Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Well, it is that time of the year when my attention is taken up with many other activities outside of my vintage Halloween collecting addiction. I like to take this period of the year to recharge my batteries. 

I am already selecting and photographing items in preparation for my annual May auction. I intend to have somewhere between 70-90 lots up for auction, with a significant minority percentage comprising items from my personal collection that have appeared in my reference guides. 

The event is only open to those who have purchased a copy of my third edition of Vintage Halloween Collectibles. Ordering information can be found under the Third Edition Now Available tab of this site. 

Stay tuned for further details...

Vintage 1960's Salerno Trick or Treat Halloween Cookies Box haunted house

Although this is a very cool item, with a design strongly reminiscent of the mid-1950s Brach's candy boxes, it is a far inferior design. The Brach's box was intricately designed with many nice touches - a discarded witch's broom and dilapidated shutters just to name two. Time was spent designing that box. This is not as good. The detail is lacking and the colors are unattractive. This seller has this priced much too high. Items from this era, by and large, don't bring significant dollars. I feel fair market value for this item, in this condition, is $75-95. 

#66 VINTAGE HALLOWEEN 19.5" DIE CUT 3D STANDING SCARDEY CAT SCREENED PAPER LUHR

Do photos really matter? This seller posted two identical photos that show only a portion of the front and none of the back, yet the bidding is already atop SGV with over seven days to go. I wonder if simply describing an item minimally, and posting no photos, would bring even a better result? 

11/24 Update: This item, with incomplete photos, actually fetched $224.50. 

1923 Beistle Halloween Christmas Decoration Paper Novelty Catalog Vintage ORIG.

These early Beistle catalogs almost never surface, so for the seller to offer it as BIN with a paltry price of $75 was an error, reinforced by the fact that it sold in less than 75 minutes. These catalogs, different from the Dennison Bogie Books in that they were meant for retailers and not end-user consumers, show the varied items Beistle was offering at the time, some of which were never offered again. For that reason alone, these catalogs are superb research tools. I regret that I didn't see this as it would have had a treasured place in my library. 

Rare LARGE German Halloween Pumpkin Candy Container OLD Must See !!!!!!!!!!!

The seller is offering this repainted and painfully poorly repaired JOL candy container for a chuckle-inducing opening bid of $2800. The colored highlights throughout are after-purchase additions. The eyes look like they have been retouched. The repair to the crack in the back is breath-taking in its ineptness. I doubt this container is worth much more than a few hundred dollars, and then that value resides more in the size than anything else.