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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

ULTRA RARE ANTIQUE MCLOUGHLIN HALLOWEEN HAND OF FATE FORTUNES TELLING GAME

I was visiting with good friends who happen to be collectors of vintage Halloween memorabilia when this lot ended. We all stated what we thought it would fetch. We were all wrong - all of our predictions were too high. Why did this exceedingly rare, eye-catcher of a game bring such a low price? The seller took great photos - even including a video. The lid is stunning - especially with that brilliant blue circle. Whoever the buyer was has to be quite happy they acquired such an item at a real solid value. I wish I had been a bidder!

Antique Halloween “The Fortune Crystal” Spinner Game

Although this game is well-designed and this listing has everything a potential buyer wants to see - clear photos and a straight-forward description uncluttered with a lot of nonsense - I have never classified this fortune game as one made specifically for Halloween. There is no Halloween iconography, no Halloween colors and no mention of Halloween anywhere on the game. It is simply a fortune telling game.

Vintage Halloween Owl Get Wise Pick a Feather Rare Collectible

Although it is great to see such a rare item on eBay amongst all the garbage, I sure wish this seller would have spent more time taking photos and providing a detailed description of condition rather than the formal gobbledygook they employ. This rare game was produced by Gibson during the early 1930s. There should be twelve feather fortunes. It is unclear just how many remain. There seems to be spotting at the bottom. One ear seems bent. Are there any other condition issues? What does the reverse look like?

01/02 Update: I’m glad to see the seller added a photo of the reverse.

01/14 Update: This game fetched $559.89. I can’t help but wonder if the ending price would have been higher if the seller had better photos and a more concise description. Sellers should always remember that buyers are just interested in many clear photos with a concise description devoid of nonsense.

Vintage Halloween Beistle Pie Fortune Game. Late 1940’s

Beistle produced this game during the late 1940s when they were clearly running out of gas from a design perspective. They were so adrift at that time they actually produced three in the series. Although this is a fine seller with an item in unused condition, the only word it evokes is meh.

08/15/Update: This fetched $72.

NMINT Vintage Halloween Mechanical Wheel Witch Game & Fortune Card Beistle 1930s

Ah…the vagaries of eBay. This same seller sold a Wheel Witch game on August 24 for $2,025. Just a scant sixteen days later one in arguably better condition sells for just ~27% of the first listing. (What must the buyer of the first listing think?) With all the duplicates being listed this season, be sure to ask sellers if there will identical items listed. If so, just hang back for awhile.

Vintage Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Target Game Box Only

Parker Brothers issued this Jack-O-Lantern Target game sometime during the interval of 1929-1932. It almost never is available to purchase. Sadly, this listing is only for a box in poor condition , but the top graphics are compelling nonetheless. To see an example with complete contents, turn to page 26. Finding one with the original cork bullets and rifle extant is especially rare.

10-04 Update: This sold for an unbelievable $431.99.

RARE Vintage 1920s Antique Paper Halloween Party Witch Fortune Wheel Pumpkin Cat

This iconic Beistle game, produced from 1928-1931, is seldom seen in this near-mint condition. The witch’s hat is nearly always damaged in some way. Although there is a slight bend toward the top of the hat, this is still leagues ahead of what one normally finds when examining this game. Beistle produced two sizes of this game with a honeycomb base. The smaller one, measuring ~9” high, is seen much less often. It’ll be fun to see what this brings.

Vintage 1930's Halloween WITCH's MYSTERY ANSWER GAME

Now, here’s a game I haven’t seen made available in a long time. Beistle produced this visually alluring item from 1933-1938. Given that it was in production for so long, one doesn’t often see them. The condition of this one is average compared to what will see when you do see one. This is a big item, so it was prone to sustaining bends and rips. Beistle’s first iteration is significantly harder to find. This elusive will-o-the-wisp has an off-white background but is otherwise the same. This first was produced from 1931-1932 and can be seen on page 15. I have never been able to secure one good enough for the collection. If you have one in very fine or better condition, you own a rarity.

Halloween Vintage KATZY PARTY Game, Early 1900's, "Pin the Cat", Envelope

Although the graphics are excellent and the game not-often seen, I don’t consider this to be a game made expressly for Halloween. There is no imagery except generic black cat pin-ons - no JOLs, no witches, no nothing - that lends credence to the idea this was made for anything other than a generic Katzy party.

1933 Vintage Halloween Etta Palmer Wotsie Witzie Fortune Teller Game Decoration

I would classify this game as having only the most tangential of connections to Halloween. Except for the broomed witch, there really is none. Some collectors specialize in collecting fortune telling games, and a precious few are truly Halloween related, but the vast majority either have no connection or the slimmest of connections to Halloween. Just as a nice piece of colorful art, I can see the modest value this item fetched - but that price is also a judgement from the market that classifying this item as a Halloween game is incorrect. The Fortune Crystal Game is another example of an item often wrongly classified as having a Halloween connection.