This is an example of how uninspired the majority of Halloween commercial artwork was in the 1950s. This box doesn't have anything memorable to offer. Compare this to the candy box pictured on page 92 of my new third edition, which shows an atypically inspired Jamboree Candy box from this same decade.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Great candy container with glass eyes papermaché Halloween
This is a newly made object with no collectible value. I recommend avoid buying any "vintage Halloween" material from sellers in Germany as the Germans made all of their Halloween items from export through the 1960s. Nothing was left to be later found in warehouses after the Berlin Wall fell - even though there are sellers who'll try to convince you of this.
1920's Halloween German Black Cat Jack o lantern Paper Mache
I've never seen a lantern like this before. It is either exceptionally rare or a newly made fantasy piece. The shape, the attached fold-out and the inserts all look wrong to me. If you are inclined to buy, make sure you ask a lot of questions.
vintage large halloween decoration lamp shade cats witch bats moon jol beistle?
This is a rare shade, made in Germany during the 1930-1935 interval. I have never been able to find one in good enough condition to become part of the collection. If you want to see one in perfect condition with robust colors, turn to page 48 to feast your eyes on photos showing both sides from Jason Walcott's collection. Jason, do you want to sell yours? :)
06/25 Update: This shade brought $255, quite a strong result given the fading.
Vintage Halloween Party Honeycomb Tissue Paper Hat Cat Witch JOL by Bee Line
This honeycomb band hat was made by Beistle from 1948-1952. They issued this with at least two variations, the one shown here and one with a checkered top shown on page 240 with a somewhat different central image. Both have the Bee-Line mark that Beistle used only during this narrow window. Although the art is not as intricate or inspired as their earlier products, few manufacturers withstood the siren call of dumbing down their imagery for the child-focused holiday Halloween was at this time.
NEAR MINT & SCARCE Vintage Halloween Owl Crescent Moon Diecut, Germany, 1920s
It's always great to see near-mint German diecuts offered in this venue. This is one of a set of six crescent moon diecuts made in Germany in the 1920s. The others can be seen on page 184.
06/27 Update: This fine specimen brought an astounding $123.17, far higher than guide.
LARGE Antique Paper Mache Halloween Pumpkin Jack O Lantern
Wow! It's nice to see a high-end, rare item on Ebay these days. Seeing this, although I don't collect JOL lanterns, was like finding a diamond where I've grown used to seeing nothing but cubic zirconias. Three bidders duked it out near the ending price, so this result seems sustainable. I would say that the size and heaviness of the material contributed substantially to the stellar result, with a nudge upward for the seemingly vintage inserts. Nice!
5 New Old Stock Bagged Vintage Halloween Decorations. Cats, Witch and Scarecrow!
This assortment consists of designs originally conceived by Beistle but later copied by the Japanese. Whether this copying was done with Beistle's cooperation, or even knowledge, is not known. These copies were done in the latter half of the 1960s and have very modest value as the ending price for this lot was $49.95. The older originals, clearly marked "Made in USA," have greater value.
Vintage Antique Cast Iron Metal Bobble Head Bat HALLOWEEN Black & Orange Spooky!
The seller describes this in his header as "vintage" but then doesn't define the term. Let me help: this is only vintage if you consider something made as long as 5-7 years ago and possibly as recently as yesterday vintage. This fantasy piece has zero collectible value and quite a modest decorative value, facts surely to cause disappointment to the seller who lists this at $542.50 or BO. Keep dreaming!
PAPERBACK BOOK HOLIDAYS TOYS & DECORATIONS PICS VINTAGE HALLOWEEN
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.
SCARCE Vintage Halloween Jack o Lantern Pirate Diecut Decoration, Germany 1920s
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.
VTG EMPIRE HALLOWEEN PLASTIC LIGHT UP HAUNTED HOUSE
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.
Vintage Brach's Trick or Treat Candy Halloween Haunted House Display Box
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.
SNAGGLE TOOTHED WITCH DIECUT ORNAMENT WITH BATS and BLACK CATS
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!
THREE 1930'S GERMAN MADE NOISEMAKERS ON STICKS WITH SQUEAKERS ON BACK THAT WORK
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.
