surprise when you see one. I sold the example in my book on page 178 in May 2020 for $302 when I judged the condition as not being high enough for it to remain part of the collection. Was that dumb? No. Condition is key for me, perhaps more so than with many other collectors. Each of our condition thresholds differ. I try not to lose sight of the fact that vintage Halloween items were generally not viewed as things to be saved/preserved, hence the rarity of near mint or better pieces. When I first looked at this listing I thought that the condition was only “good,” but that was a reflex based on my threshold. The reality is that virtually all collectors would find this example a totally acceptable candidate for their collections - and that is the way it should be.
I spent last weekend in the greater Los Angeles region attending a toy and advertising show in Glendale, with fun forays to visit collectors in La Verne and Whittier. There was virtually no Halloween at the show except those items you’d fully expect to see at a show. That really underscored how rare items are for our fun hobby. I look around at my collection and am thankful I’ve been able to find what I’ve found. I hope you do the same for your collections.
These over-the-head masks were first made in Germany during the teens. This one is particularly spooky, don’t you think? These were relatively expensive when first produced and tended to be sold at the “better” stores. Today, few have survived and the current price on this mask of $760 with 1+ days to go illustrates their desirability and scarceness.
09/19 Update: This scary item fetched $1,375!
I’ve seen many examples of this diecut over the years. The condition of this one being sold by a knowledgeable and honest seller is in the top five of all those I have seen. Because these are so large they are prone to lots of surface paper cracking and typically have suffered the indignities of tape and multiple punctures. The description indicates this example has largely escaped those problems. The way the colors have mellowed on this one is pleasing. I hope this does well. It is heartening to see such a quality item amidst all the crapola that one has to wade through now since eBay changed their holiday categorization system.
The buyer of this fantastic candy container came by yesterday to show it to me. I think the seller’s photos, which didn’t accent the playful bee on the side of the cat or show the candy container in its best light, caused the price to descend to bargain territory. Frankly, the paint and detailing are top-notch. The size of the item is perfect and it is a wholly pleasing item overall. The price should have easily crested $1,000. A take-away here is critically look at the photos. If you feel details are left out or there can be better photos provided, ask for more.
