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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Very nice HTF Halloween Black Cat Diecut Decoration, Germany 1920s 8"

This result is absurd. The prevailing bidder, the same in all four of these examples, has been caught out by an underbidder who was equally insane. I'm sure that neither party ever expected another bidder to place such a silly and never-to-be-seen-again bid. The only winner here is the seller who has to be scratching his head at his good fortune. Seller, run out and buy a lottery ticket. You're on a roll! The prevailing bidder now has to shell out a laughably high number of dollars for a diecut that surfaces every now and then. SGV is $115. Results like these can contribute to the demise of a great hobby as potential new collectors see these incomprehensible results and decide to move on to other pursuits. I am gob-smacked. 

Vintage Halloween Crescent Moon with Black Cat RARE 1920 GERMANY

This identically dual-sided diecut is of recent manufacture, probably issued by Radko. The details are such that I fear newer collectors may be confused by this listing, which is notable in what is not said. The word "antique" is misleadingly used, the type of material is not mentioned, nor are the dimensions. The shipping cost of nearly $60 is, of course, laughable. The truly vintage German diecut that this faux POS is modeled after looks very different. The expression of the cat is exaggerated, the eye colors are alien to vintage diecuts, the fur is overly modeled and it is dual-sided. Newer collectors, don't be fooled. This is an item with solely decorative value. 

 

1930's-1940's Halloween die cut Skeleton head with pirate hat

I don't believe I have seen this variant before. The seller incorrectly attributes this to Beistle. It was made in 1935 in Germany. I have seen the basic skull and crossbones diecut with three different hats before seeing this one, so there were at least 4 designs, but more likely a total of 6 designs. If the damage wasn't so obvious, it would be a candidate for acquisition. 

Vintage Halloween Cardboard Decoration Cat & Banjo Germany 26" long, 12" wide

The buyer offered the seller $150 as an incentive to provide a BIN option, something that wasn't part of the original listing. Therefore, this desirable store display-sized German diecut traded for $150, a pittance. The seller should not have accepted that offer. He sacrificed hundreds of dollars - at a bare minimum - from what he would have gotten by simply letting the auction run its course. (Sustainable guide value is $900.) The moral of the story for sellers: Do your research before accepting offers for items for which you know little to nothing. 

HALLOWEEN GERMAN TIARA DIECUT~1920'S~RICH, RICH COLOR METALLIC GREEN, RED

I was on the road for nearly one week with two close friends, who also happen to be collectors, scouring many antiques shops in California as far south as Orange up to Modesto, attending the Alameda Point show and having the privilege to visit a number of private collections. (I also made time to attend Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland for the third consecutive year. If you haven't done so, make time for it. Very fun...) What I was reminded of through all of these adventures was just how hard it is to find any vintage Halloween for sale, aside from the hard plastic and common US JOLs one sees regularly. It is frustrating and perhaps helps explain why some hard-to-find items bring nose-bleed prices that are far afield from sustainable guide values. This tiara, or diadem, is an example. Yes, it is in great condition, but the buyer will surely not see this price attained again. 

PRISTINE GERMAN DEVIL PENNANT THE CRÈME de la CRÈME OF HALLOWEEN DIE CUTS

The Germans exported a number of very odd and visually challenging designs in small quantities to eastern Canada in 1935 just before their economic focus became inexorably fixed on war and the door through which exports of wondrous holiday designs flowed slammed shut until after WW2. This devil pennant, one of four pennant designs, is among this group. What captivates me about this item is how it differs from the one in the collection. I greatly prefer this item's black hand with orange fingernails. (It is otherwise identical to the one on page 187.) This one will bring a very high price, as I know several advanced collectors who have never had an opportunity to acquire one in this condition. 

10/16 Update: Although I stated above that the pennant would bring a very high price, I was thinking more in the vicinity of $2000, not $4305.22. Naturally, this result is an aberration that will almost certainly never be replicated. (In the sincere hope that I am wrong, I hereby offer the pennant in my collection for the underbid of $4255.22!) The bidding history shows that the selling price would have settled near the $2000 mark except for two bidders, one of which, the prevailing bidder, has been caught out bidding silly prices for many items over the last few weeks. I've received many inquiries as to whether I think these bids can be genuine. I think they are as none of the items realizing such lofty levels has been relisted to my knowledge. One of my favorite sayings is: The sum of the intelligence of the planet is constant - and the population is growing. The prevailing bidder exemplifies this truism. 

VERY RARE EARLY GERMAN SQUASH HEAD VEGGIE MAN HEAVY COMPOSITION CANDY CONTAINER

There is an embarrassment of riches on eBay right now, so welcome and so different from the junkyard it is for much of the year. The Halloween wealth listed now is exemplified by this item, one of many listed by a seller long on my list of those whom I endorse.
There are several genres rife with fakes and fantasy items that I simply do not buy unless I know the seller. For instance, virtually all of the wind-up mechanicals I've seen on eBay this past year are either completely fake or Frankensteined to such an extent that they may as well be fake. German compo candy containers is another perilous genre. Many of today's folk artists are able enough that they can churn out competent fakes that fool the unsuspecting or the more gullible new collectors flooding our fun hobby. That is why I don't see the prices for German compo containers typically reaching the price heights they once did. There are simply too many skillfully made fakes and fantasy pieces floating about. You can put those fears aside when buying from stnick22. I've known this couple since 2000 and feel they are among the top sellers on this forum. Deal with them with confidence. 

Vintage German Halloween Tea Set Cup. Porcelain Pumpkin Face JOL

The seller, Sandy, also a long-time collecting friend, wrote to me while the auction was still ongoing, quite happy with the attention her handled cup was getting. I mentioned that the small cups are seen relatively frequently compared to other pieces from the set, but that handled cups are particularly desirable. Not only does the handle distinguish it from being a nut cup, but emphatically defines it as a teacup. Still, the ending price is probably not replicable. It is the result of three very determined bidders. 

RARE EARLY BEISTLE BLACK CAT HONEYCOMB HALLOWEEN HAT~DESIGN ON BOTH SIDES~

Beistle made two designs of what they called continental hats with plumes. The mate is a JOL with better artwork on either side of the central figure. (You can see it on page 238.) The vertical stripes flanking the cat face do grab the eye, but there is no doubt that it seems Beistle rather shorted this particular design. Made from 1925-1931 only, sustainable guide value is $195. 

10/07 Update: This hat brought $197.50. 

Original Halloween Multiple Cats On Fence Centerpiece & Envelope

This sub-genre, Whitney fences, is a particular favorite of mine. This was made in the later 1920s out of light-weight cardboard delicate enough that you assemble then disassemble at your peril. Bottom line: Put it together the way you want it and never touch it again except to gently move it to dust underneath. (That is assuming you dust at all!) Different from so many Whitney designs, each of the four sides is completely different. Somewhat later they got lazy and either had 2 and 2 designs or four identical sides. The last thing to look for when buying these fences is that all the tabs are present. This example meets the test.