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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Super Large Dennison's 1931 Salesman's Sample Book, 23 Halloween Decorations

These great salesmen sample books surface once or twice a year and are a wealth of information as to what was still being peddled in a specific year. They typically will fetch about what this one did. I received many questions about this listing, with the main question being, "What do you think it will go for?" My answer was around $500. Everyone thought that figure was much too low given the rarity of many of the diecuts contained within the book. However, when you look closely, many of the diecuts were truncated in some way or were otherwise damaged by being placed in such a book. All were affixed to pages, meaning that if you were successful in extricating them, some paper restoration, and the costs associated with such work, would have to be borne to bring the diecut up to a reasonable collecting standard. As a curiosity, these books are pretty awesome, but as a source of actual diecuts to be displayed outside of its pages, not so much. 

One additional note, many of these diecuts were originally produced before 1931. Their inclusion in the book only indicates that Dennison was still actively selling the design in the 1931 Halloween season, not that the design was originally produced in that year. 

All in all, I think whomever the buyer was got a fun item at an eminently reasonable cost. Congrats!!

Beistle Skairo Halloween Jointed Bug Figure

Beistle issued two versions of Skairo. One smiles and the other scowls. These are very avidly sought after, evidenced by this example, in good at best condition, bringing nearly $315. The version sold was made in 1929, while its brother was manufactured in 1931. Beistle issued two other figures with lightning bolt-shaped bodies. You can see all of these on page 149. 

Nice Vintage Halloween Witch Decoration

This listing made me smile. This seller routinely places bewilderingly high prices on the most common of things, with no apparent consideration given for condition. This is a very common diecut that Beistle made for many, many seasons. Given its ubiquity and condition, the price I'd expect it to fetch would be south of $10. 

The Beistle Company Halloween Party Decorations From 1923

Beistle issued their 1923 party set in three packaging iterations. The most common is a booklet form with either orange or white pages prior to and after the pages containing the punch-out party decorations. Less common is the enveloped form, and the rarest is this, the boxed form. Unfortunately, this box seems to be in poor condition with much of the contents missing. (The napkins and envelopes are not original to the set.) As such, it has minimal collectible value. 

SCARCE Antique Vintage Halloween Noisemaker Witch Paper Mache Germany German

This is not a vintage item. A host of different designs were imported into the USA beginning in the mid-to-late 1990s from Germany to capitalize on the strong interest in vintage Halloween collectibles. These were made and imported almost certainly with an intent to deceive new collectors. They succeeded. One trick that was used with these was to import them in generic, but truly old, cardboard boxes. This gave these fakes a veneer of respectability, even fooling some long-term collectors for a time. Don't waste your money. 

03/29 Update: Unfortunately, some poor buyer wasted nearly $140 on this non-vintage item. 

Vintage Retro Halloween Skaters Glass Owl Japan Battery Lantern Light - Works!

When I first began collecting in 1988, these were coveted items to have in a collection. Today - not so much. These would bring $75-125 every time they surfaced in antiques shops. With the advent of on-line venues, so much has changed for every hobby, including ours. I find it interesting to look back and see what has fallen in and out of favor. Out right now are lamps like these, most tin noisemakers, candles and many forms of German candy containers (Mainly, due, I think, to the rightful skittishness many collectors have so as not to get ripped off by things made to look old but aren't.). In are 1920s-1930s Dennison, Beistle and Gibson items, 1912-1919 Bogie Books, Dennison Price List pamphlets and Rosen Pops boxes. What other categories do you think are "in" and "out?" 

Rare Vintage Halloween Germany Horned Head Candy Container

The mark on this candy container is instructive. When you see the mark, "Container Made in Germany," you then know the item was made sometime between 1950 and 1955. Containers made during this time period command far fewer dollars than items made pre-WWII. I fear that the seller will not obtain even her opening bid of $200, as these typically trade in the $90-110 range. 

Two Great Facebook Groups...

I recently joined two Facebook groups that may be of interest to you. One is called Vintage Halloween and the other is Everything Fall. They both seem to be groups with an active participant base. I've found it to be a great way to see parts of many other collections. Education, especially with a hobby that can be pricey, like ours, is a must. Given the relatively high number of Ebay auctions I've seen end where newly made items have fetched sadly high prices, I'd encourage all prospective bidders to up their familiarity with truly vintage items. These two FB groups may be a good tool to add to your collective quivers! 

Set of 4 Antique German Pumpkin Face Cups from a Child's Tea Set Jack O' Lantern

It is good to see this lot of wonderful porcelain cups sell for such a strong price. The Germans made pieces of this largish set from 1908-1932. These cups were made in three sizes, with the ones in the lot all being the smallest size made. The next size up (2" h x 2.25" w) is the most commonly seen size with the largest size (3" h x 4.5" w) being made only with handles. In both the small and medium-sized cups, it is harder to find the handled iterations. They tend to sell for more, all else being equal. Examples of other items of this set can be seen on page 117.