These two doilies were very likely made by Whitney of Massachusetts in the 1920s. They were originally sold in packages of ten. These are the only two styles I've seen. (They are shown on page 282 of my newly published 3rd edition.) I like this seller's crisp descriptions and high-resolution photos. From my personal interactions with them, I find them to be quite interested in getting the details of their listing correct. Bravo and much good luck with this and all of your listings!
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN DECORATION BLACK CAT CREPE PAPER LEGS LIMBS & EXTRA BEISTLE
The package containing diecuts comprising the Hep Cat Orchestra is not vintage. Beistle's first foray into reproducing vintage items took place in 2003 under the banner of Old Time Halloween. This was a short-lived foray as it wasn't successful. Beistle learned from this and became smarter about a decade later when they began issuing reproductions using quality materials and packaging. They also took, and continue to take, pains to ensure their reproduction efforts don't interfere with the very robust secondary market.
Large Lot Vintage Tin Litho Halloween Noisemakers Clicker Horns US Metal Cohn
The smart buyer of this lot got a very sweet deal for $125. Bravo! The star of the lot is the rattler with the cat faces ringed by bats and owls. That alone would bring $45. Bravo!
VINTAGE 1920's-30's Dennison HALLOWEEN Black Cat Face HALLOWE'EN CUT-OUTS Box
The seller, long on my list of those I love doing business with, indicates that the contents have been carefully cut in half. This was certainly done after-market by an intrepid party-giver to play some sort of matching game.
4 VINTAGE 1960's HALLOWEEN Trick or Treat Bags w/Witch/Bats/Children/Skull/JOL
The secondary market has never placed a high value on trick-or-treat bags, I think primarily due to their banal imagery. This one is sure different. There is a lot going on with its undercurrent of scariness. I love the steeple and moon in the background reminiscent of the large, tooth-edged Beistle diecut of a broomed witch shown on page 150. I like the skull in the foreground and the shambling nature of the kids skirting by the old hag. This is a great TorT bag!
VINTAGE HARD PLASTIC SKELETON HEAD LIGHTED HALLOWEEN BUCKET PAIL-1988-RARE-RARE!
OK, so what is this doing in the "vintage" category? And what makes it "rare-rare!" Even though there are still great sellers on Ebay who offer quality items, I feel they are quite hobbled by the "who-cares" attitude Ebay seems to have about the integrity of their own categories and the ability of some sellers to endlessly list and re-list the same tired stuff without ever lowering their starting price. Although I still troll through the listings regularly, I have to say it has become less of a joyful experience due to these and other factors.
~Rare? Vintage Halloween Candy Hand Outs Box~
This is an example of how uninspired the majority of Halloween commercial artwork was in the 1950s. This box doesn't have anything memorable to offer. Compare this to the candy box pictured on page 92 of my new third edition, which shows an atypically inspired Jamboree Candy box from this same decade.
Great candy container with glass eyes papermaché Halloween
This is a newly made object with no collectible value. I recommend avoid buying any "vintage Halloween" material from sellers in Germany as the Germans made all of their Halloween items from export through the 1960s. Nothing was left to be later found in warehouses after the Berlin Wall fell - even though there are sellers who'll try to convince you of this.
1920's Halloween German Black Cat Jack o lantern Paper Mache
I've never seen a lantern like this before. It is either exceptionally rare or a newly made fantasy piece. The shape, the attached fold-out and the inserts all look wrong to me. If you are inclined to buy, make sure you ask a lot of questions.
vintage large halloween decoration lamp shade cats witch bats moon jol beistle?
This is a rare shade, made in Germany during the 1930-1935 interval. I have never been able to find one in good enough condition to become part of the collection. If you want to see one in perfect condition with robust colors, turn to page 48 to feast your eyes on photos showing both sides from Jason Walcott's collection. Jason, do you want to sell yours? :)
06/25 Update: This shade brought $255, quite a strong result given the fading.
Vintage Halloween Party Honeycomb Tissue Paper Hat Cat Witch JOL by Bee Line
This honeycomb band hat was made by Beistle from 1948-1952. They issued this with at least two variations, the one shown here and one with a checkered top shown on page 240 with a somewhat different central image. Both have the Bee-Line mark that Beistle used only during this narrow window. Although the art is not as intricate or inspired as their earlier products, few manufacturers withstood the siren call of dumbing down their imagery for the child-focused holiday Halloween was at this time.
NEAR MINT & SCARCE Vintage Halloween Owl Crescent Moon Diecut, Germany, 1920s
It's always great to see near-mint German diecuts offered in this venue. This is one of a set of six crescent moon diecuts made in Germany in the 1920s. The others can be seen on page 184.
06/27 Update: This fine specimen brought an astounding $123.17, far higher than guide.
LARGE Antique Paper Mache Halloween Pumpkin Jack O Lantern
Wow! It's nice to see a high-end, rare item on Ebay these days. Seeing this, although I don't collect JOL lanterns, was like finding a diamond where I've grown used to seeing nothing but cubic zirconias. Three bidders duked it out near the ending price, so this result seems sustainable. I would say that the size and heaviness of the material contributed substantially to the stellar result, with a nudge upward for the seemingly vintage inserts. Nice!
5 New Old Stock Bagged Vintage Halloween Decorations. Cats, Witch and Scarecrow!
This assortment consists of designs originally conceived by Beistle but later copied by the Japanese. Whether this copying was done with Beistle's cooperation, or even knowledge, is not known. These copies were done in the latter half of the 1960s and have very modest value as the ending price for this lot was $49.95. The older originals, clearly marked "Made in USA," have greater value.
Vintage Antique Cast Iron Metal Bobble Head Bat HALLOWEEN Black & Orange Spooky!
The seller describes this in his header as "vintage" but then doesn't define the term. Let me help: this is only vintage if you consider something made as long as 5-7 years ago and possibly as recently as yesterday vintage. This fantasy piece has zero collectible value and quite a modest decorative value, facts surely to cause disappointment to the seller who lists this at $542.50 or BO. Keep dreaming!
