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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

SCARCE Antique Vintage Halloween Noisemaker Witch Paper Mache Germany German

This is not a vintage item. A host of different designs were imported into the USA beginning in the mid-to-late 1990s from Germany to capitalize on the strong interest in vintage Halloween collectibles. These were made and imported almost certainly with an intent to deceive new collectors. They succeeded. One trick that was used with these was to import them in generic, but truly old, cardboard boxes. This gave these fakes a veneer of respectability, even fooling some long-term collectors for a time. Don't waste your money. 

03/29 Update: Unfortunately, some poor buyer wasted nearly $140 on this non-vintage item. 

Vintage Retro Halloween Skaters Glass Owl Japan Battery Lantern Light - Works!

When I first began collecting in 1988, these were coveted items to have in a collection. Today - not so much. These would bring $75-125 every time they surfaced in antiques shops. With the advent of on-line venues, so much has changed for every hobby, including ours. I find it interesting to look back and see what has fallen in and out of favor. Out right now are lamps like these, most tin noisemakers, candles and many forms of German candy containers (Mainly, due, I think, to the rightful skittishness many collectors have so as not to get ripped off by things made to look old but aren't.). In are 1920s-1930s Dennison, Beistle and Gibson items, 1912-1919 Bogie Books, Dennison Price List pamphlets and Rosen Pops boxes. What other categories do you think are "in" and "out?" 

Rare Vintage Halloween Germany Horned Head Candy Container

The mark on this candy container is instructive. When you see the mark, "Container Made in Germany," you then know the item was made sometime between 1950 and 1955. Containers made during this time period command far fewer dollars than items made pre-WWII. I fear that the seller will not obtain even her opening bid of $200, as these typically trade in the $90-110 range. 

Two Great Facebook Groups...

I recently joined two Facebook groups that may be of interest to you. One is called Vintage Halloween and the other is Everything Fall. They both seem to be groups with an active participant base. I've found it to be a great way to see parts of many other collections. Education, especially with a hobby that can be pricey, like ours, is a must. Given the relatively high number of Ebay auctions I've seen end where newly made items have fetched sadly high prices, I'd encourage all prospective bidders to up their familiarity with truly vintage items. These two FB groups may be a good tool to add to your collective quivers! 

Set of 4 Antique German Pumpkin Face Cups from a Child's Tea Set Jack O' Lantern

It is good to see this lot of wonderful porcelain cups sell for such a strong price. The Germans made pieces of this largish set from 1908-1932. These cups were made in three sizes, with the ones in the lot all being the smallest size made. The next size up (2" h x 2.25" w) is the most commonly seen size with the largest size (3" h x 4.5" w) being made only with handles. In both the small and medium-sized cups, it is harder to find the handled iterations. They tend to sell for more, all else being equal. Examples of other items of this set can be seen on page 117. 

LOT OF 5 VINTAGE Halloween PAPER/CARDBOARD MASKS 1940's WITCH CAT SCARECROW PUMP

This lot of masks and one rare-ish diecut was produced by Beistle, with most having long runs from 1938-1954. The witch face diecut is hard-to-find, and was produced only from 1933-1938. Given that this seller has smartly started the entire lot at a very reasonable $9.99, someone may be able to score a bargain if this lot contains items that interest you. 

St. Patrick's Day update: The lot sold for a very reasonable $65.00!

OLD ** BIG **GERMAN PAPER MACHE CANDY CONTAINER DEVIL HEAD , KRAMPUS, BAD SANTA

Unfortunately, here is another example of a collector, almost certainly one without much experience, wasting money on an item that isn't vintage. Always be wary of buying any Halloween items listed as being vintage from Germany-based sellers. The Germans made all of their Halloween items through the 1950s for export only, nothing was left in the country to sell. This devil head has none of the characteristics associated with truly vintage German candy containers. 

FABULOUS LG MARKED GERMANY PAPER MACHE BLACK CAT ON PUMPKIN CANDY CONTAINER

This seller has listed a number of very dubious Halloween items recently. Here is another one. This is not an old item, but one that has been recently manufactured somewhere, probably off-shore. It has none of the detailing characteristic of an truly vintage item. Unfortunately for some bidder, it has already reached a price of nearly $160 with 5+ hours to go. It has zero collectible value. 

03/08 Update: This ended with some poor schmuck forking over $355.00 for what is a $10 decorative item.