This design belongs to a set of twelve that Beistle produced for a long time beginning in 1932. All are common enough that you’ll see each design multiple times every year. The trick in collecting diecuts from this set is to get the earliest pressing you can. (Admittedly, many collectors couldn’t care less about this distinction. I get this. However, for those kindred spirits, read on.) I arbitrarily divide the pressing history for these diecuts into three phases. The three embossing levels can be generally described as heavy, moderate and light with the production dates roughly corresponding to 1932-1941, 1946-1949 and 1950-1954 respectively. When the stamping plates were new, the embossing was deep and rich. As they became worn, the embossing became shallower. The example this fine seller is offering is from the third embossing phase. The value delta between phase one and phase three is about 20%.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
HALLOWEEN Skeleton vtg die-cut 20" jointed decor 1920s figural Beistle import
Skeleton diecuts can be so boring, but this design has always made me smile. The figure may be waving while saying, “Welcome to your new home!” The seller states this may have been produced by Beistle. It wasn’t. This was produced in Germany for export along with a large number of other diecut designs, primarily pumped out from ~1920 through 1935. The waving skeleton was once seen more often - a statement that could be made for almost any vintage Halloween item. Prices are all over the board lately, so who knows what this will fetch.
3 OLD HALLOWEEN BLACK CATS & JACK-O-LANTERN PRESSED PAPER PULP HANGING ORNAMENTS
The buyer of this lot of three German diecuts got a bargain. If these had been listed under “Vintage Halloween” rather than “Old Halloween” they would have received more action. The seller might have seen more, too, by listing them separately. The one on the right, the distressed maid with bangs, is the star of the lot. That alone should have reached what the entire lot brought.
Vintage Halloween Embossed Flying Witch Die Cut Germany 1920s/30s
This is one large diecut, measuring ~16” high by ~14.5” across. The comment I want to make is about condition. This large highly embossed decoration is in what I would consider “normal” condition. I’ve been a collector since 1988 with a penchant for condition, but sometimes it is too easy to forget that such examples in near mint or better condition are truly rare, and a pleasant surprise when you see one. I sold the example in my book on page 178 in May 2020 for $302 when I judged the condition as not being high enough for it to remain part of the collection. Was that dumb? No. Condition is key for me, perhaps more so than with many other collectors. Each of our condition thresholds differ. I try not to lose sight of the fact that vintage Halloween items were generally not viewed as things to be saved/preserved, hence the rarity of near mint or better pieces. When I first looked at this listing I thought that the condition was only “good,” but that was a reflex based on my threshold. The reality is that virtually all collectors would find this example a totally acceptable candidate for their collections - and that is the way it should be.
I spent last weekend in the greater Los Angeles region attending a toy and advertising show in Glendale, with fun forays to visit collectors in La Verne and Whittier. There was virtually no Halloween at the show except those items you’d fully expect to see at a show. That really underscored how rare items are for our fun hobby. I look around at my collection and am thankful I’ve been able to find what I’ve found. I hope you do the same for your collections.
Rare Antique German Halloween Diecut Paper Pumpkin Pirate with Cats Tiara
Of all the tiara or diadem German diecut designs, this is one of the hardest to find. As mentioned in a post some weeks ago, there was a strong blip up in prices for these tiaras for a short period of time, but that force has dissipated. These will typically now sell in the $700-1000 range. The last one sold for $597, a bargain compared to 18 months ago. I expect this one will fetch a bit more than that. We’ll see…
Vintage Halloween Owl on Branch Germany Embossed Cardboard 1940s - 1960s RARE
This great perched owl diecut was produced in Germany during the 1920s. The preponderance of German diecuts were produced during the 1920s. The most popular designs like the walking witch, many of the black cats - dressed and not - and the perched owls were produced for many seasons spanning most of the 1920s and into the early 1930s. There is a subset of German diecuts made for export to Canada in 1935 that tend to be the most coveted, rare and the most expensive. Then there was a handful of German diecut designs made from 1946 through 1949. These tend to bear stamps indicating “Made in USSR Zone” and the like. Once 1950 dawned and thereafter there were few, if any, heavily embossed German diecuts produced in Germany.
Vintage Halloween DieCut Germany JOL Man Pumpkin Man
Although this looks festive and fun, someone painted this after market, meaning it wasn’t produced this way. Given the paint “damage,” I wouldn’t expect this to fetch much.
10/27 Update: Inexplicably, this sold for $277.
Vintage Halloween Skeleton Made in Germany Embossed Jointed Paper
Even with many condition issues, this ultra-rare German jointed skeleton diecut brought $450. What makes it so rare? The size is the rarity factor. These were made in several sizes. The smallest and most common measures 27”. The largest and rarest measures 50”. I’ve only seen this size a handful of times.
Vintage Halloween germany windowpane owl diecut
The Germans produced four designs of these windowpane embossed diecuts. These are large and really make a statement in a display. This owl diecut seems to be in significantly better condition than what is typically seen. I know the seller, too. He is knowledgeable and honest. Bid high and bid often - but vote just once.
09/18 Update: This fetched $586.77.
VINTAGE GERMAN DIE-CUT EMBOSSED HALLOWEEN CAT WITH VIOLIN DECORATION Near Mint!
The Germans produced the complete set of six of these black cat band members during the 1920s. They comprise one of the most popular diecut sets collected. I’ve found that the cymbals and guitar diecuts are harder to find in acceptable condition, but this one closely follows. The newish seller does everything right - a solid number of quality photos with a no-nonsense description. The glazed diecut looks great and is worth your consideration.
LARGE BLACK CAT COUPLE BOY GERMAN GERMANY DIECUT EASEL HALLOWEEN die cut
I can’t say enough good things about this seller. I’ve had the pleasure of doing business with him for years and he is fantastic. I appreciate the care with which he describes his items and the many excellent photos that accompany his listings. (How I wish all eBay sellers would follow his lead!)
The faint mark he references on the easel does date this pressing to the later 1940s. This is a tough design to find in such good condition.
04/28 Update: This sold for a strong $202.50.
Very fine near mint 1920 Vintage Halloween German Black Cat & JOLs Tiara Diadem
This has to be one of the finest German tiaras I’ve seen. Can you imagine how rare it is for something to go through nearly 100 years and still look like this with its bright color and intact highlighting? Discerning collectors know what a treasure this is as it has been bid up to $510 as of this writing. It’ll be fun to see what this fetches!
12/17 Update: The ending price was shockingly low - $787 - surely a disappointment to the seller.
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 Vtg 20s EMBOSSED German HALLOWEEN Decoration CRAWLING Baby PUMPKIN Die Cut
Here is a German diecut you don’t see often. This crawling baby boy hinged diecut was produced in Germany during the late 1920s. (There is a chance that it was made during the mid-1930s. Other hinged products were made then.) The Germans made two different crawling babies. The girl shows up a tad more often than the boy, but both are rare. You can see both on page 169. With over 5 days to go, the bidding has already reached $431. It will be instructive to see what price it reaches.
10/03 Update: This brought $770.
Vintage Halloween Large Walking Witch Diecut Decoration Standup, Germany 1940s!!
The Queen of the Golden Doily is offering a very nice example of a German diecut that, although common, isn’t commonly seen in this great condition. Ziz is one of my favorite dealers. She typically offers a wide variety of vintage goods that appeal to both new and experienced collectors. She firmly believes in the auction format, beginning her listings at $9.99. You would do well to watch her listings!
