These single Dennison place cards have maintained strong values over the last several years. This particular design first appeared in their 1930 Price List pamphlet, sold with stock number H663. Sustainable guide value is $40, so the bidders really wanted this small form factor gem.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Vintage Halloween Doorstop Witch and Cat Cast Iron HH05171510
The seller broadly states that this is door stop was made in the 20th Century. 100 years is a very wide range. When was this actually made? Let me help: This item was not made at any point in the 20th Century. It was made no earlier than 2005 and quite possibly just a few days ago. If you want a sweet knickknack with no collectible value, this may be the thing for you. If you want a truly vintage Halloween item, keep looking.
05/20 Update: Sorry to see that someone wasted $59.99 on this newly made item.
VINTAGE 1930'S GERMAN MADE .-- RARE LIDDED PUMPKIN CANDY HOLDER
This is a faked item, with zero collectible value. It possesses none of the characteristics of a genuine item: uninspired features, too spherical, clumsy lid fastener. This almost certainly emerged from the efforts of a minimally talented "artist."
Old Embossed Skull Halloween Decoration
Some poor soul wasted money on this remnant from a German complete skeleton diecut. The head has been cleanly excised from the larger diecut. As a remnant, it has zero collectible value.
Shiverbones Kirscht vintage Beistle Halloween Inspired "Frightful Fence" die cut
I am so glad that some smart collector snapped this up right away. Matthew Kirscht is one of the most talented contemporary artists working in the Halloween genre today. (I would argue he is the most talented.) Matthew, a long-time friend of mine, designed and laid-out my third edition. To all of those who have expressed your deep satisfaction with the look of the new third edition, swivel your eyes Matthew's way. I was lucky enough to grab one of the original large fences several years ago and it now adorns the side of a large dollhouse I use to house 30-40 German Halloween candy containers. Matthew needs to produce similar diecut items. I have often told him I will take one of every such thing he makes!
ESTATE #476-VINTAGE HALLOWEEN PRINTED CARDBOARD DIECUT MOON FACE + WITCH DETAIL
It is great to see such a nice diecut surface amid all the dreck that is on Ebay right now. (Ebay has really become a junkyard, albeit one in which the occasional gem can be found and in which several quality dealers still endeavor to provide quality items. Overall, though, Ebay has long ago lost control over the integrity of their categories. For instance, they have allowed a seller to list and re-list a white tractor seat in the Vintage Halloween category. Really?) OK, off the soapbox and on to this great diecut. This is a visually arresting piece to add to your collection. It is one of a set of four diecuts Beistle issued during the mid-1950s. As a write on page 158, "Having an item like this witch separately attached to a diecut is unusual. More labor is required and the chance for defects increases the risk of returns. This may account for the mere three season run this diecut enjoyed."
05/24 Update: This super diecut sold for a very strong $372. I feel the cited values for this set of diecuts are now too low. Instead of $175-200 for each of the four depending on design, I feel sustainable guide value should be $250-325.
Vintage Halloween Puss With No Boots Diecut Germany 1920s
To quote a line from 1942's film, Kings Row, "Where's the rest of me?" Being merely a remnant, this has no collectible value.
Thanks To All Those...
I'd like to thank all those discriminating collectors who participated in my recent auction! I offered 78 lots of terrific vintage Halloween items and 70 lots sold, many for record-setting amounts. It was a lot of fun (and work), made even more so by reconnecting with so many fine and knowledgeable collectors.
The market is obviously hungry for quality items offered by a trusted source.
I plan to host another auction in about one year. Once again, only those who have purchased a copy of my new third edition of Vintage Halloween Collectibles will be eligible to participate.
Thanks again, everyone!
PS: I'll be re-instating my For Sale page in the next few days.
History's American Pickers: Parade Lantern Appraisal Will Air May 13
I've been alerted that the segment showing my appraisal of the parade lantern on History's American Pickers will air tomorrow, Wednesday, May 13. The name of the episode is, "A Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall." Below is the verbiage from my original post on the subject from February 20:
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 Composition German Halloween Candy Container!
I know that these two little witches went to a very good home about 85 miles from my house. My friends smartly snapped these 1920s German composition witch candy containers up for a comparative song. With minimal restoration these will be stunners.
A GROUP OF 6 PRE-WAR GERMAN DIE CUT HALLOWEEN SKITTLE GAME PIECES EXCELLENT!
Someone scooped up a bargain grabbing this grouping for a mere ~$160 including shipping. These are pieces to a skittles-type game issued in the 1920s by the Germans. Ten comprise a full set. Each typically sells for $40-50, although in the last week or so several groupings have sold for considerably less.
Whitney Company boxed set of Place Cards – Rare – 1920s
Several of the items shown as original contents for this box actually don't belong. Married content for boxed sets is common, but it is better, of course, to have items that actually were once included in the box (i.e. actually made by Whitney) to be sold with the box. As such, the price for this lot is too high.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN PAPER MACHE JACK O LANTERN PUMPKIN 1930'S " NICE"
This seller, christmaslady51, is precisely the kind of dealer I despise. She has listed (and relisted!) this item as being a vintage one, even though she has been alerted to its lack of age by at least three collectors. She simply responds, "Thanks," and does nothing else. Is she hoping to take advantage of some new collector, wanting to off-load something clearly and sadly made offshore, perhaps as recently as last week? This abomination, with its faux-distress and curly handle, shouldn't fool anyone. Ask yourself, if it was truly old why would it be damaged in the areas the photos show? It makes no sense. To paraphrase a recent US president, Christmaslady51, tear down this listing!
20 vintage paper Halloween SEALS black CAT stickers in box Gibson
Even though the typical seal design issued by Gibson tends to be less stylized than an average Dennison example, these little Gibson gems have grown on me over the last few years. I avidly collect them. They are marginally harder to find complete than are Dennison boxed products, which is why this result is puzzling. The set fetched a paltry $14.99, perhaps as a result of the overly negative verbiage relating to condition the seller included. (The photos don't seem to match the verbiage.) In any event, I think the buyer scored a solid bargain.
Vintage GERMAN Halloween Paper Mache Pumpkin Lantern - Paper Eyes, Nose & Mouth
I chuckled reading the description for this newly crafted item. The seller states, "This is unmarked, but obviously German made." Of course, it isn't. In fact, these words in the header don't belong: vintage, German and paper mache. This is a nice decorative item, almost certainly made in China or some other similar off-shore manufacturing center. I'd estimate its seasonal decorative value at $20.
