This is one of the earliest commercially produced Halloween party games. It is unusual to see this intact, because to play it you had to cut it up. That alone makes this a worthwhile something to acquire. Saalfield was a long-lived Akron, Ohio based firm best known for being a publisher of children's books. Founded in 1900, they survived through 1977. This party game was copyrighted in 1907 and produced for several seasons on muslin. There was a smaller enveloped version made from 1910-1919. This later version was printed on cheap paper that hasn't held up well over a century's time. The muslin game should fetch around $100.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
vintage GURLEY O-PEE-CHEE Halloween Candles FULL CASE Lot of 12 NOS New
Candles are an excellent genre for those starting out in our fun hobby as they were typically nicely molded and remain affordable. The buyer of this lot got a solid deal as they were able to acquire a dozen nice candles and its unusual box for only $150. I say the box is unusual primarily because it represents goods sold in Canada. I am not sure if I've seen this particular iteration before. There were a good number of holiday candle manufacturers. Gurley was arguably the most skilled purveyor of these now-vintage candles as their designs were numerous and often inventive.
Vintage Halloween Ratchet Noisemaker Tin Nice Witch MAKE OFFER
The buyer made a solid purchase scooping up this rare variant of a T.Cohn tin litho ratchet for a mere $18. I don't know if I've ever seen this design with its very pleasing inclusion of green. I love it and will keep an eye out for one for the collection.
VINTAGE 1930's Gibson HALLOWEEN Owl and Black cat, Pop up card
For a Gibson item, the art is curiously flat and uninspired. (Without it being marked, I would not have guessed it was Gibson.) What I do like about this is the slight 3-D effect as a result of the place card's design. Clever design, ho-hum art. If you like small paper items with a 3-D design element, check out Lot 95 in this year's auction. It is arguably the best small paper lot I've ever been able to offer. The auction's preview period goes through Saturday. The auction begins this Sunday and will end the evening of May 7.
Vintage Halloween Jack O' Lantern 4 Sided Cardboard Die Cut Lampshade & Oil Lamp
This shade doesn't come up for sale as often as it used to. This shade was made in Germany, probably for Beistle. There are three different shades all made about the same time during the late 1920s. The owl and cat shades are pretty dull in that all sides are identical. The artist seems to have spent the most time designing this shade as the JOL's expressions differ on each side. Guide value is $125, but one hasn't surfaced in some time, so who knows what this will bring. The oil lamp the seller is including is immaterial.
Vintage Halloween Noise Makers lot of 4
Someone got a solid deal buying this lot. The star is the round Kirchhof rattler/clanger combo, a form I've not seen before. Kirchhof made that noisemaker, as well as its companion piece that can be seen on page 204, for one season only in the early 1930s. Its RSIN is 1, so you know it simply doesn't surface often. When you do see them, they are almost always in poorish condition - faded, scuffed, dented. (I don't know why.) SGV for that item alone is $325, so bravo to the prevailing bidder.
RARE VTG Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Lamp Light BEISTLE Honeycomb Cat Witch
I haven't seen one of these true gems listed in some time. Although in rough condition, it is nice to see one of these survivors on its way to a good home. Beistle issued this lantern masterpiece in 1930-1931. I feel it is a physical manifestation of the acme of their art. Beistle used this art on an 8" version then only once again: on an enveloped puzzle of this lantern face. The puzzle measures 8” by 9” and was sold with a stock number of 873. SGV is $1,200, but given its overall condition, I think this will be hard-pressed to meet that level.
Witch flying Goose tin Tambourine noisemaker Halloween decoration J. Chein 1930'
Chein produced this tin litho tambourine during the 1920s over many seasons. Toward the end of the production run, the dies were worn enough that the goose's eye is either quite small or missing altogether. Given the prominent eye and the crispness of the imagery overall, I know this noisemaker was made quite early in the run. Is there a value premium with this early-run item? Yes, in that those with less crisp graphics suffer a 20-25% decrease from SGV of $225.
The Annual Auction's Preview Period Begins April 23rd!
Hello Readers!
I’ll be soon conducting my third annual auction of vintage Halloween collectibles right here on the site. Unlike so much material seen elsewhere, the items to be auctioned are all vintage and as described. I guarantee it!
The preview period begins the morning of Sunday, April 23rd.
The auction itself begins the morning of Sunday, April 30th.
The auction for most lots will end at 9:00 PM on Sunday, May 7th. The final ten lots will end at 9:30 PM. (All times reflect that I am in California.)
This year there will be 122 lots, which will offer a wide variety of vintage goods from modestly priced items to those that will tantalize even the most advanced collectors. There will be games, noisemakers, German JOLs, postcards, diecuts, small paper, candy containers, and more!
Approximately 24 of these lots will be comprised of items photographed for and appearing in all or some of my three editions of Vintage Halloween Collectibles. I rarely de-accession items as I am a collector rather than a dealer, but I simply can’t keep everything.
As a thank you to those who have purchased a copy of my third edition of Vintage Halloween Collectibles, I will be accepting requests for bidder numbers and bids only from purchasers of that book. It is never too late to order your copy!
If you have a new email and/or phone number, or are unsure as to whether I have this information, please contact me so I can update contact information.
I hope that you’ll be a participant!
Happy Halloween! Mark B. Ledenbach
Vintage Halloween Gurley Candle Lot x7 Witch Ghost JOL Black Cat
Vintage candles are a great entry genre for new collectors. There are many different ones, all with invitingly low price points. In this lot, the black cat at the left and the larger witch are the best of the bunch, alone justifying the price at which the entire lot changed hands. Be careful when storing these. Some friends were unhappy to discover their candles had congealed into one multi-colored pool from being stored in an outdoor shed in a plastic tub.
Beistle Halloween Silhouttes For Party Decorations Box Early
I recently purchased an enveloped set of Beistle silhouettes with this same image on the obverse, but with 15 sheets containing 30 silhouettes as the complete contents. With no diamond mark, I know the enveloped set is somewhat later than this version. Whereas the eBay listing version has a stock number of 573, the enveloped set has a stock number of 574.
Vintage Halloween Candy Container, Black Cat w/ Bulging Eyes, Germany, Cardboard
This candy container was made in West Germany during the early 1950s. Whenever you see the mark, Container Made in Germany, you know that the marked item was made from ~1950 to ~1955. (That is assuming the mark is genuine, of course.) I like this design. The one from the collection can be seen on page 71. These typically trade for $100.
04/20 Update: This candy container ended at $97.
Vintage HALLOWEEN Greeting STANDEE Cards SET OF FIVE 5 Different HALLOWE'EN
I have never seen these Whitney designs before. Typically, they are on a circular base with rats running around the perimeter and stand with the help of a wire-backed prop. This standee form is unusual and rare. (Basically, at this stage I feel that anything I haven't seen before is rare! :)) I would have liked to see the reverse of each. I know that many Whitney designs were recycled during the 1990s. Although I feel these are older, seeing the backs would have helped. Whitney was pretty good about marking their postcards, but were awful about marking much else. Were these marked in any way?
Vintage Halloween JOL man pulling cart Candy Container Dolly Toy
This brought a very strong price considering its condition. Dolly Toy made a small number of Fibro Toys and were pretty disciplined about marking their wares. Unusually, this candy holder is never marked. I know it was made by Dolly Toy as I have one of their catalogs showing it for sale. With the cat and witch wheeled candy holders, be cautious of reproductions. The reproductions use thinner, high-gloss paper stock.
1930'S GERMANY HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN DECORATION
This candy container looks more squat than it should. (It could be just the angle.) The complete mark on the underside is hard to discern. I think it says "Container Made In Germany." If that is so, that mark was used exclusively during the early 1950s.
04/13 Update: This sold for a mere $148.50, so the marketplace had its suspicions as to age as well.
