I think Hallmark produced some of the very best small paper during the later 1920s. Whomever this artist was had an exceptional for capturing so much in such a small scene. (I have been avidly collecting their tallies, place cards and invitations for years now. I still find a new something every now and then.) Did you notice the gray mouse sitting atop the end of the cat’s tail? How about the weird, multi-eyed JOL? Did Carl’s Jr. borrow that star imagery?
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
4 MINT SCARCE Vintage Halloween Trix or Treats Sucker Cards, E. Rosen 1940s-50s
Isn’t this utter insanity? Now, I am thrilled for the seller and the consignor, both of whom I know well and greatly admire. I am much less enamored with the two bidders who between them solely bid these four cards up beyond $1,595. What were they thinking? Yes, I get it that these cards were mint, but they surface on a somewhat regular basis and typically bring from $175-$300 each in the same condition. The prevailing bidder will pay about $815 per card. Why not exercise a little patience and obtain these later at a sustainable price? It is results like these that reinforce the growing perception that the collection of vintage Halloween items is a playground for the well-heeled.
GERMAN COMPOSITION JOL WITCH CANDY CONTAINER HALLOWEEN VINTAGE ANTIQUE
From the same auction referenced in the previous post comes an item that overperformed. This was a very strong result, indeed, so congratulations to the sellers who I had the great pleasure of hosting for a tour of my home several months ago! I have a similar container shown on page 68. I’d be motivated to sell it for $2,100. Contact me for more information.
WORKING GERMAN NOISEMAKER DEVIL JOL SAXOPHONE HALLOWEEN VINTAGE ANTIQUE
This great seller offered 122 lots ranging from many items for those just starting out in this fun hobby to a few that would enhance the collections of even those who’ve been toiling in this game for decades. This is an example of a lot that I was surprised didn’t bring more. It fetched about one-third of my estimate. I sold a somewhat better example in my 2015 auction for $751. A JOL horn, shown with the devil horn on page 194, sold in my March 2026 auction for $1,237. So, even in this overheated environment, there are still bargains to be had.
RARE 6 Antique Vintage Halloween Small Paper Decorations Salesmans Sample 1920s
These great decorations were all produced by Whitney. The only surprise for me was the place card of the girl with candle. It’s good to know Whitney was the producer.
Vtg Halloween Gurley 4 Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Candles Original Package 1950s
This unopened set of four Gurley JOL candles was produced during the late 1950s and is still intact! Collectors should snap this right up for $80. I know this seller to be knowledgeable - especially about Dennison products!
Rare Tri-fold Vintage Halloween Witches & Cats Party Invitation 1930's
This rare invitation was actually produced by Dennison. It first appeared in their 1916 Bogie Book as “Witch, with envelope” H26. It took me decades to find a mint example with envelope. With over three days to run, this invite has already been bid up to $179.50.
Rare Antique Halloween Box Candy Container Witch Ghost Bat Cat Moon Vintage
I suspect one company supplied this pattern to candy shops in the United States. I’ve seen perhaps ten boxes with this paper pattern - all different shapes and sizes and all unmarked - so this example with its imprint from Bailey’s Boston is unusual and desirable. I’ve noticed that collectors have really taken to this paper design, which I feel dates from the late 1940s. As of right now, it has been bid up to $510 with just one day to go. Where will it end?
10/15 Update: This box, even though the condition was problematic, brought an astounding $2,024.99!
RARE Antique Halloween Mechanical Witch & Cauldron Diecut Decoration 1910-1917!
This is only the second time I’ve seen this mechanical decoration complete with the cat’s full tail. (I wonder why the tails have all gone missing?) There are four mechanical decorations comprising the full set. All can be seen on page 284. I have only retained two of them - the witch and the cat. The girl in a tam-o-shanter is OK but not really visually interesting. I just plain don’t care for the vampire clown pushing a wheelbarrow. It’ll be fun to see what this brings.
10/12/26 Update: This fetched $815.
Vintage Halloween Tin Metal Noisemaker Slide Whistle - Works - Kirchhof
This 1930s Kirchhof sliding tin litho noisemaker has always been a tough one to acquire, but even more so recently. It’s nice to see one on eBay. It should end in the $400-500 range.
10/12/26 Update: This ended much lower than I thought it would, $294.89.
MINT RARE Antique Halloween Trifold Invitation w/ Witch & Envelope Dennison 20s
Too many of these have come onto the market in too short of a time. (They were all in the same condition.) Sellers need to space things out as the price declines are inexorable. So, this one sold on 9/8 for $525. A different seller offered one that ended on 9/23. That brought $380. The same seller as the first one offered yet another that ended on 10/1. That brought $242.62. If another one shows up in the same condition I would think it would fetch $175.
Vintage Halloween Embossed Jack O Lantern Pumpkin Candy Cup
Even though this is deeply in the RSIN 1 territory, I feel this ended about where I thought it might. It is pretty roached. I’ve only seen one other of this type of item. It is shown on page 130. I’d love to know how many comprise a set. I also wonder what the vertical slits on the back of the object were for. The one in the collection doesn’t have them.
RARE Vintage Halloween Screaming Jack-o-Lantern 15' die-cut decoration 1920s
Dennison first produced this “Screaming JOL” diecut in 1931. The seller is correct in saying this seldom surfaces. The condition of this example was quite good, so I was only mildly shocked when it achieved $1,225. (I wonder if those are pinholes near the top of the diecut?) I am a believer that the artist created a cross between a screaming JOL and a snarling cat. Look at the whiskers then the hole pattern under the nose. Do you see it?
RARE MINT COMPLETE Antique Halloween 6 Large Leaf Seals in Box, Dennison 1920s
Dennison created so many memorable seals, illuminated silhouettes, cut-outs, etc. that to pick THE favorite is hard, but to pick A favorite is easy. This slide box of 6 assorted leaf-face seals (3 and 3) is a favorite. Whomever designed this was pushing those boundaries into the truly spooky, the sweet spot of Halloween collecting. Many Dennison seals are whimsical, cute and comforting. Far fewer live in the land where Linda Blair still rules. For that reason, this is definitely a top favorite.
10/12/26 Update: This awesome set brought a shockingly high price of $957.97!
RARE ANTIQUE GERMAN HALLOWEEN PORCELAIN DEVIL HUMIDOR CANDY CONTAINER
One of these humidors hasn’t come up for sale for years so I was eager to see what price it brought. The answer: a strong $3,050, even with the discolored area on the lid. I have the only fully complete set I’ve ever seen. The full set of King Bourbon and Setter Rye consists of the humidor, a matchstick holder, an ashtray and a handled tray to hold them all. I would be open to selling the set for $12,000 plus shipping/insurance, so if you have an interest, contact me.
