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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Vintage Halloween Singing Moon Beistle Diecut 1935 SAMPLE Look

I’ve never understood the attraction of this diecut. (Another design from the same set is a donut and cup. That, too, leaves me cold.) Great companies like Beistle can’t always hit home runs. No organization does. However, sometimes the strike-out is so spectacular that I wonder if the Art Director at the time was sacked for poor judgement. This design rivals the Dennison frog diecut for having little logical tie-in to Halloween iconography.

VINTAGE HALLOWEEN DENNISON GUMMED Seals SILHOUETTES 12 PACK Owl USA Diecut

Dennison boxed goods have been on a tear of late. There was a time perhaps as recently as 2022 when the interest in these little gems of superb design flagged somewhat. (Dennison boxed goods was a market segment I avidly collected very early on. I long for those days from the early 1990s when complete boxes in near-mint or better condition would be offered for $20. I vacuumed up every one I could find.) This design, a tuxedo owl, was first offered in 1928 with a stock number of H842.

Vintage Halloween Curtiss Baby Ruth Tricks Treats Good Goblins 1955 Candy Box

One market segment that has been hotter than hell is retail candy boxes. Not too many years ago boxes for Baby Ruth, Milky Way and Butterfinger candy bars would bring ~$20-35. Those days are gone - not sure if forever but certainly for the time being. This result of $160.50 for a nicely designed yet fairly common box is typical of the prices I’ve seen lately. I sold a rare box for Clark Bars for $300 early this year. It sold within an hour or so of its listing on my For Sale page.

RARE ANTIQUE GERMAN HALLOWEEN LARGE WHITE GOBLIN JACK-O-LANTERN PUMPKIN LANTERN

WOW! This sure grabbed my attention. What a magnificently designed lantern. I have never prioritized collecting German lanterns but this is one I would love to have in the collection. It is early as the unsettling design was meant for parties thrown by and for adults. The bidding is already active on this lantern with 9 bids placed to nearly $1,300 with more than five days to go. Even though this isn’t the optimal time to sell vintage Halloween, I suspect this will zoom well above its current level. I applaud this seller for employing a spare description style.

10/15 Update: And zoom it did - to a stratospheric $5,179.76!

RARE VINTAGE HALLOWEEN PULP CAT CANDY CONTAINER PAIL

This rarish cat head candy pail was produced later than many lanterns. The closed eyes and the bright (at least at time of manufacture) yellow highlights are indicative of this being produced during the late 1950s and perhaps through ~1962. This petite pail probably would enhance a display even though the condition is more toward the rough end of the spectrum.

10/15 Update: This fetched $713.

ORIGINAL VINTAGE ANTIQUE HALLOWEEN ROSBRO PLASTIC PULL TOY PIRATE CLOWN 7 1/2"

I have gained an appreciation for hard plastic these last few years. I had an opportunity to purchase a large collection out of New York state last year that contained a good number of vintage hard plastic items. I retained several Kokomold hard plastic designs - the topmost tier in the hard plastic market segment. Manufacturers like Rosbro occasionally hit above their weight with designs like this drumming pirate bank. This is one market segment that has rarely flagged over these last few decades.

Vintage Halloween LITHOGRAPH WITCH DEVIL HAT TAMBOURINE color 6" metal German ?

I suspect this is the earliest iteration of this unkempt witch design. I believe it is German. These early 1930s tambourines with the outer whitish circle are difficult to find. (I’ve seen two iterations - one with a yellow background and the other with an orange background.) Both iterations have dancing devils on the hat. There are some smaller noisemakers where the art is a bit more sophisticated and the devils have been replaced with a bat. I would expect this to fetch ~$300, but selling right now is a real crapshoot. Many dealers not familiar with the vintage Halloween market flood eBay with listings in October when the casual collector has already spent their annual decorating budget. Sometimes bargains abound.

10/09 Update: No softness to this ending price of $843!

Rare Antique 1920's German Pumpkin Suitcase Crepe Paper Candy Container Germany

This item, like all of the items made with crepe paper being offered by this seller were produced in Japan, not Germany. German pieces typically have the sophistication and artistry that most pieces produced in Japan lack. The market reflects that reality, as such items don’t typically fetch strong dollars.

10/09 Update: The only surprise is that it brought as much as $104.50.

Tim Ramzyk's New Masterpiece

Well, Tim Ramzyk, the master sculptor/artist behind the aptly named Pulp Novelties has scored another direct hit with his new lantern for the 2024 season. He calls it Night Owl. I just received it today and I think it is magnificent. I wish that I had some artistic ability. How does someone imbue a sculpture with sagacity AND a touch of menace?
Tim shared some information on availability that I will pass along: He will begin listing Night Owl in batches on Etsy beginning October 1st (etsy.com/shop/PulpNovelties), with plans to replenish on the 6th, 13th and 20th at 4:00 PM Central.
Understandably, Tim’s lanterns sell out very quickly. He makes them in limited quantities, they are of the highest sculptural artistry, the colors are inspired and the price is eminently reasonable. I don’t buy many newly produced items as space is limited, but I happily and routinely make an exception for Tim’s wares. You should, too! Happy Halloween!

Auction Listings - stnick22

Most years stnick22 treats us all to an impressive number of lots they place on eBay. This year is one during which they have listed nearly 200 listings, truly spanning the spectrum from lots that should be affordable to the newest cadre of collectors all the way to those hard-bitten souls who are close to having seen it all. I have received a fair amount of inquiries as to whether these listings are legit. (I’m glad that collectors are tuned in to the dangers present from scamsters in the vintage Halloween world.) The sellers, a long-married couple, have been active in the higher-end of holiday collectibles for decades. Yes, they are legit. I love a line in the listings that I could have written: We understand that many folks … are visual learners and explorers, and frankly, do not enjoy long winded … descriptions. Sellers, keep your descriptions crisp and succinct. Take excellent photos and minimize the verbiage.

10/03 Update: The prices realized spanned the gamut to “somewhat below what I would have expected” to “someone has way too much money.” The market seems strong for German lanterns, figurals and candy containers..

Vintage 1920's Dennison Jack O Lantern Acorn Halloween Seals - Full box of 20

It’s fun watching how the different segments comprising the entire vintage or secondary Halloween market change over time. A few seasons ago boxed Dennison items evoked some yawns. This has certainly not been the case over the last twelve months. I’ve been tracking boxed Dennison prices and to say they have strengthened would be spot on. And they should be strengthening. These boxed sets are largely ~100 years old. To find full boxes is truly something if you think about it. Seals have a tendency to clump and curl, so to find a full box of seals able to be displayed like the ones in this listing should achieve a strong result. Dennison items be they boxed, meant to be hung or meant to be displayed atop a table have long been one of my favorite segments. This particular set is compelling. The acorn faces are weirdly spooky and hard to find. They were offered for perhaps one or two seasons in the mid-1920s.

VERY RARE Antique German Halloween SKULL HEAD LANTERN

I review some results and wonder what possesses bidders. This is a good example. This German skull or ghost head lantern surfaces reasonably often. (Its RSIN is 3.) The baseline price has hovered between $800-1200 for many years, so someone actually bidding and paying $3,049.99 beggars the imagination. When you look at the bidding history, it’s apparent the action was driven by two dogged bidders once the reasonable threshold price of $651 was reached. The coup de grace was delivered by a bidder who sniped the prevailing bid. I wonder if buyer’s remorse has set in yet. The lantern does augment a display but the buyer will not see that price again for many moons.

Vintage Halloween 1913 Dennison’s Bogie Book - ULTRA RARE - NOT A REPRODUCTION

This is the only Bogie Book edition not part of the collection. I considered bidding on it, but its condition was too problematic. Others may have felt the same way as the listing should have brought significantly more dollars. It also just may be the time of the year. Many sellers make the mistake of listing vintage Halloween goods now. I find that from now through the end of the year is a great time to buy. The number of listings skyrocket while at the same time the average collector has finished their shopping for the year. Prices typically drop, sometimes precipitously. Bargains typically abound right now. Relative to this particular listing, it is nice to see such a quality item amongst all the dreck!

09/24 Update: I was surprised this Bogie didn’t fetch a higher price. It sold for only $676.