The Germans made and exported several designs of these identically two-sided clappers during the 1920s. As I write on page 196, "All consist of heavily embossed diecuts stapled to both sides of a cardboard paddle. The diecuts for this line were finished in such a way as to make them appear distressed, giving rise to the often erroneous conclusion that the diecuts are in poor condition." Sustainable guide value for these clappers is $100, so this auction ended nearly right on the money.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Vintage Large Die Cut Jointed Halloween Scarecrow Decoration! 3'
This overly large scarecrow diecut was made by Beistle from 1960-1962 and illustrates the plunge in derring-do the company experienced in wanting to roll with the times. Silly and benign displaced challenging and memorable design by this time in Beistle's history. Their Golden Age for Halloween was 1918-1940, followed by a period punctuated with some creativity from 1941-1955 then followed by a long decline in artistic vision exemplified by this doofus.
Vintage Antique Halloween Lantern 4 Panel Die-Cut Pulp Cardboard Crepe Paper
Given the overall condition of this lantern, the ending price was far in excess of what was expected. Although it is true that authentic versions of this German lantern are not easily found (This lantern has been reproduced beginning in the mid-1990s.), the condition of this particular item wasn't high. If you look at the recorded bidding history, it seems that the price plateaued at $227, then was ratcheted upward to its ending level of $540 by two bidders, one of whom has zero feedback. I feel the correct level for this lantern in this condition would be ~$275.
Pair of Very Early & Rare c. Feb. 1911 Halloween Trick or Treat Lamp Shades
These are bottoms for the small-sized Spook Lamps, early table decorations and lanterns. The smaller ones could also be used in conjunction with place cards. (You can see the factory made openings on one of the four panels per bottom.) Unfortunately, what is being offered for auction are remnants. Missing are the top sections containing the candle holder and the four support struts for each lantern that would attach to each bottom. Complete Spook Lamps are hard to find, as they were fragile to begin with. Most have not made the journey through over a century of time well or at all.
Vintage Old German Halloween Devil Satan Face w Black Cats Die Cut Pressed Paper
The Germans produced a total of twelve tiara or diadem designs during the 1920s. All of them are hard to find in collectible condition, but this is arguably the toughest and the most eye-catching. This devil design brought only an ~18% premium to sustainable guide value, smaller than I would have forecast given that one hasn't surfaced in some time. Undoubtedly, if this had been offered for sale in August, it would have fetched far more.
Vintage Mechanical Halloween Advertising Piece. Chases Fine Candies. RARE & HTF
The seller doesn't state an opinion as to when this was produced, but I think this interesting and large item was made during the later 1950s through the early 1960s. The benign imagery is representative of that period. The Chase Candy Company has been in business since 1876, always based in St. Joseph, Missouri. (Their best known product is the Cherry Mash.) Given the simplicity of the design I feel $595 is on the high side. However, the seller is open to offers, so if you have room this may be a good acquisition.
11/10 Update: This sold for $545 to a very good home in Pennsylvania.
Awesome - Vintage Beistle Four-Sided Skull Halloween Lantern - 1930's
This four-sided skull lantern was produced by Beistle in the early 1930s. When buying such items, always ensure that the bottom piece is intact (or as this seller writes, "in tack."). They are often missing making it problematic for the lantern to stay standing. Sustainable guide value for one with its bottom piece and with no staining is $125, so this seller is quite an optimist, if not a careful speller.
BEISTLE HALLOWEEN PARTY BOOK~COMPLETE~SUPER CONDITION~1923
I am puzzled by the BIN price this knowledgeable and clever seller placed on this listing. Selling a complete 1923 Beistle Party Book for $174.50 is a strong bargain for the buyer as these typically fetch more than double that.
Vintage German Made Jack-O-Lantern Teapot and mugs
Another October bargain...Sustainable guide value is $1,385, so the selling price represents a healthy discount when such items are typically bringing strong dollars.
VINTAGE 1930's HALLOWEEN Tin Party Noise Maker,w/ Witch, Black Cat, Skeleton
This whimsical and energetic tin litho shaker was made by an unknown manufacturer sometime during the 1920s I think, rather than the 1930s. The same design was used in an exceedingly rare set of cymbals, a set I have yet to obtain. Looking at the blog post below, you'll find that I feel selling in October is not optimal, leading me to wonder what this great item might have brought if it was sold in August, let's say.
Vintage 7 Foot Halloween Banner - A Beistle Creation - Unopened - Pre 1960
Although this is not an item from Beistle golden age, it is still a nice banner. Being inside an unopened package with its original header card, this should have brought more money. I attribute the fact that it didn't to the well known phenomenon of "I've spent my vintage Halloween budget by early October" syndrome. The best time to sell vintage Halloween is from early May through the end of September. Although some lots here and there may sell well outside of this time frame, most don't bring what could be considered full value. Casual sellers of vintage Halloween material reflexively think that listing such items in October makes sense. It doesn't. Collectors generally have their displays out by mid-to-late September and have exhausted their budgets by the end of that month. The month of October is typically a great month to be a buyer - no doubt as the prevailing bidder on this banner feels.
