This ghoul place card was produced by Beistle during the interval of 1930-1931 as one of a set of four sold in an envelope. At least one of the stock numbers used for this set was 757. The ending price of $97 seems high given that the place card’s condition is so compromised. The two topknots are missing and the toning is too noticeable.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
ENORMOUS Vintage Halloween Ghost & JOL Store Display Candle Decorations, Gurley!
What a wonderful item! As this top-notch seller points out, this enormous candle was almost certainly a store display. (How I wish I could turn the clock back and browse the old “five and dime” stores’ Halloween displays!) I have never seen this before, nor have I seen any other candle store displays. It will be fun to see what this fetches.
05/05 Update: This magnificent piece is headed to Georgia for $338.33. The buyer has a great eye. I’m sure it will be a real eye-catcher in his collection!
Vintage Antique Halloween Dennison Large Floating Specter Die Cut Diecut 1929
Given the sheer size of this spooky Dennison creation and its many protrusions and appendages, these are typically offered in poorish condition. This is in significantly better than average condition offered by a seller who knows what he is doing. This is a great item and I hope it does well. Know that about 15 years ago, well-done reproductions of this diecut appeared BUT they were very small compared to the truly vintage ones like this one. Bid with confidence!
Vintage Halloween German JOL Pumpkin Ghost Paper Mache Candy Container GERMANY
I don’t feel this is a vintage item. Without the benefit of personal examination I can’t be sure, but nothing seems right about this item. I’ve never seen the JOL face. All of the ones I’ve seen have a ghost face that can be seen on page 62. The wear patterns seem off. The bottom opening is too small. Remember these items were attached to feet on a round wood base via a spring. The point would be to have them “dance” when tapped, so the opening at the bottom was all the way to the hem, not simply a rough hole like this one possesses.
DEAD MINT UNused Vintage Halloween Paper Party Invitation, Dennison, circa 1920!
One of the aspects I most enjoy about this particular, well-rendered Dennison invitation is the sense of humor the designer imparted. Contrast it with the more somber, similarly-themed invitation Dennison produced in 1916. (You can see the latter on page 261.) If this seller says it is “dead-mint,” it is. She is wonderful. Given how prices for small paper have become unhinged these last 12 months, it’ll be interesting to see if this breaks the record for this piece set at my May 2017 auction when the book example sold for $311.
1916 DENNISON H636 HALLOWEEN DECORATION STICKERS SEALS Ghost Scaring Boy Set 25
This seller got a phenomenal price for this box of Dennison seals. This design was first produced in 1922, not 1916. They typically fetch in the neighborhood of $100-125, so the buyer paid a steep premium.
Antique Early 1900’s GHOST DANCER Halloween Bobble Toy German Scarce Halloween
This has a strangely lumpish look to it. The detailing present in other similar items I’ve seen is absent in this item. This is especially noticeable with the feet. All unquestionably vintage such items I’ve seen have slightly pointed heads, rather than the smooth one this item has. Overall, the molding looks primitive. Ask the seller lots of questions.
06/12 Update: This questionable items was included as part of a two-item lot. That lot sold for $125. I remain unconvinced as to its vintage nature.
08/25 Update: The same seller sold another one of these ghost dancers as part of a three-item lot on August 22 for $381, strengthening my belief that the dancer is not a vintage item.
VTG 1930's? HALLOWEEN PARTY INVITATION OPENS DIE CUT DOOR CAT WITCH UNUSED
This incredible invitation is part of a set of at least three produced by Whitney during the early 1920s. (One shows a cat on the stoop, while the other has an owl on the stoop. This one is the most populated and, in my opinion, the very best.) As I forecast some time ago, small paper has become a white-hot market segment. This same seller sold another one of these in September of 2018 for $495. Most collectors I know have decidedly moved on from lanterns and many candy containers to concentrate on small paper (invitations, place cards, tallies and nut cups) made by a wide variety of manufacturers and diecuts made by Dennison, Gibson and Beistle. As the first generation of serious collectors leave the stage, defined as those who began collecting in earnest during the 1960s, the market will see a relatively large influx of lanterns and candy containers become available. Few first, second or even third generation collectors concentrated on paper goods, so few collections richly featuring such items will be coming to market in the near to medium-term. My analysis routinely indicates that certain market segments will slacken while others grow even more competitive. The small paper market segment, for one, will continue to see price increases that will outstrip, maybe far outstrip, price increases seen elsewhere.
Vintage Halloween Dennison Flying Specter Ghost Skeleton Old Diecut 1920s RARE
Given this diecut’s size and coloration, it is hard to find one in nice shape. This seems to be in very acceptable condition, indeed. Azkaban has been wondering where one of its residents has gone!
Halloween Beistle Rare Antique Nut Candy Basket 1920 Witch Ghost Cat Owl Bats
It is nice to see a true gem amongst the many listings. This early Beistle creation is among the very first items that began to firmly set their iconography. As I write on page 51, "This delicate basket has virtually all of the early, iconic imagery associated with Beistle. Made at the beginning of their golden age, this light cardboard candy basket has a trio of seated black cats and two flying bats on one of the other sides and a witch with a broom on her shoulder, two flying bats and a pine tree (odd...) in the background on the remaining side." SGV is $325, but one hasn't come available in some time, so it will be fun to see where this ends.
09/25 Update: The answer is known! This ended at a completely unsustainable price of $687.99.
Vintage Halloween 1920's Rocker Stand Up Fortune Place Card Skeleton, Cat, Owls+
Unusual small paper has been on fire over the last year. This result far exceeds what I would have expected. The tombstone and graveyard motif is underused in vintage Halloween design, and that may have contributed to this eyebrow raising result. You can't go wrong with this seller - truly a gem in our fun field. I wish this piece was marked. It is definitely not Dennison nor Beistle. It doesn't strike me as a Gibson item. Whitney?
Vintage Dennison Halloween Ghost Invitation, Victorian Couple, Unused w/Envelope
Dennison excelled in small form factor ephemera. This tri-fold ghost invitation first appeared in the 1922 Bogie Book. Everything is exquisite about this item from the unsettling expression on the ghost or ghoul to the distended lettering. Given how hot this sub-genre of collecting is right now, I'll be surprised if the ending price doesn't blow past the guide value of $65. The condition is near-perfect, as is the seller!
I am not surprised this fetched $154.50. I don't feel this is a sustainable price, but do feel the guide value is too low.
Vintage Halloween Place Card, Skeleton Ghost in Front of Shed, Full Moon, Unused
This is an extraordinarily high price to pay for this attractive, but not overwhelmingly so, place card. Not attributed to any particular manufacturer, the subject matter is cool, but I don't understand the ending price. That is the price level for a good Dennison place card or one of the Beistle place cards with a flip-out base. I am thrilled for the seller, a wonderful person and knowledgeable seller, but $140 and change for this - really?
1930s Dennison HALLOWEEN DIECUT 19” FLOATING GHOST Skeleton Head & Hands
I love this diecut! When I first read of the Dementors in the Harry Potter books, this is the image I fixed in my head. I'm glad to see these early Dennison paper items get the exposure they deserve. Given the overall condition of this example, I'm not surprised it didn't exceed book value. A cautionary note: 2-3 years ago, I saw 8" sizes of these floating about. All had ragged edges and poor lithography. Given that Dennison always stated the dimensions as being what this seller states, the smaller ones are poorly done reproductions.
Halloween Ghoul with Wings 1940s cardboard/crepe paper decoration
Although there are condition issues with this winged ghost decoration Beistle issued only in 1925, they are easy to overlook given just how unusual it is to see complete examples. Yes, the top knots are hanging on by a thread and there is unfortunate discoloring to the area around that face that only a mother could love, but importantly for me, the base is intact. As I write on page 228, "Weirdly, both ends of the base are generally also missing." With well over five days to go, this iconic Beistle masterpiece has already been bid up to nearly $225. It'll be fun to see where it ends.
