A great example of the vagaries of eBay. One in arguably lesser condition sold on 09/29 for nearly $5900, while this one brought $4173.56. Both figures exceeded what I felt is the sustainable price. I sure am glad I acquired mine long ago.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Rare Vintage 20s 30s Japan Halloween PAPER & JINGLE BELL Witch Face Tambourine
This item was one I’d not seen before. The way it is constructed is exactly the same as how I feel its companion piece was constructed. That item sports a devil face - much more interesting and memorable than this rather pallid-faced crone. I felt it should have brought more, but perhaps the imagery worked against it. Turn to page 198 to see the devil tam companion.
Vintage GERMAN Halloween Embossed Die Cut Girl Jack-O-Lantern playing Cymbals
This 1920s “Minnie Mouse” German diecut crashing cymbals is a surprisingly hard one to find in this condition. The primary problem with this one is the arms connecting to either the main body or to the cymbals (and sometimes both) are weak and sometimes flop around. For each of the three total in this set the white eye paint is often scuffed. It’s nice to see in this glossy condition.
10/24 Update: This sold for $315.
Antique Witch JOL Bats Halloween Box Dennison
This is a wonderful Dennison item. They made two designs of what they called Bon Bon boxes.” Both first appeared in their 1919 Bogie Book. I don’t think these were made for more than one or two seasons as they don’t come up for sale all that often. You can see both designs at the top of page 262. The other design is much harder to find. (I still don’t have one in my personal collection.)
VINTAGE DENNISON'S HALLOWEEN DECORATION SEALS ART DECO BOY WITCH HAT DOG RUN
This box of seals seems pristine. Given that the seller didn’t state otherwise, I assume all 20 seals were extant. Although the selling price is excessive, Dennison products from this period are truly scarce. Beginning around 1928 and continuing through the early 1930s, Dennison’s design aesthetic took a sharp turn away from what it had been. Instead, a playful, Art Deco vibe was adopted along with vibrant colors. Products from this period are among the best things Dennison produced. This box was sold with stock number H921.
HALLOWEEN BEISTLE FLAMING HALLOWE'EN FORTUNE GAME EARLY READ RARE $379.99
This is the first time I’ve seen a cardboard envelope associated with this classic Beistle game. Whenever I’ve seen this game’s envelope, it is made from glassine. As with so many of Beistle’s envelopes, it is beautifully rendered and functional. The game itself was produced no later than 1931 and had two variants - one with six flaming fortunes and the other with twelve flaming fortunes.
Rare Complete Set of Rustcraft Halloween Place Cards in Original Box
The seller states this set is rare. They couldn’t be more right! I don’t think I’ve ever seen even one of these designs before much less a full set complete with the box. Rustcraft was known as a quality manufacturer with whimsical and eccentric designs. This is a true treasure.
HALLOWEEN TABLE PLACE NAME CARD
This place card made by the Henderson Line during the 1920s is superb. I have one in the collection and can state that the design is great and the colors are deep and interesting. Someone should snatch this up pronto. For a total acquisition cost of $46.50, this piece of ephemera is totally worth it.
Vintage HALLOWEEN Decoration EMBOSSED CREEPY CLOWN DIE CUT
Beistle produced a set of eight of these small form-factor diecuts during the early 1950s. Except for this one, where it seems the designer was really searching for something - anything - to complete the set, the other diecuts are spot-on and worth having. See the entire set on page 157.
10/21 Update: Unbelievably, this brought $202.49. Sustainable value is around $50.
Marks Bros. Halloween Cardboard Paper Horn Noisemaker Jack O' Lantern 15"
I have never seen this 15” tall Marks’ horn variant before. I own an equally tall Marks’ horn with different graphics and a 7.25” horn with the same squiggly pattern, but this variant is a new one for me. The buyer got a killer deal. Congrats!
Original Die-Cut Figure from Vintage 1923 Beistle Halloween Pumpkin. Clown
This is an odd listing. The heads of these Johnny Pumpkins appear to be double-sided, but Beistle didn’t make these figures double-sided. If you are interested in these, I’d advise proceeding with caution as they may be fakes.
VINTAGE ROSEN HARD PLASTIC HALLOWEEN CIRCUS SET 4 ORIGINAL BOX CANDY CONTAINER
I typically don’t pay much attention to the hard plastic segment as I’ve never collected it, but I learned something from this listing. Who would have guessed that Rosen sold these four pieces together as a “Halloween Circus?” The existence of the box, tattered and beaten up as it is, adds significantly to the knowledge of how these companies sold these once low-priced items. I’m sure Rosen never guessed what kind of prices they’d bring decades later on the secondary market!
10/21 Update: This lot fetched $565.
RARE Very Large Antique Early 1900s Gerrman Halloween Pumpkin Candy Container
At ~8” high, this is the largest such candy container I’ve ever seen. The seller took a risk at starting it at $498, but the lot has received two bids already. What a monster!
SCARCE 1931-1932 WITCH-EE ANIMATED FORTUNE TELLER GAME. VERY GOOD CONDITION
The lid graphics on this game are outstanding - and it is for those that the Halloween collector would want to add this game to their display. The witch was not attached to the game board. A player would rub the chamois across the plastic atop the game board causing static electricity that would lift the witch silhouette. Once the rubbing stops, the witch would fall on a particular spoke of the game announcing the player’s fortune.
10/21 Update: This sold for $259.97.
Dennison's 1913 Bogie Book (Original Edition)
What a true steal some lucky eBay prowler got in acquiring this exceedingly rare 1913 Bogie Book for a mere $185, with free shipping to add insult to injury. This edition is the only one that has escaped me these 31 years of collecting. It is the second hardest Bogie Book to get, with the 1909 edition being the hardest by far. (There is only one known copy.) I’m sure this listing didn’t last more than minutes. The seller left gobs of money on the table.
