Given Ebay's somewhat new but definitely annoying policy of not showing the final price when a Buy-It-Now offer is accepted, we'll never know what this jointed diecut actually fetched, but let's assume around $40. This is a Japanese reprint of an original Beistle design that could have been made during the 1970s or 1980s. This has little true value and certainly nothing approaching our assumed $40 price. As collectors, be aware of packaging. This item's packaging has Japan indicated on the lower right portion of the banner. When you see such an indication, know that by and large you are looking at a reprint that may be fun to decorate with, but doesn't belong in a vintage collection.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Antique Celluloid Girl Holding Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Toy!
I never began collecting celluloid in earnest mainly because it is such a delicate medium that discourages much handling. Nonetheless, I certainly appreciate the art form. I have some good friends who live about 2 hours away who have one of the best celluloid collections I've ever seen, spanning several holidays. I don't recall seeing this one in their collection, nor have I seen this one before, so it must be rare.
Pair Rare Bugle Tin Halloween Lithographed Frying Pan Noisemaker Witch Black Cat
I just made an offer through Ebay for these two noisemakers, sending the following message along to the deluded seller with the offer: Your pricing has elicited many laughs throughout the collecting community. On what, pray tell, are you basing these ridiculous asking prices? My offer was for $60.00 and it received an auto-reject. I find sellers like this one annoying. This particular seller has listed quite a few lots of vintage Halloween items with the same pie-in-the-sky pricing wholly unconnected to any semblance of reality or condition. This is another example of how Ebay has devolved into more of a junk store.
Antique Folk Art Halloween Decoration Sign Witch on Broom Flying Black Cat 25"
A good friend of mine who also happens to be a collector of vintage Halloween items wrote yesterday about this item. Mark, I can't believe that someone (or 13 someones) bid this item up to $345. Can you please post something on your blog? This is a Bethany Lowe reproduction made out of resin. It's about an $80.00 piece. Someone got taken big time! I have this piece. The one on Ebay had a part missing as well. There is a pumpkin face that goes on the hook at the bottom. Remember, you can't be too careful these days when collecting anything. Research, befriend other collectors, build a library of reference works, etc. Do your homework so that you don't make a bad decision as the bidders on this piece apparently did.
Vintage Halloween Die Cut Cats with Jack O Lantern on a Pedistal
Can anyone help me understand why anyone would pay nearly $41 for such a common diecut in such pathetic condition? Just when I think I understand this market I come across an outlier result like this and end up scratching my noggin! What was the buyer thinking?
Vintage Halloween Gurley Candles Witch Scarecrow Jack O Lantern
Hey, seller, thanks for using my book cover as a backdrop!
HALLOWEEN RED DEVIL COMPOSITION CANDY CONTAINER--MINT
The seller's memory is probably correct as to when he purchased this - one of the best known of fantasy pieces in this genre. These devil heads began appearing around 1995, brought over initially through Atlantic City via a German-based exporter who made them from nicely detailed, yet completely new molds. If you want a quick way to catalog fantasy pieces that do not belong in any vintage collection, watch an Ebay seller with the handle robodicki. Naturally, he has one of these up right now with a modest Buy-It-Now price if it was truly vintage, quite high for something possessing only decorative value.
Rare Vintage Halloween Empress Makers Rattler Noise Maker Cats Bat Witch Pumpkin
The lucky buyer acquired a truly rare item. I've been collecting and researching vintage Halloween for 25 years folks, and I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE or heard of the manufacturer. I love the graphics along the rim and the way the designer crammed in the word "noise" in the center of the top piece - very snazzy. The imagery looks Germanic to me. I think this went for a pittance. Kudos to whomever scooped this up!
Vintage Halloween PAPER Candle SHADE Witch Bats Cat Owl Great CONDITION EARLY
This is a German shade made in the 1920s. Typically, the panels consist of faded, punctured paper, so it is great to see an example with complete, bright inserts. The starting price is not unreasonable, although as the seller intimates, the brace that would fit in the slots toward the top is missing. Take that into account when considering whether to place a bid.
VTG HALLOWEEN GERMANY 20's-30's, BOX WITH 10 DIECUT DECORATIONS
Although it is nice to see an unusual set of items amidst the Ebay dreck, given the condition of the box and the incomplete number of diecuts in decidedly less than perfect condition, the seller is asking for a very aggressive price. Naturally, I wish her well, but I think a more realistic number is in the $500-550 range.
Rare Large thick Vintage Halloween Window Pane Die cut - Germany
I just saw this pending sale on Ruby Lane for this highly desirable German window pane diecut. The lucky buyer got a true bargain at $825. Wow! I sure wish I had seen this first as the seller left gobs of money on the figurative table.
03/31 Update: The fortunate buyer contacted me to say she actually negotiated the price down to $675. Wow!
VINTAGE WHIRL-O HALLOWEEN FORTUNE AND STUNT GAME & FORTUNE VERSES
The gem of the lot is the "24 Fortune Verses" envelope. The set was made by Whitney, a company that went out of business in 1943. This is a desirable set in that the simple fortune verses were often cut up and discarded. You see the envelope now and again but to find a completely extant example is a fun challenge.
04/06 Update: I am not surprised that this lot brought $214.37.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN BLACK CAT BOX, with doll inside
The box with an image of a common Beistle diecut is definitely not vintage. The POS doll contained within may or may not be - it is outside of my area of expertise.
2 3/4" Tall Vintage German Papier Mache Halloween Pumpkin Lantern Excellent Cond
This is one of a set of eight fantasy JOLs imported from Germany beginning in the mid-1990s. They have decorative value only. Don't be fooled...
Vtg Germany Halloween Toy Tea Set JOL Pumpkin Teapot Cups Saucers Cream Sugar
This is at least the second time this seller has tried to unload this set. It was listed in late September 2012 with an opening bid of $1,900. Here is what I wrote then: "These are all great items (especially the small cups and saucers) and appropriately marked, but the opening price is already a fully valued number. I think the seller is making an error starting so high as that price will engender few bids. Why not start the lot at $500 and let the vagaries of the auction setting determine the price?"
The seller is slowly making progress in the right direction. They have listed it with a Buy-It-Now price of $1,695 with a willingness to accept offers. Given the described condition of the pieces, I feel this set is worth in the $1,100 to $1,400 range depending on your tolerance for imperfection.
