I have long said that selling vintage Halloween on eBay in October is risky. Most collectors have spent their budget by the time they begin decorating in early October and so wonderful items sell for much less than they might have at other times. There are notable exceptions, but this is largely true. This diecut is a great example. Two similar ones sold within the last ~15 months for $2,000+. Even though the inserts are faded on this example, I feel the seller would have done better if they had offered it sometime from March to May.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
RARE Antique Vintage Halloween BEISTLE Die Cut Pumpkin Blossom Man 1920s
Yikes! Where’s the rest of me? I feel like Madame Leota in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion!
10/26 Update: This remnant sold for $16.27.
WITCHES MYSTERY ANSWER GAME BEISTLE VINTAGE HALLOWEEN GAME 1933 MINT VINTAGE
Wow, this game is in nice condition. Because of its size, sawtooth edges and the fact that it was meant to be played with, the Witch’s Mystery Answer Game produced by Beistle is often found with bends, missing borders, extraneous writing, staining - and sometimes all of these. This beautiful example brought $330, a relative bargain for the purchaser.
Vintage Halloween Paper Plate USA
When I think of all the many market segments that comprise the universe of vintage Halloween collecting, I often forget about plates. Most plates, especially those by Reed, don’t fetch much, but one manufacturer stands well above the others - Beach & Arthur. Plates by that firm have been fetching very strong dollars for some 2-3 years now. Their designs tend to be unusual and creatively use colors not typically associated with Halloween like yellow and red. The plate listed is one of the more tame designs and has some staining. Even so, I expect the final result will escalate beyond the initial bid of $9.99.
10/17 Update: The plate sol for $38.99.
Halloween Collecting Podcast
I had the pleasure of speaking with Eric Dwinnells of Salem, Massachusetts by phone on the subject of collecting vintage Halloween for his podcast about two weeks ago. His podcast is called Spooky Times with Eric D. The conversation was wide-ranging and lasted about 90 minutes. If you care to listen, the link can be found below. Let me know what you think.
Just letting you know the interview has been posted and you can find it here:
https://spookyas.libsyn.com/205-vintage-halloween-collecting
That's also a good link to use if you want to share it yourself or post it on your website.
RARE ANTIQUE HALLOWEEN ROSEN MAGIC POT BLACK CAT CANDY CONTAINER STORE DISPLAY
Rosen produced some of the most unique ways to contain candy. Their mechanical products are extremely hard-to-find. (Look at pages 116-118.) This particular Magic Pot is sure nice, but has a number of condition issues. Even so, it brought $1,325! So, even though prices seem to have softened very recently, this is an example of a strong price.
Rare German Mini-Diecut
I attended an event last week in southern California’s California Adventure park called the Oogie Boogie Bash - A Disney Halloween Party. It replaces the significantly superior Mickey’s Halloween Party in Disneyland. As a bonus during the trip, I had the opportunity to view Jason Walcott’s collection for the first time since 2018. Jason’s collection is amazing and wide-ranging. One of the true pleasures of seeing his collection is the quality of each piece. Jason, like me, places a very high value on condition. Anyway, as I was perusing his wonderful displays, I spied the German mini-diecut shown below. I had never seen it before. It makes me wonder just how many German Halloween mini-diecuts were made. Congratulations, Jason, on having such a fantastic collection so nicely displayed. Thanks for letting me visit!
Embossed Antique German MINI Diecut Halloween black cat RARE!
I have learned to really examine these mini-diecuts for variations. This arched-back black cat mini-diecut has differences from the one I own and that is shown on page 185. Look at the positioning of the legs and the shape of the tail. I don’t have a theory as to why these variations surface so regularly with these mini-diecuts. This went for less than I would have thought.
Nice Antique Vintage Halloween Bridge Tally Card, The Unique Line
This is an exceptionally hard-to-find tally produced by Unique. I’ve seen it only 2-3 times in 33 years. There is a companion tally that was sold with this one. (It can be seen in the Acquisitions section of the blog.)
10/12 Update: This sold for much less than I would have thought - $86.
Vintage Dennisons Halloween Seals Black Cat Witch Pumpkin In Box 1920s Stickers
Dennison had a very distinctive look for their output from about 1928 through 1932. I’d love to know who this/these artist/artists were. This superb box of seals is one of their best designs. Just look at how much energy is exuded in this small seal. I’ve noticed a general softening of prices across all segments so it will be fun to see what this brings. I feel it is a $400+ slide box.
Vintage Halloween Pom Pom w/ Cardboard holder by Beistle 1.25"W x 12"T
This is an odd Beistle item - most assuredly from their early days. The iconography supports this. Since the item has such a limited function, I understand why the production of these pom poms was short-lived. I placed a bid just out of idle curiosity of how this was constructed but was outbid. Will I see another?
Vintage 1950's Halloween TRICK OR TREAT TOY POPGUN on Original card WORKS!
What a rare thing to find this Empire Plastics popgun with its original card extant. I believe this is the first time I’ve seen this card. The seller has an opening price of $100 and is letting the auction run for only three days.
10/10 Update: This sold for $346.
Vintage Halloween Skeleton Jack o lantern Owl Cats Lot
I sure wish I could have been at that estate sale and snatched these items right up! The buyer almost surely got a tremendous bargain. Not only are the 1930-1 Beistle lanterns a key find, but the assortment of German diecuts is quite nice. Don’t let the small bat escape your notice. The lot has already been bid up to $356. It has a lot of room to run.
Vintage Halloween RARE 30s Beistle Paper Lantern Bat Witch Black Cat NICE Diecut
If you want a good laugh to kick off the weekend, look at this listing. The wildly optimistic seller has offered this for $749.99 with a “make an offer” option. (This isn’t a typo.) This common lantern isn’t even offered with a bottom. If you are inclined to make an offer, my guidance would be $40-60 isn’t unreasonable.
Vintage Halloween Noisemaker Crier RARE Witch Black Cat Meow Vo Toys
Here is a noisemaker that I’ve never seen before. Condition is problematic. The orange ribbons don’t add anything to the vintage item. Apparently the firm was based in Harrison, NJ. It doesn’t appear to be an independent entity anymore. Based on the imagery, I would guess this crier was produced in the late 1930s.
10/05 Update: This sold for $80.06.
