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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

1940s Halloween 11" Skelleton Pushing Pumpkin Cart Cardboard Table Decoration

Isn't this an awesome item? This is only the third time I've seen this candy container, made by the General Merchandise Company. It was made during the 1950s. Pay attention to the dimensions as this is a surprisingly sizable item. Sustainable guide value is ~$200. 

10/08 Update: This item fetched the crazy, unsustainable price of $344.99, almost certainly an artifact of its inclusion in my newly available third edition. 

1950s Halloween 6 1/2" Pumpkin Pulling Cart Cardboard Table Decoration w/ Candy!

This is one of the best candy holders Fibro designed - in my opinion. Given the length of its production run, 1934-1953, relatively few of these surface compared to the witch pulling the hay cart and the black cat pulling a JOL cart. (All can be seen on pages 52-53.) Unlike the other two, this one hasn't been reproduced to my knowledge. Interestingly, a marked example has never surfaced. Sustainable guide value is $250. 

Black Cat Candy Container USA Fibro Toy Dolly Toy Co Nut Cup Tab & Slot Cdbd

Although there is no public ending price on this Fibro Toy manufactured by the Dolly Toy Company of Dayton, Ohio in the mid-1930s, it was definitely near guide price of $90. As I state on page 296, "A cache of these in near-mint condition was found in late 2011, lowering prices as collectors see them more routinely. Obtain one now while the supply is relatively abundant and prices are reasonable." 

Near-Mint Old Vintage 1930s Beistle Halloween Witch on Broom Diecut Decoration

This rare broomed witch diecut was made by Beistle in the 1930s and is seldom found in this condition. (The paper stock Beistle used for this diecut was relatively thin, making it more prone to damage than a diecut on thicker stock.) The seller is a friend of mine. Naturally, he is as honest as they come. Also, he is particular about condition, so if states that something is near-mint, it is. Bid with great confidence. 

HALLOWEEN 1920'S ORIG.WALL DECORATION;;GRAVEYARD;SKELETON,OWL;EMB.,VINTAGE;USED

HOLY TOLEDO, BATMAN! I almost fell right off my chair when I saw this come up. This is, for many, many collectors THE holy grail Beistle diecut. Instructively, in just the few hours since its listing, the price has reached $710. I project it will zoom much, much further into the stratosphere. Here is what I have to say about this superb diecut in my third edition, made at the zenith of Beistle's creative powers:
A touch of mystery swirls around this object. All the catalogs I have examined, Beistle publications and the many ones put out by wholesalers over the years, indicate this embossed diecut was sold as one of a set of four. There were five large diecuts with scalloped edges made beginning in the early 1930s. (The other four can be seen in Diecuts.)  Some catalogs show that at times this skeleton in the graveyard was sold with the seated cat while others show it was at times sold with the arched-back cat. The others, owl and broomed witch, remain constants. The point is that the skeleton in the graveyard is itself a constant in these publications, so why doesn’t it ever turn up? I finally landed the one in the collection quite reasonably when it was improperly lotted in an auction in 2010. Two have popped up on Ebay, both quite damaged. Other than that, zilch! This is a large, colorful and eye-catching design measuring 18.5” h x 11.75” w. Look at how the branches of the Wizard of Oz-like trees end in creatures. Dark and creepy! This killer item is valued at $1,800 to $2,000. 

10/03 Update: I'm still reeling by what this ultra-rare and eminently desirable diecut brought - $3,350 - far eclipsing sustainable guide value. Like with anything else, if another in this condition were to surface in the short/medium term, the price would be notably lower as the number of players at this level is relatively small. Bravo to both the seller and buyer. What a ride watching this auction was! 

Rare Lg Johnny Pumpkin Head Halloween Die-Cut by Beistle

I am glad to see these very odd Beistle creations finally getting their day in the sun. Beistle issued several different sizes from 1919-1921. A very nice and representative selection is shown on pages 122-124. Here is some of the text describing the Johnny Pumpkin decorations from my new third edition: 
Beistle issued the family in these formally designated sizes, all non-embossed on flat stock, medium weight cardboard: five inch, eight inch, eleven inch, sixteen inch and twenty inch, although there are variations to size of as much as one and one-quarter inch with nearly all of them. The smallest size was made for several seasons more than all of the others. This smallest size had three iterations and was generally sold in envelopes with quantities ranging from five to ten per envelope. This size is commonly seen today. The other sizes are much less common with this proviso: the bigger they get the harder they are to find.
Beistle didn’t take great care in differentiating designs within sizes. Sometimes the differences are obvious but sometimes the differences are just a matter of how much neck line, or lace or collar shows. Beistle was seemingly not prepared for the success of this line and cranked them out with limited quality control relative to exactly how the designs by size were replicated. This becomes more obvious the more examples one gathers together to compare.

RARE Vintage Halloween German Children's Teaset JOL porcelain CREAMER 1908-1932

When I first saw this result I thought the price was surprisingly low - until I read the very full description. Pieces from the large and compelling tea sets issued by the Germans are very much in demand right now, so given the noticeable chip at the rim, I feel this piece brought top dollar. A very nice array of pieces from the trio of differently sized sets can be seen in my newly published third edition on pages 119-121. 

Vintage Paper Halloween Die Cut Jack-O-Lantern Swag 7 pieces-xL,Large, Med, sm

This set is exceedingly rare but, at base, pretty dull. This Jack-O-Lantern Swag Decoration set was issued by Dennison in 1935. It almost certainly wasn't a barn-burner item as Dennison didn't issue it anew after that year. As with virtually all of their diecut output from this period, the reverse sides are a bright yellow. Dennison was disciplined about marking their wares, although an unmarked item slipped through from time to time. Looking at the color of the reverse can be a useful guide when determining which firm produced a diecut.