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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Pre-1960s Halloween Die Cut Lot of 4

Whomever was lucky enough to swoop in and acquire this lot for the laughably low price of $90 should be doing a happy dance for eternity. The Gibson tombstone diecut alone is one of the most highly coveted products made by that firm. Listed alone, it would have easily brought multiples of what the entire lot brought. The large piece to the left is part of Dennison’s Hobgoblinville set.

RARE Vtg 20s EMBOSSED German HALLOWEEN Decoration CRAWLING Baby PUMPKIN Die Cut

Here is a German diecut you don’t see often. This crawling baby boy hinged diecut was produced in Germany during the late 1920s. (There is a chance that it was made during the mid-1930s. Other hinged products were made then.) The Germans made two different crawling babies. The girl shows up a tad more often than the boy, but both are rare. You can see both on page 169. With over 5 days to go, the bidding has already reached $431. It will be instructive to see what price it reaches.

10/03 Update: This brought $770.

Vintage Halloween Large Walking Witch Diecut Decoration Standup, Germany 1940s!!

The Queen of the Golden Doily is offering a very nice example of a German diecut that, although common, isn’t commonly seen in this great condition. Ziz is one of my favorite dealers. She typically offers a wide variety of vintage goods that appeal to both new and experienced collectors. She firmly believes in the auction format, beginning her listings at $9.99. You would do well to watch her listings!

Halloween Pressed Paper Hanging Decorations Large OWL, small cat & small bat

It’s pretty rare that I am able to get a bargain on eBay outside of the mispriced BIN listings. This auction-format listing actually ran for a full week. I put in a bid significantly higher than what I ended up paying for this lot - a relative pittance of about $110 with shipping. Lots of collectors were asleep at the switch or were inundated with the avalanche of listings that materialize at this time of the year. Although the owl is quite nice, it was far eclipsed by my interest in the two mini-diecuts - both rare enough that I’ve never seen them. Although the bat is not in the condition normally required to become part of the collection, it is energetic and full of personality. I have a similar cat with the tail demurely by its side, but not this great design. For once - an auction bargain!

Later Update: Well, not so fast. A good friend pointed out to me that the mini-diecuts I was so excited about look to be cut-outs from two of the set of six German diecuts of characters with crescent moons that you can see on page 184. I don’t know how I didn’t see that before. So, the only person asleep at the switch was me. The lesson here is that even someone who has been collecting for 31 years can be dumb enough to waste money on remnants! Very good catch, CR. How I wish I would have had your wise counsel before bidding on the lot!

1920s Halloween JOL SATCHEL Candy Box Squeaker RARE!

Two examples of this squeaking satchel have sold in the last ~18 months, one in the low $200s and the other in the low $300s. Like this one, they were made in Japan. This is not a German-made item.

09/26 Update: This sold for $399.99, a significantly higher price than the other two. I wonder if the buyer thought they were buying an item made in Germany?

Vintage Halloween EMBOSSED CARDBOARD DIE CUT DEVIL GERMANY 10 x 9.5"

This was a surprising ending price. These German devil head diecuts are arguably among the most common. They surface regularly and typically sell for well below $200. So, not only were the bidders overly frenzied, but this is the time of the year when so many solid vintage Halloween items are listed that bargains are to be had. Why overpay? My contention is that NOW is the very best time to be a buyer. There are so many listings with collectors having only so many dollars to spend, that lots tend to go cheaper now than at any other time of the year. I have many items on my watch list and expect to buy several nice items for much less than one would expect to pay at other times of the year. Aberrant results like this one should lessen between now and middle of November.

Vtg HALLOWEEN Dennison Howling Cat on Crescent Moon Diecut Circa 1920s

Dennison diecuts have increased mightily in price these last couple of years as collectors realize that few survived, especially given the thin paper stock they used. This howling cat with crescent moon diecut first appeared in their 1929 Price List pamphlet. Although it has a crease where the tail protrudes beyond the moon, the color is fantastic. It seems to have no other flaws. The seller sold this too cheap with a BIN of $144.49. These typically fetch $225 and up. The buyer got a bargain.

Antique 1920’s Holiday Halloween Lamp Shades (set of 3)

These shades are early and rare. (I’ve never seen any of these before.) Looking at the tops gives one the first clue as to just how early these are. The simplicity of the designs is the second clue. The metal rivets used is the third. These are pretty darn sweet!

DENNISON IMPRESSIVE “HALLOWE‘EN CENTERPIECE FOR YOUR TABLE” COMPLETE SET OF VINT

Dennison issued this Hallowe’en Centerpiece boxed set in 1933. I’ve seen this several times and haven’t ever been able to get excited about it. In 1933, the Great Depression was strangling many businesses to death, and those that wanted to make it had to be creative. Unfortunately, sometimes being creative meant creative economically, not artistically. The contents of this set are uninspired and forgettable. The best thing about it is the box. This excellent seller has over 140 listings right now - many of which are pretty amazing! This set is for the Dennison completist only.

10/03 Update: This sold for about what I expected - $159.50.