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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Halloween Decoration Witch on Envelope w/Fortune verses USA Whitney Co 1920's

Whitney seemed to approach their Halloween merchandise outside of their many postcard designs with indifference. This is a great example. As I write on page 273, "The contents are simply four sheets with six fortunes per sheet. The value for this item is due almost solely to the envelope." Although I have assigned a RSIN of 2 to this 1920s item, and am glad to have one in the collection, it is rather dully executed. The tag line of "Just What You Are Looking For" is particularly uninspired. 

Vintage Halloween METAL Noisemaker - Wizard & Kids & Witch by BUGLE TOY MADE USA

Although not a prolific producer of tin litho Halloween noisemakers, Bugle Toy of Providence, Rhode Island, was an imaginative one. Virtually all of their designs pushed the envelope away from the anodyne or overly cutesy imagery so common then and toward idiosyncratic, memorable imagery. This aesthetic has made Bugle tin items highly collectible and collected. As I write on page 189, "This firm's output was much smaller relative to the others mentioned here. What their line lacked in breadth was compensated for by cleverness. (This applies to their tin items only. Their lithoed paper output is unmemorable.)" Check out page 212 for a nearly complete inventory of their tin designs. 

Vintage Dennisons Halloween Seals and Boxes

The seller placed too low of a BIN price on these great Dennison boxed items. Although apparently incomplete (the listing's verbiage is unclear...), being able to obtain these nice slide boxes for ~$25 with shipping is a solid bargain. 
Dennison really cornered the market starting in the teens and extending through the early 1930s with their imaginative assortment of boxed seals, cut-outs, illuminated silhouettes and the like. These boxed goods are among my favorite of all vintage Halloween genres. Gibson threw their hat in the ring and came up with compelling designs from time to time. These are harder to find, having been made in much smaller quantities than the quantities having been pumped out by the Dennison juggernaut. Whitney, too, tried to join the party, but their output was curiously devoid of memorable designs. I say curiously as they were a prolific producer of interesting postcard designs. Whitney's management must not have believed in the staying power of small items with which to decorate envelopes, invitations, etc. 

Vintage Halloween Tamborine, J. Chein & Co, USA, 1940's, Noisemaker

This actually looks to be in stellar condition. Naturally, these tin litho tambourines were designed to be banged around, so it is difficult to find one in near-perfect condition. The photos convey that this still possesses bright colors and has a minimum of wear. Even the BIN is reasonable. Although one of the jangles is missing, this isn't a big deal as virtually all Chein jangles are interchangeable. This was made in the 1930s. 

3 Vintage Cardboard Halloween Lamp Shades! JOLs, Cats, Fairies, Rats. Mint!

These fairy motif lampshades were originally part of Beistle's 1923 party set. The set was issued in three packaging variations: as a booklet, an enveloped set and a boxed set. I'll have the booklet variant as one lot in my auction that begins May 3rd. It is the very one photographed for and appearing in my third edition on page 217. The preview will begin on April 26th. The auction is open only to purchasers of my third edition. If you haven't yet purchased your copy, now would be a good time to do so. 

Vintage Tin Metal Noise Maker Toy.....'Witch & Pumpkin'

I think this was a bargain for $12.72. As I write about such items in my third edition: "These scrap items were typically made at the end of a shift using whatever could be salvaged from the leftover tin litho. They were then sold as irregulars, garnering at least a little money for the manufacturer from what otherwise would have simply gone to waste." 

Vintage Halloween Embossed Diecut Devil Bat German Germany

This is only the second time I've seen this offered for sale. A seller listed two of these some years back on Ebay and I was able to acquire the one in the collection at that time. The two that seller listed were mirror images of one another, just as this is the mirror image of the one shown on page 136. Looking carefully at it, I notice some minor surface paint differences from mine, underscoring that these diecuts were made at a time when hand flourishes were not discouraged. The Germans made this very late in their production of holiday items for the export market. These "last year" designs were almost exclusively exported to the population centers in eastern Canada and are among the most interesting, out-there designs the Germans made before WWII - and arguably ever. The seller started it at $2000 and a bid was received within the hour. It will be very fun to sit back and see what this fetches. 

03/25 Update: This fine diecut brought a record high of $3,100. 

Halloween Pumpkin Jack O Lantern Lot Vegetable People

The seller writes rather oddly about this set, "Have no idea on his age." Let me help. These items have little age - they are proverbial newborns relative to the age of authentically vintage items. These blobby, Schmoo-like forgettables are just the thing to have if you want targets to test out that new hunting rifle. The seller further writes, "A must for your Halloween collection." Um, I think not. 

VINTAGE HALLOWEEN GERMAN PUMPKIN SUIT CASE CANDY CONTAINER

Please see the item directly below, as it is of the same ilk. The seller, who writes that they have been collectors for over 40 years, inexplicably puts this very desirable German suit case (or purse) candy container made from 1916-1921 up on Ebay with a BIN of $75, a fraction of what this would have brought using the auction format! The size is somewhat smaller than the iteration more commonly seen, so who knows what it may have brought. Wow! Kudos to the buyer who was a fast mover, surely disbelieving in their incredibly good fortune. 

Old Vintage Halloween US Metal Toy Mfg. Company Skeleton Noisemaker

I wonder why sellers who are only vaguely familiar with an item use the BIN method rather than the auction method? This coveted skeleton noisemaker, made by U.S. Metal Toy during the early 1960s, typically fetches no less than $225. Even though the seller may have purchased it for a dollar, why wouldn't they do some research before picking a figure out of the air and letting it go for half of what they would have surely gotten if they had simply auctioned it? 

RARE CELLULOID HALLOWEEN BLACK CAT & WITCH IN PUMPKIN ON WHEELS CART EXCELLENT

The celluloid market has strengthened quite a bit over these last few months. This is a splendid item! I feel the price was quite reasonable. It may have even done better if it was offered as an auction rather than a BIN. Although I appreciate celluloid, its inherently flammable nature deters me from collecting it. However, when you can see a thoughtfully curated collection, like that owned by my close friends, Tammy and Barry, appreciation for the artistry of design makes me wonder if I've made the correct decision. As I write on page 110, "The fragile nature of this medium makes finding near-mint or better examples difficult, as most extant items have some dents and/or cracks."