Dennison's output from the late 1920s through the early 1930s is sought after. Like so many other industrial concerns in the very early 1930s, their output was curtailed by the onset of what became known as the Great Depression. This simple shade was produced at that time. It is hard to find period, much less in the condition this fine seller is offering. Don't let this one get away!
09/11 Update: This went for an unsustainable price of $355.
A fair number of these Beistle favor baskets have surfaced recently, but I think this is the first one of this design. In my judgment, it is the strongest design of the four Beistle issued from 1927-1931. This one is rough. The seller really should provide more photos.
The graphics on this great dance card are both simple and compelling. The cats seem to be focused on having fun. Dance cards as a sub-genre of small paper are uncommon. The condition on this one is super - as are the sellers!
This incomplete diecut was produced by Beistle during the 1950s. It was one of a set of four they produced during the mid-1950s. Missing is the spider made from black construction paper. (The others comprising the full set can be seen on page 158.) As I write, "Having an item like this spider 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."
This rare and unusual item was produced by Gibson.
This listing has prompted me to add to my book's on-line errata page, something I've been meaning to do for some time. I know now that Gibson did issue the four sides of the centerpiece at the top of page 271 as individual diecuts for a short time during the later 1920s.
This is a rare game indeed. I've never seen it before. I'm typically not much interested in items manufactured after ~1955, but the imagery caught my eye. It is unusually detailed and not-too-friendly considering it was issued in 1965. Given the compelling graphics and the overall super condition, I'm surprised it didn't realize more than $212.50.
This seller has four of the better tiara designs listed for sale right now. Overall, condition seems to be quite good. The Germans issued these as a set of 12 during the 1920s. I feel individual designs were also sold separately. Given the recent sale wherein another tiara design brought an unsustainable price of $1608.14, I felt we'd be seeing others flushed out by the frenzy generated by a relative handful of determined, deep-pocketed bidders. What I didn't expect was to see some of the best and rarest designs being offered is such fine condition. The Halloween market seems to be too frothy right now. It'll be interesting to see what prices these tiaras bring on September 3rd.
09/04 Update: The devil tiara brought $790. The seller's other three tiaras brought $1782.12, $1982.12 and $2182.12. These are astounding sums. I will sell any of my tiaras - I own all 12 - for an average of these last three prices! :)
If I had to select one segment of the vintage Halloween collectibles market that I love the best, the German porcelain items would be my choice. They are getting harder to find with each passing year - probably true of most great items. The Germans were stupefyingly creative in coming up with fairly outlandish items to supplement the basics like the teapot, creamer, lidded sugar, cups and waste bowls. (Check out pages 119-121 to see what I mean.) This is a somewhat better than basic piece since some waste bowls are faceless. Made from 1908-1932, this little gem was made at a later point in that range given the mark. SGV is $150.
Here's a tin litho clicker that I haven't seen for sale in a while. In terms of Halloween output, Japanese material is largely derivative and poorly made, hence the market for their items has never taken off. There are exceptions, though, and this visually engaging diminutive noisemaker is one of them. I'm glad to have one as part of the collection. If you like strong design coupled with a modicum of rarity, this is just the item for you.
09/04 Update: This sold for a very strong $169.50.
This is a good example of what I mean when I refer to SGV, or sustainable guide value. This same seller listed an identical item that ended on August 14th for $82.77. The second identical listing ended on August 22nd for $37.99. If a seller were to list another one in the near future the price should be even lower. At some point, the "bedrock" value of the item would be established at, let's say, $25. That latter figure would then be the SGV. The values cited in my reference are for an item's SGV.
09/02 Update: The same seller sold a third identical item on September 1st for $53, an unexpected result. The same seller listed a fourth identical item today. That selling price should be conclusive in establishing an SGV.
These pieces comprised part of Beistle's first party set issued in 1918. There were 74 pieces to this set It is an extraordinarily difficult set to find complete. Beistle significantly reduced the number of pieces to 34 in their next iteration, released in 1922. Their final party set was released the following year with 30 pieces.
Wow, eBay is sure a strange marketplace. So many collectors have expressed astonishment over this result, it must be an aberration. I am lucky enough to own all twelve of these diadems or tiaras. Trust me, I'm willing to sell any one in the collection for this price. Transfer the sum via Paypal and let me know which one you want.
I've always liked this understated tin container. As you know, these are generally beaten to hell and back, but this one looks to be in very collectible condition, no doubt the reason it garnered so many dollars. It is a very soothing scene. Some collectors feel this is from the early 1950s, but I feel it is from the 1930s.
This rattler is indeed rare as the seller states. It was produced in Germany during the early 1930s. By that time, the Germans were producing far fewer exported novelty items in smaller and smaller quantities as their political leaders' attentions drifted toward war. Although I've seen this tin litho noisemaker a handful of times, I've not seen it in this nice of condition. This is truly an item for which it will be worth ponying up some bucks. As of this writing it would sell for $60 with over four days remaining. I expect it to go much higher.
08/28 Update: $675.99 - WOW!
