Happy Halloween!

Well, another Halloween season has nearly concluded. What a wild ride it has been with record prices for paper - small paper, German diecuts, USA diecuts, table decorations, games, etc.. The prices have been high enough that I do worry about the average collector - the life blood of all hobbies - being priced out.

Other segments like hard plastic and blow molds have stayed strong, whereas I’ve seen softening with lanterns and candy containers. Tin overall has strengthened some.

I expect to see many more lanterns and candy containers come to market as the first generation of collectors, who typically specialized in these genres, die off.

I expect to see continued strengthening in the paper segments as there is just not much of this in collectible condition to be found.

I’ll have a great array of vintage Halloween lots for my annual May auction - open only to those who have purchased a copy of my third edition directly from me.

Have a Happy Halloween!

MBL

Vintage Halloween German Minature Tea Set Cup Saucer Early 1900s

Given the condition, especially the very prominent chip, this German porcelain saucer should never have ended at this lofty valuation.

Vintage Original Beistle / H.E. Luhrs Halloween Decorations Tabletop decor, Hang

There are so many wonderful things in this lot that the seller did themselves a real disservice by lumping everything together. The table top Beistle witch with the black honeycomb skirt is exceedingly rare. I think this may be only the second time I’ve seen one. In my opinion, that alone would have gotten close to the ending price for the lot if it had been offered separately.

vintage HALLOWEEN place card circa 1920s hold to light black cat

This is a wonderfully rare example of a hold-to-light place card, produced by an unknown manufacturer during the 1920s. These are rare enough that I only added one to the collection a few years ago. The buyer got a bargain at $137.50.

SCARCE Vintage Halloween Horn Noisemaker Decoration, USA, Patented 1921, WORKS!!

I am certain that the seller, a true delight, is over the moon with this result. The buyer shouldn’t be in that celebratory of a mood, though, as they vastly overpaid. This horn surfaces frequently enough that I’m surprised there were 5 bidders who had a hand in driving the ending price up to such an unsustainable level. The one in the collection is in significantly better condition. Anyone who wants it for $450 plus shipping is welcome to it.

Vintage Fortune Telling Game In Sealed Package

No matter how much some collectors might want this to be considered a Halloween item, it isn’t.

Vintage W & F Quality Novelties Wax Party Candy Box Pumpkins 1949 Store Display

Extant boxes really add to the knowledge of when items were released and how they were marketed. W&F was the corporate precursor to the Gurley Candle Company. This seems to be from around 1949. The graphics are more lively than other W&F boxes I’ve seen. This is a box I’ve not seen before.

Antique Trader Cover Article

The venerable publication, Antique Trader, devotes most of its current edition to vintage Halloween collectibles with a fun article written by Kris Manty on my collection and how it began. The issue’s date is October 23, 2019. I just subscribed and encourage you to check an issue out on-line. Take the plunge and subscribe to one of the few survivors of the genre of collectibles magazines that were all the rage through the 1990s.

HALLOWEEN DIECUT DEVIL WITH BAT WINGS VERY RARE GERMAN 1930'S

A great example of the vagaries of eBay. One in arguably lesser condition sold on 09/29 for nearly $5900, while this one brought $4173.56. Both figures exceeded what I felt is the sustainable price. I sure am glad I acquired mine long ago.

Rare Vintage 20s 30s Japan Halloween PAPER & JINGLE BELL Witch Face Tambourine

This item was one I’d not seen before. The way it is constructed is exactly the same as how I feel its companion piece was constructed. That item sports a devil face - much more interesting and memorable than this rather pallid-faced crone. I felt it should have brought more, but perhaps the imagery worked against it. Turn to page 198 to see the devil tam companion.

Vintage GERMAN Halloween Embossed Die Cut Girl Jack-O-Lantern playing Cymbals

This 1920s “Minnie Mouse” German diecut crashing cymbals is a surprisingly hard one to find in this condition. The primary problem with this one is the arms connecting to either the main body or to the cymbals (and sometimes both) are weak and sometimes flop around. For each of the three total in this set the white eye paint is often scuffed. It’s nice to see in this glossy condition.

10/24 Update: This sold for $315.

Antique Witch JOL Bats Halloween Box Dennison

This is a wonderful Dennison item. They made two designs of what they called Bon Bon boxes.” Both first appeared in their 1919 Bogie Book. I don’t think these were made for more than one or two seasons as they don’t come up for sale all that often. You can see both designs at the top of page 262. The other design is much harder to find. (I still don’t have one in my personal collection.)

VINTAGE DENNISON'S HALLOWEEN DECORATION SEALS ART DECO BOY WITCH HAT DOG RUN

This box of seals seems pristine. Given that the seller didn’t state otherwise, I assume all 20 seals were extant. Although the selling price is excessive, Dennison products from this period are truly scarce. Beginning around 1928 and continuing through the early 1930s, Dennison’s design aesthetic took a sharp turn away from what it had been. Instead, a playful, Art Deco vibe was adopted along with vibrant colors. Products from this period are among the best things Dennison produced. This box was sold with stock number H921.

HALLOWEEN BEISTLE FLAMING HALLOWE'EN FORTUNE GAME EARLY READ RARE $379.99

This is the first time I’ve seen a cardboard envelope associated with this classic Beistle game. Whenever I’ve seen this game’s envelope, it is made from glassine. As with so many of Beistle’s envelopes, it is beautifully rendered and functional. The game itself was produced no later than 1931 and had two variants - one with six flaming fortunes and the other with twelve flaming fortunes.

Rare Complete Set of Rustcraft Halloween Place Cards in Original Box

The seller states this set is rare. They couldn’t be more right! I don’t think I’ve ever seen even one of these designs before much less a full set complete with the box. Rustcraft was known as a quality manufacturer with whimsical and eccentric designs. This is a true treasure.