Even though I have a near-complete run of original Bogie Books and their brethren from 1909 through 1935 (I am missing the 1913 edition.), this place card being identified in a Bogie Book as being a Dennison item completely escaped my notice. It truly is a one-off from a Dennison design perspective. Who woulda thunk? Thanks so much to Anita R. for identifying it for me while she was visiting.
09/06 Update: This Dennison place card fetched a strong $224.50.
This nicely designed Dennison place card is surprisingly hard to find. It’s nice to see one for sale.
This German compo JOL candy container once had a heavy paper green leaf cut-out laid over the top of the JOL. It seems someone forcibly removed it leaving a scar. It would be an easy fix for a proper restorer.
The Germans produced an enormous number of heavily embossed diecuts during the 1920s and early 1930s. (A few were produced from ~1949-1953 as well…) This waving cat draws you right in, so it makes for a strong display element. Pair this with the waving skeleton shown on page 179 and you’ll have a killer diecut display. The condition appears to be near-mint or better. It’ll be fun to see what this friendly feline fetches.
There have been a few tantalizing lots recently in the vast garbage heap that eBay has become. (The fix to make eBay a viable marketplace once again would be for them to simply and definitively define vintage holiday selling categories. Create and police a Vintage Halloween {1900-1960} category. C’mon guys…) We have been blessed with two truly stellar listings of late, the mint NOMA set referenced directly below and now this much desired Beistle “skeleton in the graveyard” diecut. I do wonder if the seller has overshot by having the opening bid be $4,499.99. Let me explain why. I sold one of these diecuts in my last annual auction in March 2024 for a record shattering price of $4,700. The condition of that record setting item was every bit as nice as this one, but prior to March 2024 the highest public price paid for the diecut was ~$3,500. (One actually sold at a show in Ohio a few years back for a scant $700.) I don’t know how many collectors are willing or able to add an item - even a great one like this - to their collection for a known minimum of $4,499.99. I think to stoke interest the seller should have started it at $199.99 and let the auction run. Will anyone bid at this opening level?
09/06 Update: The answer to the question is yes. Someone actually placed a bid at the opening price of $4,499.99 so now there are two recent selling price points averaging $4,600.00.
09/16 Update: The buyer of this diecut contacted me to say the diecut was damaged in transit. The buyer was able to return it for a full refund.
I followed this listing with great interest. It is a treat to see truly rare items on eBay, especially rare items in such unparalleled mint condition. I applaud the seller for their crisp and detailed description uncluttered by unnecessary cutesiness. The description put the set into a greater context, and the many great photos furthered that education. Although this NOMA celluloid set has little interest for me, I know there are many Halloween and vintage lighting collectors vying to have one. Therefore, I am not surprised at the selling price of $5,049.98. I wonder if this stellar set would have fetched even more at an auction house like either Bertoia or Morphy’s?
Collectors should be cautious about spending more-than-average sums on sub-par items that surface regularly. This cat and crescent moon diecut was produced by Beistle for many years. It is not at all rare or even scarce. Yet, someone offered the seller $90 for it, which that seller probably gleefully accepted. The average selling price for these in better condition is ~$40-50.
After wading through the tiresome lingerie listings by the seller, iiniim, that eBay somehow allows to clutter up what should be a stand-alone Vintage Halloween category, it was oh-so-nice to see this listing for a set that is truly exceedingly rare. Beistle produced this lightly embossed complete set of four place card designs during the 1930 and 1931 seasons. I don’t think they actually produced many. Remember that the tentacles of the Great Depression were infiltrating all economic sections of the global economy at that time, so virtually all firms were under great pressure. I think Beistle took a flyer on these, as they differ so much from their usual fare. I haven’t seen a complete set offered publicly for many years. (I did hear of a private transaction where a collector shelled out $3,500 for a truly mint set maybe 2-4 years ago.) It will be instructive to see what this set fetches.
08/24 Update: This complete set of four fetched $2,650. I feel that’s the right price for a complete set these days. $3,500 should be considered the high-water mark, with waters that will almost surely not crest that high again. I expect to see more of these surface now.
This 1950s candy box was wholly produced by Ann-Dee Specialties of Bayside, NY. They did not subcontract production of their candy boxes. (So, Japan had nothing to do with its creation.) This design was one of the first candy boxes I bought. I sold the Book Item in my March 2021 auction.
Even though the condition of this diecut is atrocious, this may be an instance where scarcity loosens the normal condition strictures many collectors impose. I purchased one of these diecuts several years back for ~$2,000, although the condition was FAR superior. From a design perspective, Gibson can be considered the rambunctious sibling at a family reunion, dominated by other, much more staid siblings named Beistle and Dennison. Gibson’s designs tended to be more unpredictable, right at the periphery of logic. Their output was much smaller than the other two, so finding their diecuts is quite a feat. It’ll be instructive to see what this fetches.
08/20 Update: This fetched $560.
