I’ve never seen this cool design before. Given the crispness of the crescent moon’s tip, it’s doubtful one in better condition will ever surface. I like the blue background and the jester’s costume. What a wonderful tally by one of the regional masters, Buzza.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
VINTAGE KIRCHHOF TIN HALLOWEEN NOISE MAKER WITCH CATS Bats MOON
This listing lasted a scant few minutes as some savvy buyer saw the seller had made a major error in offering this desirable Kirchhof tin litho horn for about one-quarter of what it would have fetched had they just started it at $9.99 and let an auction run its course.
Antique/Vtg BIG Die Cut Cardboard Halloween Cat Double Face Lantern Orig Insert
Beistle produced this lantern in the very early 1940s, along with an owl face design they often sold then as a set. Neither lantern has ever garnered much enthusiasm on the secondary market, for reasons that escape me. Is the item too large? Is the design unappealing?
1920's -1930's Bundle of 5 Halloween Noisemakers--Collector Pieces, Hard to Find
This seller, who routinely vastly overprices her items, is asking $570 for this lot. This nosebleed price is significantly higher than the component parts would warrant. For the wish-upon-a-star price, you’d think the seller would provide a host of decent photos rather than making a potential buyer guess as to condition.
Rare 2 Sided Vintage Halloween Pumpkin Candle Lantern Honeycome Sides Fold out
It’s hard to tell from the poor photos provided with this listing the precise condition of this lantern, produced by Beistle during the early 1930s. Is it slanted so that it won’t stand properly? The description is almost indecipherable, almost as if the seller was trying to write a haiku. In any event, if the lantern isn’t slanted from poor storage, this is a hard one to find and would be a good one to acquire for a collection. Dimensions aren’t provided by our very poor poet, but if it like the one in the collection it measures 9.25” high by 10.25” across.
05/02 Update: The seller stopped the listing and relisted the lantern due to an accident involving the lantern wherein it was further damaged.
HALLOWEEN POSTCARD - H.B.G. - Postcard # 1 of 12 LISTED TODAY
Isn’t it odd that someone trying to sell as many postcards as this seller doesn’t provide scans of the reverse?
1919 Dennisons Bogie Book Vtg Antique Halloween Party Decoration Catalog Costume
This hard-to-find copy of the 1919 edition of Dennison’s Bogie Book brought about what I expected given its condition. Most of the editions from the teens are tough to score in decent condition. Given current knowledge, the 1913 edition is near impossible to find, with the 1912, 1914 and 1916 editions only slightly easier to procure. (Dennison’s first Bogie Book was issued in 1909. There is only one copy known to be in private hands. There was nothing published for 1910 and 1911. There was then a run from 1912 through 1917. Nothing was published in 1918 due to WWI.) The next tier of availability from the teens would be 1915, 1919 then 1917.
I am missing the 1913 issue. I began seeking out the original Bogie Book mailing envelopes - talk about a masochist - years ago and have been lucky to find many, all of which can be seen on pages 100-104. At some point Dennison ceased designing a specific envelope for the annual Bogie Books. Although I think this ceasing began before 1926, it certainly began by 1926 when Dennison began packaging their Bogie Books in envelopes marked as “Dennison Instruction Books.”
Another level of masochism involving Bogie Books is to collect trade editions, or non-library editions, in hardback.
2 USA Pumpkin Halloween Decorations
When I saw that eBay reported these as being sold for $1200 I knew something was amiss. These two vented lanterns were produced by Beistle during the mid-1950s. They surface frequently enough that given this pair’s condition, the selling price should have been less than $100. Sure enough, they actually sold for $76.
RARE 1930s Jitterbug Jones table decoration Great Halloween graphics!!!
Here is another seller I heartily endorse. He doesn’t sell much, but he is offering at least two desirable Halloween items right now, the other being a Beistle electrified cat band hat. Jitterbug Jones was produced by an unknown firm during the 1930s. It is an early example of a glow-in-the-dark party product. The placard the seller references is almost always missing. This item displays well given its color and energetic presentation. I’ve only seen it offered for sale a handful of times in 32 years of collecting.
04/28 Update: $512.98! Wow. Just imagine what is would have fetched had it the placard!
WHITNEY 1920's PUMPKIN CAR DRIVEN BY WITCH INVITATION unused HALLOWEEN
I can’t say enough good things about this seller. I’ve had the pleasure of doing business with him for years and he is fantastic. I appreciate the care with which he describes his items and the many excellent photos that accompany his listings. (How I wish all eBay sellers would follow his lead!)
This awesome Whitney invitation is one of three designs that comprise a full set. Produced during the early 1920s, each is very hard to find, lending credence to the notion they were made for a single season. I hope this brings strong dollars.
04/28 Update: This sold for a very strong $425.
LARGE BLACK CAT COUPLE BOY GERMAN GERMANY DIECUT EASEL HALLOWEEN die cut
I can’t say enough good things about this seller. I’ve had the pleasure of doing business with him for years and he is fantastic. I appreciate the care with which he describes his items and the many excellent photos that accompany his listings. (How I wish all eBay sellers would follow his lead!)
The faint mark he references on the easel does date this pressing to the later 1940s. This is a tough design to find in such good condition.
04/28 Update: This sold for a strong $202.50.
Vintage 1930's Halloween black cat jack o lantern day cards post antique vampire
Hallmark produced a wide variety of these small, non-embossed diecuts on a thin cardboard stock during the later 1920s and into the 1930s. For a long time I thought these items were produced by Whitney. However, as I added to my collection of items actually marked by Hallmark, I began to see that many of these diecuts appeared as images on their tally and place cards.
Some firms were disciplined about marking their individual items. Dennison was probably the most disciplined, followed by Beistle beginning in the 1930s. Hallmark falls in the vast middle with Whitney surely being the least disciplined.
04/23 Update: This sold for $16.50.
Unusual Veggie Person Anthropomorphic Die Cut Beistle?
Beistle issued this “male” version of its Hallowe’en Elf design between 1923 and 1932. The difference between the male and female is the male design is larger and has an additional layer of foliage directly beneath the abdomen. (See page 125 for both designs plus the elusive but ever-so-desirable envelope.) A prominent collector asked my opinion of how much this should go for given its rough condition. I estimated it would bring between $250-275, so the buyer paid a substantial premium.
1920 DENNISON'S HALLOWEEN Spook w/Pumpkins Seals Stickers Box
What a wonderfully weird design. I have never seen these seals before - and certainly never a box. Given the stock number, H513, I estimate Dennison issued this design in 1919, and surely for only a single season. So, what wasn’t a big seller back then now fetches $109.16 in 2020 for an empty box - and a well-used one at that.
Vintage J Chein Halloween Tambourine
Here’s the steal of the week! The seller listed this with a BIN of $75, about one-quarter what this tambourine would have brought given its superb condition. Some lucky buyer scooped this up within 4 minutes of the listing going live.
