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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Vintage Halloween Graveyard Pop-Up Decoration, Hallmark 1960s, Original Envelope

An interesting market segment that has recently gotten definite heat are pop-ups from the 1960s. Those produced by Hallmark seem to be especially hot. I’ve recently sold several 1960s Hallmark pop-ups. Although their Haunted House is perennially popular, this 1960s graveyard pop-up is almost never seen. The fact that the original envelope is extant is a definite plus. It looks to be in very-fine-plus or better condition. This is definitely worth acquiring. I know this seller. He is a long-time collector and a truly nice person.

08/15 Update: I’m glad to see this fine pop-up fetched $280.

Vintage Halloween Place Cards Lot

This partial set of place cards was produced by Hallmark during the later 1920s. (The H within a circle is the mark Hallmark used at that time.) Hallmark undoubtedly used the imagery under license from Nash, as this imagery was first used by them as part of their postcard line. (I don’t have my postcard reference with me just now, so I am citing Nash from what may be a faulty memory!) These Hallmark place cards are fairly common. The child in the spotted costume may be the hardest to find of the four shown. The seller is asking $300 for them. I feel an achievable total would be $70-85.

Vtg Halloween Hallmark Diecut Place card Cat Owl JOL Moon H83 - Unused, Rare!

The apogee of Hallmark’s design aesthetic was reached with the intricately colored items from this set issued in the late 1920s. There is a tally of the image with the cat and owl playing cards that is quite a bit larger than the identical image on this place card. There is an even more intricate invitation from this same set. Prior to my acquiring one recently, I had never seen this place card before. I have come to appreciate Hallmark’s output from this narrow range of years. If you appreciate the best of small paper, this card is one you must acquire.

Vintage 1930's Halloween black cat jack o lantern day cards post antique vampire

Hallmark produced a wide variety of these small, non-embossed diecuts on a thin cardboard stock during the later 1920s and into the 1930s. For a long time I thought these items were produced by Whitney. However, as I added to my collection of items actually marked by Hallmark, I began to see that many of these diecuts appeared as images on their tally and place cards.
Some firms were disciplined about marking their individual items. Dennison was probably the most disciplined, followed by Beistle beginning in the 1930s. Hallmark falls in the vast middle with Whitney surely being the least disciplined.

04/23 Update: This sold for $16.50.

Vintage Halloween Cat Diecut 1950's Hallmark

I'm glad to see this seller listing some fine material. She is one of the rare long-time collectors who has long loved small paper. You would be hard pressed to find a nicer person in the hobby! You can buy from her with confidence. This mini-diecut is definitely something Hallmark issued, but I believe they issued this in the later 1920s through the early 1930s. They used this glossy stock with red backing only during that small interval. 

Set of 10 vintage Halloween die cuts.

This is an interesting assemblage of diecuts. Although the condition of each is poor, the star of the lot is the hobo clown made by Hallmark. These were made as mirror images, so one may face right while another faces left. The effect on value is nil. The four others going clockwise from the clown were also produced by Hallmark. The cat face was not made by Dennison, but was almost surely an unauthorized item made in Japan. (The colors are wrong, the eyes differ and there is no "Dennison" craftily woven into the design at one ear.) 

08/15 Update: This lot sold for $78.77, about what I would have guessed. 

RARE 1933 HALLMARK HALLOWEEN PARTY INVITATION CARD, OWL& BAT MOTIF

I tell you, as more of the 1930s Hallmark paper ephemera surfaces, it grows on me more and more. Their designs are clever and involved. Just look at this invitation! I love the trompe l'oeil aspect. My typical policy is not to buy any such item with writing inside, so I passed on this, but wonder if I made an error. My interests have been gradually changing - away from candy containers and lanterns and much more decidedly toward paper items made by Beistle, Dennison and Gibson. I have added 1930s Halloween items produced by Hallmark to my search list, so hope to find unadulterated examples to add to the collection.