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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

vintage Halloween LIGHT STRIPE jack o lantern 1940's German jol pumpkin

This seller has long been a thorn in my side for flogging a line of JOLs, including this one, that he claims were made in the 30s/40s and I maintain were made perhaps as recently as yesterday, In my opinion, these have decorative value only and do not belong in any vintage collection. These first began appearing at the Atlantic City antiques show in the mid-1990s. The typical story heard about these soul-less items when a seller is pressed is that a cache of these were found in an abandoned warehouse in what was East Germany. Please... Everything the Germans actually made prior and immediately after WWII was meant for export. The Germans needed the capital and had no use for these kinds of decorations as they didn't celebrate Halloween. (Know your history...) I have heard the tale of these "warehouse finds" so often and for so long that, if true, the warehouse has to be bigger than the one seen at the very end of the first Indiana Jones film. Don't be fooled. If you wish to add to your vintage Halloween collection, buy vintage items. 

Pre 1920's Heavy Molded Paper Mache Veggie Man Candy Container 5 1/2" tall

What is wrong with this item's face? Smallpox? Chickenpox? One can look at the seller's verbiage in vain for an explanation as to what is wrong with this POS. This kind of pebbly finish became commonplace in the later 1950s on items manufactured in Western Germany. In all my many years of collecting, I have never seen this finish on items purported to be from the era this seller claims. 

Vintage Beistle Halloween Haunted House

This diecut is instructive as to some ways to quickly date when an item was manufactured. Typically, when you see these brighter diecut colors you can assume the item was made no earlier than the mid-1960s. The imagery, not too scary or challenging, is another clue to the item's age and leads one to the same conclusion as to time frame. Lastly, as this is a Beistle item, the mark used is the strongest clue. Beistle used this mark - and uses it to this day - beginning in the 1960s. The market for Halloween items manufactured beginning in the 1960s and forward is in its earliest stages. For those interested in this era of memorabilia, prices should slowly increase as items in collectible condition disappear into collections. 

Have A Merry Christmas!!


As my long-time readers know, I typically take a break to recharge the old Halloween batteries during most of the month of December. With my newly re-designed site, I've been tinkering with a few things well past the typical date on which I walk away to focus on the Christmas season. I have made a few posts today, but don't plan on making any more until after New Year's Day. (Of course, if I see something I just can't help myself about, I may take a few minutes to post, but with the very low quality level and and avalanche of items being listed and re-listed on Ebay ad infinitum ad nauseum, there is a strong likelihood I'll not metaphorically take up my pen before several weeks have elapsed.)

Halloween Cardboard 4-sided Lamp Cover

This lantern, made by Gibson in 1929, is quite scarce. I have only seen it for sale a handful of times in nearly 25 years. As I point out on page 45, this is a good example of how clever manufacturers would re-purpose imagery as a cost savings measure. The imagery of this lantern is nearly identical to Gibson's "Ring the Belle" game, also a scarce item. The ending price of $202.51  was pretty much where it should have ended taking its condition into account. 

Vintage HALLOWEEN TAMBOURINE Noisemaker Witch Skeleton Black Cat Tin Litho

The seller was right in saying that this tambourine comes up infrequently. There were many pieces to this set, all made in the 1960s. Virtually all of the set can be easily found, but not this tambourine. Made by an unknown manufacturer, one of the quick ways to deduce its age is by the imagery. The cute and simplistic design screams, "I was made well past the heyday of the most coveted Halloween designs!" The price for this item was far stronger than I would have forecast, especially considering it wasn't perfect. 

Old Halloween Noisemaker Bell with Witches

This particular tin litho design was made for many years by U.S. Metal Toy. One way to determine approximately when a noisemaker like this was made is by looking at the handle. This one has a plastic handle, which dates it to being made in the 1960s. All else being equal, the noisemakers with wood handles are worth more. 

Mint - Very Rare 1930's German Paper Mache Skull Noise Maker

This skull horn, and the several others from this set of horns, was made in the mid-1990s. They first made their appearance at an antiques show in Atlantic City and have been plaguing our fine hobby since.  They typically show up in boxes, six or so to the box. The boxes are actually old, and it is the age of the boxes that has fooled many dealers into thinking the contents, too, are old. The horns have decorative value only. Don't be fooled!