The seller describes this as being in "perfect condition." It isn't. The prop allowing the place card to stand has been torn away on the one end, effectively rendering this typically $10 place card in truly perfect condition nearly worthless.
Blog
Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
HALLOWEEN Vintage US Stand-Up 3-D Table Decoration Moon Owl Scarecrow
Although creatively Beistle was in a downswing at the time this was produced in the mid-1950s, there were still glimmers of their imaginative prowess, as evidenced by this 3-D fold out decoration, one of a set of three. (The complete set is shown on page 231.) The other two, a haunted house scene and a graveyard scene, tend to fetch more money when they come up for sale, but all are cleverly designed and make great display items. Because each needs to be expanded to stand, wear is evident on the items in even above average condition. This seems to be in near-mint condition, so should command strong dollars at the auction's conclusion.
03/15 Update: And strong dollars were, indeed, obtained. This item in such great condition pulled in $172.50!
Vintage (1950s) tin tambourine Kirchoff "Life of the party", cats on pumpkin
I don't know that I've ever seen this tambourine with a decorated rim. It is wonderful! I just checked both versions of this tambourine in the collection (both shown on page 214) and neither has this very pleasing decorated rim. Kirchhof used their Life of the Party moniker in the 1950s on most of their tin party products. (This is a quick and certain way to date Kirchhof items.) Although not always true, most of their output in the 1950s and beyond cut corners here and there to save money. Some designer didn't get the memo with this item.
Vintage Die Cut Embossed Witch on Broom Halloween USA
This seller had a great array of US and German diecuts up for auction, all of them in remarkable condition. I'm glad to see that they all fetched such strong prices. As I point out on page 151, this witch diecut often had a factory flat-edged moon, like this one does. It isn't a defect.
German Composition Devil Halloween Lantern 1920's
Nothing looks right about this devil head lantern: not the form, not the finish, not the inserts, not the wear. For all I know, it could have been made yesterday. I feel this has decorative value only, maybe a few Washingtons and a Lincoln at most.
1931 Dennison's Halloween Bogie Book
Most of these larger form-factor Dennison Bogie Books were folded for mailing, so to find one without the standard center crease is unusual. Given that this was how they were mailed, I don't feel it is correct to consider the fold a condition issue. This example does have a prior owner's name written on the front cover, something this seller doesn't point out.
Vintage Halloween Rare 1925 Beistle Witch/ Cauldron/JOL Honeycomb Basket- LOOK!!
It is such a pleasant surprise to see an exceedingly rare Beistle item on the rather sad selling platform that Ebay has become. (This decay began when their management chose to compete with Amazon rather than focusing on cultivating sellers of rare, vintage goods.) This favor basket was sold from 1927-1931. Beistle made four different designs, all measuring ~4" x ~4". All of them have an RSIN of 2. The condition issues on this example could be easily rectified by a careful, competent paper restorer. (I can recommend ACA Paper Restoration in Devon, PA.) These baskets almost never become available for sale, so it'll be fun to see what this brings.
03/09 Update: Whomever was the prevailing bidder received a true bargain, snatching this up for less than $160. Bravo!
Antique 1920's German Halloween Paper Candy Container Jack O Lantern Figure
This small figural on a candy box exhibits a problem common to a high percentage of vintage composition pieces painted black - flaking. I have seen it so often for so many years now that it must be a quality inherent in the black paint used in the 1920s and early 1930s. In my view, such flaking underscores the age of the piece, so I typically don't find it too off-putting.
VTG Halloween Die Cut Embossed Cardboard ,Dennison USA Collection of (5)
For the ending price of $100 plus shipping, this was a solid deal for the buyer. All 5 items were made by Dennison in the later 1920s. The black cat face door hangers typically fetch $40-60 each with the small diecuts typically fetching $30-40 each.
Rare German made Jack o lantern Halloween black cat Squeeze box
Wow, the seller made a costly error when listing this ultra-rare German squeeze box for a BIN price of $139! I have never seen this before - in any collection or in any catalog - it is that scarce. The fact that it still makes noise is remarkable. This is an item that surely would have brought ~$1,000 if it had simply been allowed to breathe through a typical auction setting.
ESTATE #349 - VINTAGE HALLOWEEN CAT FACE BALL NOISEMNAKER TIN WOOD PAPER USA
This is a desirable and hard-to-find noisemaker. It was made by T. Cohn in the later 1920s. As I write in the third edition: "This unusual noisemaker has attached wood balls painted like eyes, as well as the original cardboard ears, giving it a truly finished look. This is one of the earliest T. Cohn items in the collection." Sustainable guide value is $165 with a RSI number of 2.
03/06 Update: Bidding resulted in a very strong result of $252.49, well above sustainable guide value. Most of the activity above guide value seems to have been driven by two determined bidders.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN NOISE MAKER CLACKER
T.Cohn made two styles of these "putty knife" clangers in the 1930s. Typically, they are pretty beaten up, but this example seems to be in near-mint condition. Although the sustainable guide value is $60, this seller has assigned a laughably high postage cost to an item that weighs nearly nothing. Sending it regular first class shouldn't cost more than $2.50, not the eye-popping $7.15 that will be charged.
03/01 Update: Even with the high postage, this fetched a solid $55.99.
History's American Pickers: Parade Lantern Discovery
I watched The Maineiacs episode of History's American Pickers when it aired Wednesday and was excited to see the Mike Wolfe’s discovery of the tin parade lantern. I was honored to have been asked to provide an on-air appraisal of the item with Danielle Colby at the Antique Archeology location in LeClaire, Iowa. This appraisal was given on January 20th. The entire experience was a great deal of fun. Danielle is just as warm and gracious as she appears to be on camera. The appraisal segment will air in the near future. I’ll be sure to give you all a heads-up as to when that airing will occur. Given that they say the camera adds 10 pounds, I’m both excited and apprehensive at the prospect. Once it does air, I’ll share some behind the scenes experiences and some photos I took during my time there. What I can say now is that the American Pickers’ team, both in front of and behind the camera, is professional, fun and made this writer feel very welcome and valued!
Vintage Halloween Pumpkin Witch Black Cat Lamp Light Paper Shade
This is one Gibson shade that I haven't seen come available all that often. Made in the 1930s, this example seems to be in perfect, unused condition and fetched almost the precise sustainable guide value. As I write in the caption for this shade on page 41, "Can you imagine any mainstream manufacturer of holiday goods today incorporating a cigarette into their designs?"
Vintage Halloween cardboard cat fence and moon orange black
I saw this within ~45 minutes of it being listed and was in the process of buying it for the bargain basement price of $13.50 plus shipping, but my fingers couldn't fly across the keyboard quickly enough. Whomever bought this literally beat me out by seconds. These silver variants of the somewhat common Beistle set of twelve designs are hard to find. Being made from a thinner paper stock than the "normal" ones, finding them in solid condition is tough, too. The seller should be kicking themselves, as this was something that should have brought 11 times what it did bring.
