This result is truly pushing the very boundary of sanity. This windowpane diecut, one of a set of four made during the early 1930s, has never sold for anything remotely close to this (frankly) ridiculous level. $5799.99 is more than was paid ~10 days ago for a one-of-a-kind German diecut. Hey, I'm not greedy - anyone wanting the one shown on page 170 can have it for $3500. I am worried that these unsustainable prices are so daunting to new collectors that the overall hobby will be damaged.
Blog
Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Rare - Vintage - Halloween Skeleton Noisemaker / Rattle - Metal Toy 1960's
I don't understand a lot of the auction results I'm seeing. This noisemaker, a very cool 1960s design by US Metal Toy, is not particularly rare, as it surfaces with regularity. It typically changes hands for $225. As is so often the case here, there were only two determined bidders driving up the price to this wholly unsustainable level. Unless the prevailing bidder offers it to the underbidder, I am certain this price will never again be obtained for this item. Collectors: have patience unless money is no concern.
1920s Rare German Porcelain Children's Lidded Sugar Bowl & Creamer Set
The moment I saw this listing I knew both pieces would not have maker's marks to them. Why? These two items were both made in Japan and have perhaps half the value of their German counterparts, shown on page 120 of my third edition. (This seller, one of the collecting pioneers in this field, has not been an active buyer for many years. She references the now-outdated first edition from 2003.) Japanese porcelain tea set pieces were never marked. They have none of the grace and fine styling of their German brethren. The Japanese copied these designs, but turned out rather clunky versions that compare quite unfavorably to the German items. The asking price is far too high.
10/04 Update: I was sorry to see that some buyer paid $395 for these Japanese made items. I contacted the seller to have her correct the listing, but as is so often the case she resisted, boldly saying that the Japanese never manufactured such items. Given that she hasn't invested in a decent reference in over ten years, she is content to remain ignorant. I think fair market value is in the $175 to $200 range.
Vintage Halloween German Pumpkin Germany Jack O' Lantern Teapot
Every now and then something surfaces on eBay that astounds. I've been collecting a long time and have never seen this before. That said, I don't care for it much. It seems to be a rather clumsy and nonsensical pastiche of pieces. The factory obviously found another use for the candle holder body, grafted a small cup to the top and added a handle and that unfortunately-sized honker. Going through my wholesaler catalogs, I can find no description of this item, which means nothing in and of itself. Wholesalers often didn't get every item and things were much less formal back then. This is almost certainly a one-off, perhaps made by a bored worker, but I completely speculate. Because I am a completist, I'd typically make a play for this, but the damage is too extensive for it to be part of the collection.
10/09 Update: This sold for $787.77.
~ 1930's Paper Mache Halloween Devil ~Vintage Jack O Lantern ~Pumpkin
Personally, I have never been a fan of pulp. Even when I first started to troll the antiques stores in 1988 for vintage Halloween items, I'd almost always pass on purchasing pulp. I felt and feel the genre is too common and too space-consuming. That said, I do have a few pulp items in the collection. One of the designs I have long liked is this devil head lantern. (I like this design far more than the other one shown on page 29.) It exudes a slightly threatening air, so different than the vast majority of pulp JOLs, especially the choir boy designs I especially dislike. Given its overall condition, this sold right around where I feel it should have.
Vintage Halloween Beistle Stunt & Fortune Game
The price paid for this was much too high. Produced by Beistle in the mid-1950s, this diminutive Ghostly Stunt and Fortune Game typically trades for $75. Factoring in the jaw-droppingly high price the seller is charging for shipping a wafer-thin piece of cardboard measuring 4x6", I would not have given it a second glance, even when assuming it would sell for the sustainable guide value.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN 2 DIE CUT HANGING DECORATIONS OWL BAT BEISTLE USA
It isn't surprising that these two superb diecuts ended up together in a paper bag as described by the seller, as they were sold as a set. Beistle sold these as enveloped sets, with the envelopes having a number of variations. (The orange envelope is earlier.) They were marketed as Mechanical Hallowe'en Silhouettes and sold in the early 1920s. Somewhat later, the owl was made as a table decoration with a flip-out base.
COHN NOISEMAKER~RATTLE HEAD~HORN HANDLE~WORKS!~1920'S
Given how cool and early this design by T. Cohn is, I've long been surprised that the marketplace doesn't more highly value this hard-to-find noisemaker. This looks to be in superb, all-original condition. Sustainable guide value is $145.
10/04 Update: Someone bought a great item from a great seller for a reasonable price, $135.83.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN DEVIL LANTERN GERMANY PRE 1920's MASSIVE SIZE AT 14"T X 13"W
This magnificent lantern leviathan is a true showstopper. While I was scrolling through the listings I couldn't pass it by, the imagery is that strong. These huge lanterns were store displays and were made right around 1919 and then for 1-2 more seasons. I have seen three designs over the years - this devil, a witch head and an eerie JOL. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen this lantern. These are so rare that lantern collectors should be scrambling to be the prevailing bidder. I'll be watching! The bonus here is the seller, an honest person who strives to be correct in her listings. It would be hard to find a nicer seller.
10/02 Update: This superb item sold for $2,550!
Vintage Halloween Dennison Seals
This is an awesome set of rare Dennison seals. The seller is correct - these first appeared in Dennison's 1924 Bogie Book. There were two leaf designs - one smiling and one frowning. Both were sold with stock number H684. Sustainable guide value is $180. I have not seen a full box of these offered for sale for many years. It'll be fun to see what they fetch.
10/06 Update: This great set brought an eyebrow-arching $511.23. The prevailing bidder must have wanted the set VERY badly, as this price probably won't be seen again.
3 Vintage halloween Beistle Party Favor Baskets Original Package Owl Cat Witch
This nice little grouping is interesting. Beistle produced and sold these from 1927 through 1931. There were four designs overall. This listing is missing the one I like best, which shows a witch wearing a skull laden robe stirring a cauldron. The honeycomb sections that have separated from the main bodies, ostensibly due to dried glue, should be easily re-attachable. The extant glassine envelope is dull and shouldn't be much of a factor in what you may wish to bid on this lot.
Old Vintage BEISTLE - HALLOWEEN HATS - Envelope/Wrapper - Halloween Party
Lavishly decorated envelopes like this one was one way that Beistle differentiated themselves from their competitors in the marketplace. Nice as these envelopes were, most end-consumers tossed them after liberating the contents, hence the rarity of finding one for sale. Even though this one survived through the decades, it wasn't like it looked like Dorian Gray after the journey. This one was, as the seller aptly described it, in poor condition and the ending price reflected that. If one in perfect condition was to surface, I have no doubt it would have brought up to 10 times what this one did.
Vintage German Pumpkin Man Candy Container Halloween
Considering the condition issues, this candy container did well. Made in Germany sometime between 1919-early 1920s, this originally stood on a circular wood base. In fact, you can see a fragment from the now-missing base in one of the listing's photos. It's twine stem at the crown of the head is nearly gone and is seems a little soiled, although that could be just the underlit photos. At ~4.5" high, it seems to be a bit smaller than the one in the collection shown on page 73. German candy containers/nodders/figurals are an increasingly perilous genre for collectors. I don't buy many of these anymore unless I can examine the item in-person or unless I have confidence in the seller.
Vintage Halloween Lantern 4 Different Sides Cat, Bat, Pumpkin, Owl Unique
This very busy shade was produced by Gibson during the 1920s in two variations. The one up for auction is the later variant. The earlier version has cut-out silhouettes as part of the main frame, rather than having these images printed directly onto the orange paper. These early versions are much rarer and have a value significantly greater than later versions. This item has but one bid at $19.99, so a bargain may be in the offing.
Gurley Candle, 4" Cat on Fence, Creasent Moon, Exc Cond..
Candles are a genre that hasn't caught fire (bad pun...I know...) over these many years, lagging the overall market like common tin litho noisemakers. This sale price for arguably one of the better Gurley designs is surprising. These typically bring $18-20, so to have one bring in more than double is unusual. I feel that candles, tin litho noisemakers and the more common pulp JOLs are great entry points for new collectors. They are plentiful, cheap and low-risk relative to getting stuck with a fake. (As I point out on page 87, the Gurley name was resurrected in 2006 and the new firm began producing candles using new molds.) Look to pay guide values for items within this genre. This result was great for the seller, but the buyer could have waited and gotten it at half the cost.
