This seller left a good deal of money on the table by offering this pair at a BIN price of $45. It lasted a scant few minutes before someone snagged it. (I missed it by mere seconds…) These clever diecuts produced by Beistle from 1953-1957 have risen dramatically in price over the last two years.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Vintage HALLOWEEN MYSTERY BANK Tin Litho NOMURA TOYS T.N TN Japan Wind Up Hand
This genre, comprised of few items (Japanese tin mechanicals), has really been hot. There was a time when even fine examples like this one would linger before someone bought it at prices far below what this one brought. How I wish I would have kept mine!
Vintage Tin Halloween Noisemaker Bugle Made USA VG condition black cat and witch
Bugle Toy’s tin litho Halloween noisemakers always have zest to them. The designs are less staid and more in-your-face than those from their much larger competitors, like Kirchhof, US Metal Toy and T. Cohn. I have long coveted their designs. This seems to be in better-than-average condition for a Bugle tin item. As I slowly type this out, the bidding is only up to $33. Smart money says it has much further to run. We’ll see.
12/31 Update: This brought $86.
Vintage Mechanical Halloween Witch & Pumpkin Q&A Die-Cut Card
Gibson produced a line of these witch fortune place cards during the mid-1920s. There are two designs. One shows a witch standing holding a pumpkin, like this one, while the other design shows a witch stirring a cauldron. The latter is more involved and harder to find. The buyer got a bargain on this, as they typically change hands in the $65-85 range.
Vintage 1950s Merri Lei Cardboard 10.5” Witch Halloween Die Cut Wall Hanger
I was surprised to see that this sold for what it did. This non-embossed diecut produced by Merri-Lei is common. It is part of a packaged set that typically includes a black cat, a JOL and a skull. None have the design aesthetic that elicits a “wow!” (That is a polite way of saying they are uninteresting.) This particular example has water-staining and some speckling, yet it brought nearly $50. They generally trade in the $18-25 range, so the buyer paid a premium.
*1930s Halloween Party Invitation Card Tri Fold witch black cat jack-o-lantern 1
This is a tough invitation to find. Whitney produced it during the late 1920s. The seller has two of them up for a BIN of $60 each. Even though the interior is full of writing, for those for whom this isn’t a bother the price is a solid bargain, as these typically trade for $125 and up.
12/15 Update: Both were snapped up within a short time after publication of my post.
Vintage Halloween Party Favors Table decorations Tie-on Decor NOS Unopened
One of the fun challenges of curating Halloween items is to discover a specific name attached to the myriad regional producers of Halloween goods. We all know the big names, but for every big name there would be several lesser known producers, few very adept at publicizing themselves. In listings like this one another piece of the extensive mosaic falls into place. I had seen references to The K Line before (…and I’m not talking about the long-time Detroit Tigers phenom…), but never more than that. Whenever I see listings of items in original packaging I hope that there will be something worth learning. This listing delivered. The K Line was produced by the Kuepper Favor Company of Peru, Indiana. This old dog learned something new today.
Vintage Halloween Witch Cardboard Candy Container by G.M. Co.
This candy box, produced during the middle-late 1940s by G.M. Company, is in rough condition. Not only are tabs missing, as pointed out by the seller, but it is quite faded. The greens and blues have faded away to yellow.
12/13 Update: This brought $67, a good deal for the seller.
Vintage Halloween Cat Head w/ Bow Cellophane Mouth Cardboard 1940s - 1960s MINT
Someone paid dearly for what is essentially a remnant. The front looks good, but when the sold item is flipped over the back is flat because the “Toy Packs” box that should be attached is missing. (The second photo showing the back is one I took of the same item in the collection. It appears on page 56.) The candy box was produced during the 1950s by Candy Crafters Inc. of Lansdowne, PA. The price paid, coupled with the indefensible shipping charge of $15.79, makes its acquisition far from a bargain. The buyer should return it.
My Posting Break Has Concluded!
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all your kind inquiries wondering why I haven’t posted anything for a month. I wasn’t hit by a truck, nor did I fall down a crevasse. COVID hasn’t (yet…) wrapped its scaly fingers around my lungs. I simply like to take a month away from the tyranny of the blog during a year.
However, it is now December 1st and I am eager to post. The problem is that eBay has truly been an unending cavalcade of crap for weeks. (I chose a great month to step away.) There have been few exciting lots on that forum. There was one, though. Did you see the Beistle witch table-top decoration with an exceedingly rare multi-colored skirt (see page 224 for the one in the collection with an orange skirt…) that zoomed to $1,725 in the last few moments? Both the prevailing bidder and the underbidder are collectors with discerning eyes. Although I knew the color combination existed in theory, I had never seen one surface before. Bravo to the acquirer!
Bertoia held a spectacular auction featuring many Halloween items from Bob Merck’s collection in early November. I watched the bidding, made some half-hearted bidding attempts, and marveled that collectors would actually dish out $15,000 for a German scary tree candy container or near that amount for a lettuce leaf lantern. Those figures don’t even include the steep buyer’s premium or shipping costs. Buyer’s premiums are a real brake on my acquisition urges. Seeing these prices make me even more grateful I started collecting so long ago.
I’ve been busy preparing for my next auction. I’ve already photographed 50 lots. I am pleased with the strong line-up for next year’s auction, open only to those who have purchased a copy of my third edition from me. By the way, be sure to acquire your copy of my third edition before the price hike. The price per copy will rise from $65 to $77 shortly.
Let’s hope some worthwhile lots surface on eBay soon.