I believe this to be the first book published that showed a selection of high-end vintage Halloween items. First available in 1985, no doubt many of these treasures have now been dispersed into other collections. Although the book profiles artifacts from all the major holidays, it is still a worthwhile addition to any collector's reference library, although this particular copy is a bit rough.
06/18 Update: This well-loved book brought $37.99, a surprising amount.
Whomever the buyer was got a deal on this 1920s German diecut. One identical to this can be found on page 180 of my newly published third edition of Vintage Halloween Collectibles. Order a copy right here on this site.
I think this is my favorite blow-mold of all of them. The design is quirky and tries to impart a real feeling of skewed perspective. Empire Plastics did a great job rendering this haunted house as it does convey a spooky feel. This design, as well as several others, can be found on pages 108 and 109 of my new third edition.
Until now I didn't know that Brach's made this cleverly designed candy box in a different iteration. The one in my collection holds 55 "paks" with a net weight of 21 ounces. This variant holds 70 "paks" with a net weight of 22.5 ounces. The graphics are otherwise identical. Since the indicated measurements for the box up for auction are identical to the one in my collection, I suspect Brach's had made each "pak" smaller so that more could fit into the same box space. I think it is reasonable to conclude this variant is a season or two later than the 55 "pak" example.
06/16 Update: This rare and very cool candy box brought $84 even with the slight damage.
Beistle made this great witch head diecut for many years on-and-off beginning in 1932. Even though these surface frequently, they seldom do so in such clean and collectible condition. Given this, I feel the buyer snapped up a true bargain at a mere $37.12, about half of what I consider fair market value. Congrats!
These noisemakers are modern fantasy pieces made in the mid-1990s and imported into the US from Germany by Blumchen's. They have zero collectible value.
This exceedingly rare diecut was issued by Beistle in the 1940s and was packaged in varying assortments for a solid decade. Yet, it rarely surfaces - an oddity I've noted with other Beistle diecuts like the elusive "skeleton in the graveyard" that I discuss on page 137. I am not surprised that it fetched such strong dollars even in its less than mint condition. I like the energy the scene conveys!
This seller seems to know very little about vintage Halloween, which is fair in and of itself. However, offering this as a BIN at $289.95 means that you and I will be inflicted with seeing this over and over and over again on Ebay! I assess fair market price for this diecut to be $50.
This looks to be a vintage candy container in quite nice condition, aside form the few paint flecks to the side of a horn. The Germans made a set of these figures all standing on a stump. (To see a Veggie man example, see the lower right of page 77.) The devil head was also molded in the same way but to a different body. (To see this, turn to page 63.) The seller gets the date of manufacture wrong. These candy containers date to the 1920s. I feel the BIN price reflects full value plus for this item.
This is one of ten pieces made for a boxed skittles game imported from Germany in the early 1920s. Each is made from lightly embossed heavy cardboard slotted into a wood base. An entire set can be seen on page 26 of my new third edition.
This lantern's ending price far exceeded what it typically fetches, probably due to its seemingly near-mint condition. As I write on page 30 of my new 3rd edition, "This lantern is devilishly difficult to find in near-mint condition. The mystery manufacturer didn't have a solid grasp on coloration as I have seen examples where the faces range from a bright green to a deep olive."
This superbly designed invitation has long eluded my grasp. I just returned from a vacation in Kansas during which time it slipped my mind to bid. Made by Dennison, it first appeared for sale in their 1916 Bogie Book, sold with a stock number of H-27.
This horn is not old. It, along with several other designs, first surfaced in the middle 1990s. It has zero collectible value. This same seller has another horn from this faux set listed right now as well. Don't be fooled!
The seller states that this was made in the 1930s or 1940s. I disagree. Given the molding, the form of the JOL, the inserts and even the inked mark, I feel this great lantern was made sometime during 1918-1925.
06/06 Update: I was glad to note that it fetched a strong $405. It perhaps would have been more if the lantern wasn't faded.
These Beistle invitations were made only between 1918-1921. As I write on page 218 of my newly available 3rd edition, "You can tell these are early as they are mighty primitive. The printed interiors are crooked and rather sloppy. They seem to have been rushed to market. I believe that it is this poor quality that prevents these from fetching the significant dollars such early Beistle designs typically bring." There were two iterations of the same design, one with a movable part and one without. Four different designs comprise a complete set.
