Here's a noisemaker you don't see often. These Screech Owl Siren Horns were made by an unknown manufacturer in the 1930s. The mouthpiece is different than all others I've seen so there is a good chance it is not original to the item. The condition of this horn is dodgy, but this certainly doesn't surface frequently.
07/24 Update: Even with the condition issues, this horn brought a strong $59.
This is actually one of four sides that linked together would create a table centerpiece. This was made by Whitney in the late 1920s. This is a different iteration from the ones I've seen in the past wherein the orange borders were previously unknown to me. The complete centerpiece can be seen on page 275 of my new edition.
Good to see these finally getting the market recognition they deserve. The General Merchandise Company made this set of slot and tab containers. This is one from the complete set of six. (All can be seen on page 54.) G.M. also issued other Halloween-themed slot and tab containers that are far less common yet possess the same sense of odd whimsy seen in their most widely sold set. I have become a fan of their output, so routinely search for their harder-to-find items. (Examples of some of these can be seen on pages 53 and 296.)
I have always liked this little gem made by Dennison beginning in 1927. (Its smaller companion piece can be seen on page 257.) There is so much to find compelling in its detailing. However, these are hard-to-find, but not impossible to find. Given its poor condition overall, the seller is much too aggressive with the opening price. If you have always coveted this piece, wait for a better example offered at a lower opening price.
Check out this seller's many other Schaller listings to get a sense of what some others try to pass off as vintage items. Look at the styling, the highlights, the colors - all to fix in your mind what a newly made item looks like. I applaud this seller for stating clearly that this is a new item.
This is an odd item. The imagery sure looks to be Beistle but there is no evidence they ever designed a band hat with that imagery. (Now, records from that time, early 1920s, are not as complete as they could be, but in consulting the many sources that do exist, I've never seen one with that design.) Interestingly, Beistle at that time took pains to mark everything with at least a Made in U.S.A. mark, but this item does not appear to have even that kind of minimal marking. The grade of the cardboard and the way the honeycomb is designed look absolutely "right" for the assumed time period. I feel this is likely an example of a rogue firm simply exploiting Beistle's artwork and putting out an unlicensed item. Although I don't know that for sure, what I do know is that the design of the item is quite cool. I like how the JOLs pop against the white background.
07/23 Update: This sold for a very respectable $100.99!
Although this could absolutely be displayed like a diecut, it isn't actually a diecut. This is a remnant cut away from one of the exceedingly rare mechanical Rosen counter-top display sucker boxes. This was once part of a Rosen Owl Pops box. A complete example can be seen on page 116 of my newly published third edition.
This result is somewhat surprising. The Germans produced scads of these thin-tissue hats, so many that large quantities survived their journey through nearly 100 years of time. Although this particular design is arguably their best, these typically trade for far less, generally in the $25-35 range. If you look at the bidding history, it may be that the prevailing bidder never expected someone else to bid nearly that high. In fact, if the underbidder hadn't been active, the prevailing bid would have been ~$38, a tad over the high end of the expected price bracket.
This lot of four owl tin clickers by US Metal Toy didn't last long. Although the clickers are common, getting four of them for less than $10 each is a true bargain. The purchased used the ill-bestowed BIN wisely.
Alas, yet another fantasy piece in Ebay's vintage category. This ugly little number first began appearing in the mid-1990s. If you are out and about at an antiques show, this will be the container you'll most often find. They were made in high numbers, surprising since it has nothing going for it. Naturally, it has zero collectible value.
It's interesting what people see in imagery. The seller sees a monkey-like creature riding a mouse. The artist who created this seal design may have been mortified by this observation as he/she meant to show a witch riding a black cat. Dennison's designs were quite different from what had gone before during the period of ~1928-1931. This boxed set is a good example of the type of design Dennison produced during that interval.
The seller made a mistake when listing this as an item from the 1910s through the 1930s. I think he/she meant to say that it was made off-shore, probably in China, in 2014.
This is not vintage and has no collectible value.
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.
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!
