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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

NEAR MINT Vintage Halloween Jack o Lantern Diecut Decoration, Germany 1920s-30s

Things are perking up on Ebay. One of my favorite sellers has listed this near-pristine example of a German JOL diecut. These used to be ubiquitous but those days are gone - perhaps for good. With so many collectors chasing relatively few near-mint or better vintage items, examples such as these get absorbed in collections not to surface again for sometimes many years. As many of you know, competition is fierce, as it should be for this pleasing icon of long-ago Halloweens. 

Vintage HALLOWEEN Jack O'Lantern JOL Witch 4-Sided LANTERN Shade GIBSON 1920s!

It is heartening to see such a rare item listed on Ebay. The pickings there have been so slim for so many months that seeing this was bracing. I've been a collector and curator of vintage Halloween memorabilia since 1988 and have only seen this Gibson lantern offered for sale one time. I bought it! (You can see it on page 42.) If you collect lanterns, this is a well-designed, interesting example of Gibson's artistry. Don't let this one go! 

07/12 Update: And it didn't go quietly or cheaply! It sold for an astounding $493 after much spirited bidding. Although significantly more than current book value, it could be quite a long while before another one surfaces. Kudos to both the seller and the buyer!

VINTAGE HALLOWEEN Paper Doilies/Coasters x2 Witch Jack OLantern JOL 1920s UNUSED

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! 

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. 

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! 

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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. 

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.