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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Summer Break

Hello Readers,
It is that time of the year when outdoor pursuits beckon. My garden needs tending, some property fences need mending and the allure of nearby Folsom Lake is never far from my mind.
So, I will take a break from the more Autumn-oriented world I mentally inhabit when tapping away to update the site.
Enjoy the summer! Best, Mark

Vintage Halloween Chenille & Crepe Paper Witch & Cat Large Table Decorations

Chenille/spun cotton-based decorations made in Japan is a market segment to which I have never paid much attention. Obviously, from this stellar result, collectors have tuned in. Many of this type of decoration were small and meant to be used for cupcakes and the like. The large, table-top decorations like these are not as common. Even so, I am surprised at the result. Examining the bidding history, it looks like four determined bidders were responsible for the price ending where it did. It will be fun to see if other table-top decorations of this ilk will appear and how they do.

Rare Antique Vintage Beistle Halloween Humpbacked Witch w/Broom & Black Cat

This diecut was produced by Beistle during the late 1950s. There were three designs comprising the full set. (Please refer to page 159.) All have become quite desirable. This example was in relatively poor collecting condition yet two determined collectors bid it up to an ending price well beyond the baseline established by the bulk of bidders of ~$200.

NEAR MINT SCARCE Antique Halloween 4-Sided Owl Shade Decoration, Germany 1920s

If you look on page 46 you can see the three designs that comprise the full set of shades to which this owl design belongs. Beside the owl shade, JOL and black cat face shades round out the set. All of these have become much harder to find over these last few years. I sell things periodically from the collection as my interest waxes and wanes. Most of the time I never look back but I regret selling the trio of shades in 2019. Since then I have seen the owl design numerous times but never the other two. I hope this trusted seller will perhaps offer the other two in due course. The RSIN on all shades has changed to “2” in my mind.

Antique Vintage 1916 Peggy’s Halloween Party Box Complete Unused Ultra Rare!

An item of this rarity, especially complete, surfaces so infrequently that a great number of collectors and potential bidders had added it to watchlists. I’ve only seen the slip of paper with the listing of contents one other time - in the set shown on page 127. I hoped the set would go for big bucks but was concerned with the opening bid level being too high. My experience is that a high opening bid discourages bidding and depresses interest, but I needn’t have worried given the reported final price. That said, it was interesting to note there were only six bidders. If there weren’t those last two determined bidders, the set would have ended in the $2,000s. This set is quite beautiful. I always felt the best thing about it was the box’s cover art. I had trouble displaying mine properly, so made the call to sell it in August of 2024. The new owner is one of my favorite collectors. She’ll be an excellent steward of the rare set!

Rare Vintage Halloween Trick or Treat Wowee Whistle Wax Chewing Gum Candy Box

What a beautiful item! Prior to this listing, I hadn’t seen this box before. Everything about it is stunning. I feel the buyer made a wise purchase. The candy box market segment has been very strong for about 3 years. Even the commonly seen Milky Way and Butterfinger boxes bring multiples of what they did 3+ years ago. I think I understand why - the boxes make excellent displays and the graphics are generally fun and eye-catching. I have a few of the more obscure boxes in the collection and seriously considered trying to add this gem to the others. Congrats to the prevailing bidder!

RARE Vintage Halloween Tin Cat & Bat Pan Noisema 1920s J Chein

These domestically produced small diameter pan clangers, whether they were produced by Chein or Kirchhof, are difficult to find. I’m not surprised at the reported ending price. Ones produced in either Japan or Germany typically bring even more dollars as they were produced in far fewer numbers.

Vintage Halloween Dennison U.S.A. Cardboard Candy Nut Cups lot of 4

These small late 1920s Dennison treasures don’t surface very often, especially when several identical designs comprise a single lot. I do wish the seller would have included many more photos, especially images of the other sides of the nut cups. As the listing stands now with over two days left, bidding has reached only $26.

05/26 Update: This lot sold for $240.50!

Vintage HALLOWEEN c1950 OWL NOISEMAKER Rachet.

I feel this is a married item. The heavily embossed owl diecut would typically be found on both sides of a clapper noisemaker as shown on page 196. I’ve not seen this combination before, leading me to think that someone just attached it to a generic ratchet. The marketplace seems to have shared my doubts as it only fetched $49.

RARE Antique Vintage Halloween Pumpkin Jack O Lantern Metal 58B10

Here’s a pretty strong result. U.S. Metal Toy produced three sizes of their tin litho candy pails. The smallest one, shown here selling for $231, has art unique to it compared to its larger brethren. There was some noticeable sun fading. This smallest size typically doesn’t have a horn nose, so that added bonus perhaps offset the condition issues and positively contributed to the closing price.

Vintage 14.5” Halloween Dandy Horn Litho Cardboard Witch/Cats by Marks Bros 1921

The one in the collection measures 15” tall, so I’d love to know if this, reported at 14.5”, is a size variant or whether the seller measured quickly. I’m puzzled by the reference to a “Dandy” horn as the word doesn’t appear on the horn itself. (The seller’s photos aren’t close enough to determine if the word appears on the horn that sold for $156.31.) These tall paper-litho-over-cardboard Marks Brothers horns rarely turn up. I haven’t seen one change hands for a long time, so can only guess that the ending price seems low. Thoughts?

Rare Vintage Halloween Decoration Full Size Skeleton in Original Packaging.

A collecting friend of mine inquired as to my opinion on the price this listing would achieve. I estimated $450-500, yet it fell well short of that. The envelope is the more desirable component. Its condition was problematic and the seller probably could have included more photos. The skeleton, wrapped as it was, typically changes hands for $300 alone. The buyer got a nice item for a decent price.