This is not a vintage item. It was made in the late 1990s by Department 56 and has decorative value only.
Blog
Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Happy New Year Everyone!
Welcome to 2014, faithful readers! I hope that your holidays were memorable - and for all the right reasons.
I've just finished trolling through listings on Ebay, icollect247 and RubyLane. The pickings are slim indeed. This time of the year tends to be pretty hardscrabble in terms of Halloween collectibles, something I'm not projecting to change for months and months. My intention is to post more often, but I am generally gated by things for sale on which I wish to comment.
If you have specific questions or topics you'd like me to address, drop me a line and I'll do my best.
Antique German Halloween GOOGLY EYE Candy Container Figure RARE H.C. CAPWELL
Boy, I am tired of this seller listing and re-listing this unwanted item. I could generalize and say that too many sellers simply list and re-list ad nauseum, rather than hearing the message from the market that no one wants their items at the prices offered. I feel sellers should only re-list if they drop the price substantially each time. I haven't checked, but I'll bet this piece has been offered at the same too-high price for over 18 months. Don't you think that Ebay should have a policy limiting the number of times a seller can re-list without lowering the price by a minimum percentage? Unfortunately, Ebay has become a crapyard except for a few months out of the year, and then only because of a few sellers.
Box of 30 VINTAGE 1950's Dennison HALLOWEEN Witch/Cat/Scarecrow Gummed Seals
By the 1950s, Dennison had experienced a steep downward trajectory relative to creativity. Compare this "meh" assortment of seals to almost any of their boxed sets from the 1920s and 1930s to see what I mean. That said, seals from this era are an affordable niche for collectors who prefer imagery from this period. Give me the earlier sets anytime!
Rare Old Vintage Halloween Cardboard Black Cat Squeeze Box Accordion H E Luhrs
Why doesn't this prolific seller invest in a better camera or devote more time to ensuring his photos actually enhance, rather than detract from, the listing?
5 3/4" - Very Old GERMANY HALLOWEEN DIECUT - JOL w STAR MOON HAT
See below...This, too, has been trimmed. No mention of this fact in the description.
5" - Very Old GERMANY HALLOWEEN DIECUT - FLAPPER FACE
This diecut has been trimmed to accentuate the chin. In such an altered condition, it has zero collectible value. This seller is quite familiar with vintage Halloween collectibles and should have pointed this out.
Large Dennison Floating Specter Halloween Die-Cut
Wow, another record-setting price from azpaperlady. I wonder who is bidding such large sums of money on damaged items? I wouldn't have thought that this item, with the serious tape blemish to its face, would bring such a strong price. Lately, I have seen an 8" version of this cool diecut being offered for sale. I think these smaller diecuts are fantasy items. There is no indication in any Dennison publication that this was made in two sizes. Be cautious!
BEISTLE HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN LANTERN ★ Cardboard Tissue VTG Antique 1930's
Prices for this iconic Beistle lantern from 1930-1931 have been strong this year. Even pieces, like this lot, bring more money than I would expect.
Vintage Antique Diecut Halloween Black Cats Banner Jointed USA Made Decorations
This seller must be a very optimistic person offering this as a BIN for $499.99. Even in perfect condition, which this banner is decidedly not, that price would be well over double what this typically fetches. Let hope reign supreme!
1920's Jointed "The Horrible Witch" Halloween Decoration
Here is yet another unsustainable result. This "Horrible Witch" diecut made by Beistle surfaces relatively often and typically fetches ~$275. Once again, when you delete the prevailing bidder the price falls to a much more understandable $251.60. That prevailing bidder must have deep pockets and zero patience.
Rare Unsigned German Halloween Pumpkin Face Childs' 1 cup china Teapot
Admittedly, it is difficult to make a definitive judgment from the photos associated with this listing, but I suspect that this teapot is of Japanese origin rather than German origin. The dimensions seem a little off, the coloration is quite dark, the knobby surface is typically not as prominent on German items and the expression seems rather flat to me. From my experience, such Japanese pieces are never marked, whereas most German teapots are marked. There is a significant difference in price between German (higher) and Japanese (lower) porcelain pieces from this set. The BIN price of $500 is reasonable if this is a German item, but much too high if it is, in fact, Japanese.
1920's-30's Embossed Halloween Die-Cut JOL Maid With Cat
This was decidedly NOT a bargain. Made for many seasons, this diecut is among the most common of German diecuts and typically trades in the $65-100 range. I am not sure what possessed bidders to push the price for this nice-but-not-mint item to such an unsustainable level.
VINTAGE RARE MINT BEISTLE HALLOWEEN PARTY HORN NOISEMAKER WITCH BAT SKELETON WOW
Another true bargain...
Antique German Halloween Witch Candy Container with Lantern Head c1920
Savvy collectors wait until right after the holiday to attempt to scoop up bargains from those sellers who choose to list fine items after what I would consider the optimal time. There are many examples of this on Ebay since Halloween and this is only the latest. Although the body of this candy container is arguably the most common around, the quality and detail of the face is compelling and should have caused the candy container to bring far more dollars than it did. Whomever bought this got a true bargain.
