I've never been a fan of hard plastic but will admit that many of the Kokomold designs were off-beat enough and were made in relatively small quantities that I regret passing on acquiring them when prices were so cheap. When I began collecting back in 1988, this design could have been purchased for around $15-20. The eBay screen misleadingly indicates that this sold for $600, but a BIN offer of $465 was accepted by the seller.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN BEISTLE LAUGHING MOON DONUT & MUG ORIGINAL DIE CUT DECORATION
Beistle was desperate for a spark of creativity when they included this decidedly non-Halloween diecut as part of a diecut set they issued in the late 1940s. I've never understood their decision, but feel it indicates they were running on fumes at that time.
Vintage Lot of 6 Halloween Die Cut & paper Hat, lanternd & blowers-USA/Germany
The star of this lot, by far, is the triangular hat. Made before WWI by a German firm, their output is maddeningly elusive. The hats were made from very thin paper stock, so they are nearly always thrashed when they surface. This hat was in the finest condition I've seen in years. I was tempted by it, but the condition still falls short of the mark for acquisition. If you turn to page 137, you can see four treat satchels that were produced by the same firm.
Halloween Antique: JACK-O-LANTERN GERMAN WOODEN RATCHET NOISEMAKER, 1910's-20's
Exercise much caution when purchasing these decorated German wood ratchets. The plain ratchets themselves were made in huge quantities, and many remain extant. What some dealers do is marry a plain, vintage wood ratchet with a vintage, but otherwise not connected, Halloween decoration and sell the resulting union as an original. Now, I don't believe that was done for the item shown here that sold for $189, but this marrying frenzy is something to keep in mind when you are shopping for items in this genre.
SCARCE Vintage Halloween Witch of Endor Fortune Telling Game, Salem Mass., 1929
The graphics on this game are so excellent and evocative of my favorite season that I've long been puzzled why it typically doesn't bring strong dollars. Trust me, this game looks awesome in a display cabinet. It was made by a now obscure manufacturer with fairly limited distribution muscle resulting in its RSIN of 3.
06/24 Update: I am so glad to see that this great game finally received the love I've felt it has long deserved. It sold for $316.99, the highest price for this game according to my records.
Vintage Halloween Plastic Roly Poly Goblin ~ Old & Cool!
Along with so many other genres, vintage Halloween celluloid seems to be on fire. (For an awesome visual display of some of the finest celluloid designs out there, look at pages 110-115.) I contacted some close friends to see if they were the prevailing bidder, but they were aced out by another friend. Maybe the next time I swing down to southern California, I can see this rare and appealing item for myself.
Vintage Paper Mache Halloween BLACK CAT CANDY Bucket Antique YELLOW EYES GERMANY
This beat-up pulp cat head lantern made in the United States actually sold for $80! Based on my personal experience running my auction as well as following what items are currently selling for on many on-line sites, vintage Halloween prices seem to be stronger than ever. Given the plethora of collecting categories that have plummeted in value (Hummels, Jim Beam decanters, Avon bottles, "brown" furniture - anyone? anyone?...) vintage Halloween items have held up like a wedding night woody. I never stop being amazed at the heights to which prices for good items inexorably climb.
Vintage Emkay Witch O Lantern Halloween Candle in Box #268
Candle boxes weren't often kept so the manufacturing and/or marketing details for such ephemeral items have largely been lost, making this listing exciting - if for no other reason. I haven't seen this particular candle design often, but I love the name the manufacturer dreamed up, Witch-O-Lantern. The asking price with a BIN option seems reasonable.
06/17 Update: It sold for a "bargainish" price of $25.
Cardboard Halloween Black Cat Sitting
When I saw that a Canada-based dealer was listing 1930s Beistle diecuts from their set with saw-toothed or scalloped perimeters I was momentarily hopeful we'd see arguably the most elusive (and mysteriously so...) Beistle diecut of all - the skeleton in the graveyard. Alas, disappointment. (To see the diecut to which I refer, turn to page 137.) The last time one was listed was late September of 2014 - and it sold for an astonishing ~$3,350. I was down at Disneyland the evening it sold. Present in my party was someone who wanted it badly, and who had placed an aggressive bid. Not prevailing upon the lot made my friend disheartened, but one will surely show up again. Beistle is the benchmark for design and quality relative to American made diecuts. Their typical output had a gravitas to them that the Dennison and Gibson diecuts generally lack.
Vintage Plastic Halloween Witch on a Rocket
This sold as a BIN for $150. I've long derided hard plastic, believing the prices didn't reflect the overall ubiquity of the surviving and available items. (One exception is most anything manufactured by Kokomold Plastics. Their coach is one piece of hard plastic I wouldn't mind owning.) I've seen these sell time and again for between $75 and $125, so the ending price, especially when adding in the breathtakingly high shipping cost, seems unsustainable.
Vintage Halloween OWL CANDY CONTAINER in great condtion. 1940's - 1950's
These small pulp objects that were made in the 1950s are devilishly difficult to find in collectible condition. There were a number of designs, but I'd say this owl and a small, arched-back black cat with yellow eyes are two of the harder ones to find. The owl nearly always has significant ear wear with much paint loss throughout. This looks to be in such good condition that I wonder what it would have brought through a standard auction format. This lasted mere minutes between listing and purchase.
Old Vintage Halloween Cardboard Jointed Diecut Die Cut Skeleton Cat Beistle 1970
eBay is such a secretive organization. One screen shows that this 1970 Beistle skelecat diecut sold for less than the listed price of $100 due to the acceptance of a BIN offer, but doesn't reveal the exact selling price. Meanwhile, the screen shown here would give the idle browser the errant impression it sold for $100. Using a site created to provide real-time market information for items selling on eBay, I learned this sold for $88.99, a very fair price, indeed, given the condition of the diecut. I found out about this site from a faithful reader. Thank you, Paul, for helping this collector/researcher use a new great tool to track prices!
Antique 1920's Beistle Flaming Halloween Fortunes
This Flaming Hallowe'en Fortune game was manufactured by Beistle during the early 1930s, available in two versions. The first iteration had six "flaming fortunes" while the second and final version had twelve. The perceived rarity of this game took a real tumble about ten years ago as more and more of them surfaced on on-line venues. The price tumbled, too. Today, complete versions in perfect condition and with their glassine envelope bring in the low $300s. Most collectors dislike this game, saying it is too boring and seems like an after-thought for Beistle due to its uninspired design.
Vintage 1940s Black Cat With Fangs Halloween Decoration
Here's another cautionary tale relative to items offered by uninformed sellers as a BIN. This diecut doesn't surface as often as some others from the set in collectible condition, so when one does pop up, they command far more than $22.50. (I sold one in better condition in my recent auction that fetched $140.) These errant BIN offerings do provide an avenue for wily collectors to expand their treasured holdings. I am all too happy to swoop in when something is offered with a too-low BIN. If you are unsure when listing something on eBay, just list it as a 7-day auction with a modest starting price and see where the market takes it.
A Nice Vacation...
I've been on a much needed vacation for the last 10 days, neglecting everything except my good friends in the heartland of the country, including my site. I'm back now and intend on posting regularly.
I sure wish eBay would limit how many times items can be listed and relisted without change. Having ignored eBay during my vacation, it hit me fresh just how much junk clutters up the Vintage Halloween category. There are too many fakes, Frankensteined items, items listed for prices that ignore condition and items with poor photos and/or descriptions only Piet Mondrian would appreciate.
The venues through which to obtain quality vintage Halloween are shrinking. eBay used to be my go-to place, but increasingly I rely on private offers and trades with other principled collectors to expand the collection. I typically avoid the auction houses like Bertoia and Morphy as their offerings are not curated and their buyers' premiums are laughable.
I'm glad that I began collecting when I did. For you newer collectors and those still wishing to expand at a good clip, develop relationships with those routinely selling quality vintage Halloween items, and don't hesitate to cut loose those who sell fakes or Frankensteined items. Deal only with those who keep their word, accurately describe their offerings and guarantee the ability to return something if an item later proves to be problematic.