MBL's Blog
(Updated 06/30/08)

Sellers Who Receive MBL's Vintage Halloween Stamp of Approval
What this means is that I would be wholly comfortable buying vintage Halloween items from them because not only do I I feel they are knowledgeable dealers/collectors but they are honest, genuinely nice people as well!

devilwoman, dragonflydesignstudio.com, freshest1, fritzyfinds, goofus999, halloween824, hrlpjr, jawboy71, kimberleeedgar, luckygibbon, member666734, mmccall, mrgoodlite, ms.dennistle, mysweetjanene, northcane, sandye17, scarlettssister, sellmestuff, shiverbones, snickles, stnick22, whirlwind27, zizsdream
 

JAW-DROPPING RESULTS

160245307833      HALLOWEEN PARADE TORCH----LANTERN, 1903
(Ended 06/04) The ending price on this relatively common tin lantern is mind blowing and unsustainable.

370057714501      Dennison Box of 6 Large OWL Die Cut-Outs Halloween MINT
(Ended 06/08) The buyer of this set is someone who routinely overpays. Four times book value is not a sustainable price for this somewhat common set.

190226690213      HALLOWEEN PUMPKINS ELVES PULP PAPER CLOCKS
(Ended 06/08) This was a lot of money for two ratty-tatty diecuts. I felt they should have gone for perhaps $40-60 bucks each - tops!

370059629552      1924 Dennison's Bogie Book NEAR MINT Vintage Halloween
(Ended 06/15) I am shocked by the current price of this Bogie Book. Saying that, I can appreciate why people are so avidly pursuing it. Bogie Books - by and large - are notoriously difficult to find in near-mint or better condition. This particular edition is probably the second hardest-to-find in top condition of those made after 1919. (I would say the 1920 edition is the hardest-to-find from those made after 1919.) The deep blacks on the front and back covers make this truly difficult to find in this condition. I collect bronze age horror comics too, and this is also true for those kinds of books. Thankfully, a few years ago I was able to purchase 3-4 dead-mint Bogie Books that came out of a former Dennison salesman's home in New Jersey. This 1924 edition was one of them. This is the second-such Bogie Book this same seller has offered for sale recently. The other copy went for $562!

170226319663      1930's Vintage Halloween Small Paper Mache Devil Head
(Ended 06/15) The buyer got ripped off, as this is one of the first in the wave of reproductions and fantasy pieces that washed over the hobby in 1995. I tried to warn bidders off this piece (see my comments below...) but to no avail. The buyer just pissed away $202.50!

250257732300      Vintage Halloween Chalkware Table Deco. Jack-O-Lantern
(Ended 06/17) This rather uninteresting item routinely shows up for sale and typically goes for between $20-40. The seller must be laughing all the way to the bank. Look at the bidding history. You'll see that the prevailing bidder was bound and determined to waste money. Subtract him/her from the equation and the bids sink fast down to a saner level of...wait for it...$40.

270245440696      1940s PUMPKIN Jack O LANTERN FN Burt Co Buffalo NY
(Ended 06/17) Just a cautionary note on these lanterns: I have noticed a plethora of these for sale in the last 90 days or so. What is going on? A good friend of mine bought one recently and I personally examined it, finding nothing amiss. I wonder if someone stumbled on a cache of these somewhere?

270246050163      Vintage German Die Cut Halloween Decoration 8" Pumpkin
(Ended 06/19) The buyer, fullmoon550, must be insane bidding this much on what is one of the most common and uninteresting of all German diecuts. The buyer's handle really should be fullmoon5150.

180255431854      VTG STANDING HALLOWEEN OWL DECORATION - GERMANY NR
(Ended 06/23) Wow, I think the buyer got a stellar bargain here. Acquiring this nicely designed vintage German diecut for less than $300 ranks as one of the better buys I've seen in a while. Kudos to jawboy71!

120272022293      Halloween Antique Novelty Box Table Decorations 1900s
(Ended 06/18) I was the lucky buyer of this set. Why lucky? Because I simply assumed it was the same sized box that houses the diecuts, as shown in my book on page 145. Instead, the box is significantly smaller (6" x 4.75" x .75") and was obviously made to house many of the place cards sold in this lot. (Not all of them, though.) I was VERY pleasantly surprised when I opened the package this afternoon. The two differently sized boxed sets were made by Hallmark in the mid-to-late 1920s through about 1940. I really love learning new things, and the existence of the smaller box was a complete surprise.
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Item Number       Description

370064907519      Vintage Halloween JOL Creamer Made in Germany
(End date: 07/06) Compare this German made and marked porcelain creamer to the one being sold by holidayman, which I consider to be one made in Japan. Notice the subtle differences like the expressions, size of the mouths and the hurried paint job on the handle of the Japanese version versus the correctly even and deeper color on the German version.

150265233228      PRIMITIVE VINTAGE HAND CARVED WOODEN HALLOWEEN MAN
(End date: 07/06) This is at least the third time this clueless seller has incorrectly listed this POS in the vintage category. Take a hint dumbo - no one wants this soulless and innocuous hunk of trash.

130234832189      Pumpkin Head JOL Tea Pot- German ? porcelain 1920s
(End date: 07/06) This seller is offering several pieces from this coveted set in addition to the teapot. I asked him if any of the pieces were marked, since I suspected they were not German but Japanese. He kindly and quickly responded that none of the items had a mark. He then went in and changed his listings to reflect my doubts by inserting question mark symbols in the headers and the bodies of the listings, something that indicates he is on the up-and-up. (I am considering adding holidayman to my list of approved sellers.) In any event, I do believe these are Japanese pieces. These porcelain Japanese items have a considerably lesser value than the German items due to the overall inferior quality. Please bid accordingly.

130234312196      Old 1927 Dennison Halloween Paper Goods Price List Book
(End date: 07/04) These Price List Pamphlets from Dennison are where the real information can be found relative to precisely what Dennison was offering when and the stock codes associated with each product. The PLPs have been of immeasurable assistance in helping me date the myriad items offered by Dennison. If you haven't been turned on to these yet, this 1927 offering from luckygibbon is a must have.

360065334952      Unusual Vintage Large Boy's Head Halloween Lantern
(End date: 07/03) I have seen these German lanterns come up for sale now and then and have never considered them to be Halloween-related. Does anybody have another opinion?

130233334918      RARE Old German Diecut, JOL Lady with Black Cats, 1920s
(End date: 06/30) This is a super example of one of the twelve tiara designs made by the Germans back in the day. It was one of the hardest for me to find. The fact that the elastic string has been replaced is not important since only a fool would try to wear it these days. This is being offered by a good friend of mine who I consider to be one of the most honest people I've met in this, or any other, field.

110264764015      RARE VINTAGE FOUR-IN-ONE HALLOWEEN LANTERN, 1940'S NEAT
(End date: 06/28) The prices the seller quotes from my book include the envelope for this lantern, an item not being offered for sale here. The condition of this lantern is OK, not near mint. Bid accordingly!

230264627982      8 Different Dennison Bogie Books
(End date: 07/02) I cannot even remember the last time I saw this many Bogies offered for sale as one lot. The seller, someone known to me and whom I trust, even has the uber-elusive 1913 edition. (I have been looking a long time for this one folks, but can never find one in the condition that compels me to open my wallet wide. This one is close...) I enjoyed reading his prose wherein he makes a very good point about the difficulty in finding any ephemeral items like these in perfect condition. This will be an exciting auction to watch. Good luck to all!

290240729924      VINTAGE HALLOWEEN BEISTLE DUAL SIDED JOL LANTERN 8"
(End date: 06/29) The seller is correct - I have viewed these photos before. This 8" version is darn hard to find. Although this example is not perfect - the bottom piece is weakened - I do like the way it displays.

160253800121      VINTAGE HALLOWEEN WATERMELLON JOL GERMAN
(End date: 06/29) It is nice to see a watermelon (wish the seller could spell it right...) lantern that is the real deal for once. These certainly don't surface often. The condition is just so-so, but if that doesn't bother you bid with confidence that this is a vintage item.

160253385001      VINTAGE GERMAN HALLOWEEN DEVIL NODDER CANDY CONTAINER
(End date: 06/28) This clinker is newly made and has decorative value only. Avoid...

160253249805      Halloween Candy Container
(End date: 06/27) This form of container, made in the now defunct Western Germany, always evokes a gag reflex when I see it. YUCK!

320265495896      1920's German Halloween Witch's Hat
(End date: 06/26) This seller, saddled with a very poor feedback record, is also quite an optimist relative to his Buy-It-Now prices on the Halloween items he is currently offering. This hat, amongst the most visually sleep-inducing I have ever seen, is worth perhaps $10 on a very good day in a robust economy. The same could be said for all of his other related offerings.

260253175696      RARE OLD GERMAN HALLOWEEN LANTERN!! NO RESERVE!! WOW!!
(End date: 06/25) The Buy-It-Now price for this item doesn't seem to be unreasonable.

180255579796      Vintage Devil Satan Halloween Noisemaker Horn
(End date: 06/25) I appreciate this seller's candor. He relates the fact that a buyer of this item returned it to him as he/she didn't feel it was a vintage piece. That buyer was, of course, correct. It is a newly made item with decorative value only.

330244782366      Early Japan Tin Halloween Noise Maker / Witch & Devil
(End date: 06/22) I don't generally collect items made in Japan since many of them are derivative of German or US imagery, but this is a nice item with clean, compelling graphics.

200231842160      RARE-1930'S USA GIBSON - OWL NAPKIN HOLDER PLACE CARD
(End date: 06/22) I have long admired the early output of the great Gibson Art Company of Cincinnati, Ohio - and this is one of their more clever lines. I have several iterations of these and am wowed by the ingenuity of the design. My appreciation of the early Gibson products has deepened considerably these last few years and I am now an aggressive collector of their wares. I know you can't go wrong with this item, so bid with confidence with this superb seller and one of my Halloween friends, goofus999.

170227944197      1922 Dennison's Halloween Bogie Book
(End date: 06/22) Potential bidders, don't go crazy on this item. I know that lately Bogie Books have realized very aggressive prevailing bids on Ebay, but I believe this is not a sustainable phenomenon. Although this particular example seems to be in respectable condition, the stratospheric bidding should be reserved for copies in MINT condition, which this one is assuredly not. This edition of Dennison's books is not particularly hard-to-find. My feeling is that any bidding above the current level of $192 is not to be encouraged.

150259382041      1940's VINTAGE FOLK ART - JACK O' LANTERN MINI SAP PAIL
(End date: 06/21) This item, offered by a buffoon of a seller who doesn't understand the concept of actually focusing the camera, has earned my rarely bestowed designation of a "Stage 5 POS Alert" as has all the other items tenuously associated with Halloween he or she is trying to palm off. Laugh and move on...

200231082482      Vintage Halloween Beistle Rustic Fireplace
(End date: 06/22) It's nice to see one of these being offered. The seller obviously has good taste as she liberally quotes from my book :). I am glad the photos are so good as potential bidders can see just how pristine the crossbars are and the OK state of the cauldron. Do check out her other auctions.

140240717732      THE BEST Halloween Embossed Decorations 1920's or Older
(End date: 06/14) The seller must be a confident chap given the wording of the header. This is a mighty rare German diecut in superb condition. Snap it up!! This seller has two others up right now. The broomed witch is the only clinker. Check out the other one and you won't at all be sorry. (Hats off to jawboy71 for snagging this superb diecut for a sane price.)

270245727217      Vintage German Halloween Banana Horn Noisemaker 1930
(End date: 06/18) The seller "presumes" this is Halloween related. It isn't.

300232628243      VINTAGE HALLOWEEN CAST IRON GHOUL w/ WOBBLY HEAD -VHTF!
(End date: 06/15) This total piece of crapola was certainly made within the last 6-12 months. Throw your head back, laugh at the stupidity or brazenness of the seller and scurry quickly along. Don't be a sucker!

170227839356      WOOD HALLOWEEN BLACK CAT NOISE MAKER VINTAGE VERY NICE
(End date: 06/17) I advise collectors to avoid these kinds of items entirely. The plain, actually vintage wood ratchets were made by the thousands and have no value. It is too easy to staple or stamp Halloween imagery to these plain ratchets. Who knows whether such attachments are original or if the stamps were applied yesterday. There are far better things to spend money on. Avoid...

360060181523      Vintage Halloween Tambourine Witch on Goose WOW!
(End date: 06/16) This particular example isn't anything to write home about, but notice the very prominent and unblemished eye of the goose. This is one of the earliest releases as later pressings became worn and the eye of the goose became increasingly less visible. Cool, huh?

250257472435      Late 1940-50’s Spooky Halloween Noise Maker
(End date: 06/16) The condition of this noisemaker seems to be mighty choice. It does come up for sale now and then - so it is not all that rare. (It is a "3" on my scale.) However, I haven't seen one in this nice of condition since I last examined mine! :) This is one item that is definitely worth picking up. I only wish the seller actually had an Ebay track record.

180251407665      Vintage Halloween BLACK CAT NOISEMAKER paper GERMANY
(End date: 06/12) This is a newly made item probably imported yesterday from Germany via Blumchens. Avoid...

170226319663      1930's Vintage Halloween Small Paper Mache Devil Head
(End date: 06/15) This is one of the most well-known fantasy pieces made. First appearing in 1995 at the Atlantic City show, these were quickly peddled by sellers with little knowledge (like the oh-so-awful Jenny Tarrant) and no scruples. These vacant-eyed grotesqueries have embedded themselves in many collections since then, but don't be fooled. Avoid...

250255572136      1923 Dennison's Bogie Book GOOD COND Vintage Halloween
(End date: 06/11) This listing is a great example of a seller having stars in their eyes. No doubt the seller has noticed the very high prices mint Bogie Books have been fetching recently. However, condition is king, and the condition of this is more akin to a pauper. Just look at the creasing along the spine! This particular copy shouldn't crack $125 even on the most zany of days.

370057702893      Dennison Full Box of 25 Halloween Seals Wizard Vintage
(End date: 06/08) Wow, prices for boxed Dennison goods have jumped remarkably this year. Even so, I am amazed that this nice box of seals is already up to $255. That seems rather extravagant.

130227528016      1920s GERMAN HALLOWEEN COMPOSITION WITCH !
(End date: 06/08) There is nothing shabby about this super seller! Bid with unlimited confidence!

170224982664      1920s/30s Mechanical Halloween Place Cards w/Envelope
(End date: 06/08) It seems that early boxed Dennison items have been seeing lots of action lately, but don't overlook this far rarer gem by Beistle. Complete, enveloped sets of Beistle products from this era are seldom seen. By the way, Beistle is pronounced "By-Stull" with the emphasis on the first syllable. I was chatting with a long-time collector the other day and she pronounced it "Bee-sill" with the emphasis on the first syllable. I suppressed a desire to scream (and laugh at the same time) and am now doing so ever-so-politely here.

170224961633      1950s Halloween Witch Candy Container
(End date: 06/08) Looking at this I immediately think of a line from a song made famous long ago by Moon Unit Zappa - "Gag me with a spoon!"

280231336887      OLD ANTIQUE CAST IRON HAUNTED HOUSE HALLOWEEN DOORSTOP!
(End date: 06/04) There isn't anything old or antique about this POS.

200227611074      VINTAGE HALLOWEEN WITCH AND BLACK CAT DIE CUT CANDY BOX
(End date: 06/04) My good friend, Jason Walcott, flagged this item for me to look at. Even before I read the seller's name, I said aloud that it must be shadowtown. This seller is among the most prolific of those peddling newly made items as vintage pieces. The imagery they are pushing here comes from a Beistle diecut. Beistle NEVER manufactured a candy box like this. There is no doubt - this is a decorative item with little value. Avoid this and this seller. Another tip-off to nefariousness: notice how shadowtown keeps the bidders' IDs private.

160245307833      HALLOWEEN PARADE TORCH----LANTERN, 1903
(End date: 06/04) There sure seems to have been a lot of these up for sale lately! Given their apparent recent ubiquity, bid only on items in superb condition. This example seems to be in fairly forgettable condition.

130225856368      Old German Halloween Jack-O-Lantern & Cat Noisemaker!
(End date: 06/03) This seller, a persistent purveyor of piffle, is at it again. This item is a well-known fantasy piece, to this day being imported from Germany by such retailers as Blumchens.

230255469271      1301: THREE COMPOSITION HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS. Full len
(End date: 06/06) All three of these items are amongst the best known of all of the many fantasy pieces that began flooding our fine hobby in the mid-1990s. Collectively, they aren't even worth $20. The stooge of a seller wants to begin the action at $175. The action I'd like to give to this lot is the old heave-ho over the side and into the sewer. Hold your nose as you view this crapola.

230255469472      1296: TWELVE HALLOWEEN NOISE MAKERS. Five tin lithograp
(End date: 06/06) Hmmm...how much scorn can a pile atop this ridiculously greedy and misinformed auction house? Virtually everything in this lot is either a fantasy piece or a reproduction. Two of the tin pieces have nothing at all to do with Halloween. It seems to me that the seller, garthsauctions, should do a bit more research before they put up such schlock. Then they have the gall to begin the bidding at $150 with a 22.5% buyer's penalty! Please...go away!

200227308642      US Metal Toy Mfg Co. Witch Noise Maker
(End date: 06/03) This is a super example of how not to list an item. This lazy ass simply directs you to the photos. Is that glare or scratching at the back of the hair? Is the narrow section by the broom's end creased? Does the seller have a functioning brain?

160244397063      12 Old Mint Boxed Halloween Witch Cut-Outs by Dennison
(End date: 06/01) As most of you know, boxed Dennison products made prior to 1939 have been on fire for several years. This is one of the nicest boxed sets they put out. Quite elaborate overall, it is great to see such a minty example on the market! This set was made in 1923-24.