VINTAGE / ANTIQUE BEISTLE HALLOWEEN HAT W/ HONEYCOMB CREPE PAPER TOP - FAIRIES

It is heartening to see some rarer items popping up on Ebay of late. This hat with a fairy motif was made by Beistle in the 1920s. It is one of a set of 6 that were packaged together in a very colorful envelope. I have only seen the envelope surface twice and have never been able to obtain one for the collection. Others from the set can be found on page 203. The prices for these hats have increased fairly substantially since 2007. I would expect this hat, which appears to be in excellent condition, to fetch in excess of $200.  

08/14 Update: The hat brought a remarkably strong $260, showcasing just how hot early and rare Beistle items remain.  

Antique Halloween large Beistle lantern ICONIC!! 1930-31 STUNNING!

Wow, I love this listing for so many reasons! First off, this is an awesome piece. Second, the seller, someone who I am quite impressed with and whom I will add to my list of endorsed dealers tonight is selling this the right way - with an itty-bitty opening price, no reserve and with an auction format willing to entertain zero behind the curtain BIN offers. Third, this great seller details the imperfections minutely, even though the imperfections are, in fact, minute. (As an aside, this has to be one of the finest such examples of this lantern that has come up for sale in this venue in years. Oh if it was the smaller version!!) Lastly, I appreciate the care he is showing toward this piece in explaining that it will be shipped as is so as not to "...stress the old cardboard any more than I have to." Sir, you have provided me with quite a spark indeed. Collectors, if you don't have this item in your collection, now is the time to pony up. 

08/14 Update: The final gavel price for this simply superb lantern was $1,613.00, which according to my records is a record price with the next lower selling price significantly below this level. I think the lessons here are several: near-mint items carry a huge premium, the auction format works if engaged properly and being a seller with a good reputation is a strong factor. Congratulations!

VNTG DIE-CUT halloween decorations 2 Jack-o-lanterns w/ HATs excellent Condition

These two small diecuts were made by Beistle in the early 1950s. They are two to a set of eight. The JOL witch face is one of the harder to find pieces to the set. The smoking JOL is my favorite simply due to the fact that depictions of smoking in such genres is exceptionally rare. The complete set can be seen on page 140.  

German Composition Halloween goblin witch candy container

OK, the dearth of quality items on Ebay recently has been dispiriting, but does that explain this astounding result? Whomever the buyer was on this rather common German composition candy container will not soon be able to recoup the purchase price, which was about triple what this candy container typically brings. Another jaw-dropping aspect of this auction was that the condition of this diminutive witch was far from perfect given it was chipped and quite dirty. Who would actually drop that kind of money on this kind of item? 

Early vtg Halloween German paper litho JOL Pumpkins Horn w/crepe paper TALL

It is amazing that this horn brought $80 with two significant condition issues: a missing wood mouth piece and a hole. This horn is hard-to-find and came in several sizes. The largest such horn I have seen is ~19".  

1940's Beistle Co Die Cut Halloween Black Cat Mouse Swiss Cheese

This seller has been flogging this and other diecuts from this uninspired Beistle set for over a year with no takers for one primary reason - her BIN prices are insane. For instance, she has slapped a $449.00 BIN price on this particular one when its value is perhaps $50-60 on a very good day. She has done this for over a year. Get a clue that no one wants this at that price level and sell it using the auction format starting at $9.99. My repeated questions to her as to where she gets the idea that these diecuts are worth anywhere close to the laugh-inducing values she places on them have been answered with a deafening silence. 

Old Halloween Candy Container Scary Lamppost w/ Cotton Mouse

Although the bottom of the slide box where the stamped mark is typically found is missing, this candy container has all the characteristics of candy containers made in Japan in the early 1930s. The typical craftsmanship of Japanese candy containers from this period was quite poor relative to the those exported from Germany. The look is primitive, the materials typically low-grade (especially the "pebbled paper" the Japanese used - a strong indication of country of manufacture) and the overall impact, "meh." I have not made a point of collecting candy containers from Japan for these reasons, always shunting my dollars toward the finer, more interesting German wares. The marketplace agrees with me as the price differential between Japanese and German candy containers has always been great. 

1925 Dennison's, Dennison, Halloween Bogie Book, Decorations, Costumes, Etc.

As readers of my books know, hard cover Dennison Bogie Books are hard-to-find and desirable. The most desirable of all are those hard cover editions that were never processed through a library system. These "ex-libraries" tend not to bring top dollar because of the processing defacements sustained in the book. I estimate that if this same edition was not an "ex-library" copy, the ending price would have been between $300-400 given its overall condition. 

RARE, LARGE Vintage Halloween Cat with Trombone Diecut Decoration, Germany 1930s

This is, indeed, an extraordinarily difficult diecut to find in this condition. This is one of the larger diecuts of this ilk that the Germans made - although not the largest. It has long been one of my favorites for the energy it exudes and for being representative of the riotous party fun that once was had by Halloween party-going adults in the 1920s. The seller, an esteemed colleague and riotously fun herself, is correct in pointing out that the simple solution to this diecut's "restless leg" syndrome would not impact the value in any appreciable way. 

What this seller does is trust in Ebay's auction system. She lists things with a low starting price and almost always realizes very strong results. This approach, in my view, is much more preferable to those sellers who slap a "fully valued" starting or BIN price on an item while at the same time extolling the virtues of Ebay in a saccharine way. Don't you agree? Comments welcome...

early vintage German Halloween Black Cat Papier Mache Nodder in Clown Suit

Although this vendor typically sells quality, "right" items, I suspect that this is a married piece - meaning that two separate items have been incorrectly joined together to form one whole piece. I have seen the clown body many times and have never seen it joined with a cat's head. The bold black of the head contrasts with the muted white and pink of the body in a very jarring way, reinforcing my belief that this is a married piece. These two data points, along with the fact that the head is loose, makes the conclusion of it being married and unworthy of being in anyone's collection seem inescapable to me.

Back From A Vacation...

Hello Faithful Readers,  

I have been away on a 10 day road trip driving through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and back through central California to Sacramento. If you ever have a chance to visit such places as Bonner's Ferry, ID, Libby, MT, Missoula, MT, and even Jackpot, NV - do so. I had a fine time traveling with some friends. I returned last night and wanted to update my blog before too much more time went by. I feel that Halloween is quickly nearing, although that may very well be wishful thinking! I have noticed a slight uptick in the quality of items being offered on Ebay and Ruby Lane, always a good thing. 

For those who enjoy shopping at antiques shows, I typically set up and sell at only one per year. This year I'll be at the American Folk Art Festival at the Madonna Estate Winery in Napa, California on Saturday, September 7th from 10-4. If you are out that way then, come on by! 

VINTAGE HALLOWEEN BLACK FACE JACK O LANTERN JOL GERMANY 1920'S EXCELLENT SHAPE!

I am surprised that the seller didn't offer this rare and desirable item at a slightly higher BIN price. This black JOL German diecut is quite a score in this condition. The buyer did get a VERY fair price at $170, especially considering the free shipping. Congratulations!  

Vntg RARE Tin Litho KIRCHHOF HALLOWEEN RATTLE NOISEMAKER Witches BLACK CATS Bats

This is an iteration of a relatively common tin noisemaker made by Kirchhof that doesn't come up often. If you look on page 184, you'll see the three background colors this item will possess. The most common by far is the green, followed by this white color and then, finally, a golden yellow background. I'll be disappointed if this item fetches less than $40. 

H.C. CAPWELL Halloween GOOGLY EYE Candy Container Figure German Antique

This seller has been trying to unload this item for well over a year, offering it again and again at the same high price of $899.95. This listing exemplifies one of the more irritating trends on Ebay, wherein sellers just keep endlessly recycling items that no one wants at the offered price. I wish this seller would catch a clue and either offer it in a true auction format with a starting price of no more than $99.99 or simply toss it in the air and test his aim with a 44.  

Antique TIN HALLOWEEN NOISEMAKER, US METAL TOY Black Cat PADDLE CLANGER Vtg BOO!

The seller claims that this tin noisemaker is an early version, citing his research that informed him later versions had round clappers and an orange rather than a green back. I am not sure where this seller gets this erroneous information. It may very well be that the seller is merely hyping an otherwise perfectly fine, although quite common, item. In any event, the seller, like so many sellers on Ebay these days, is fully valuing the offered item at the minimum "auction" price.