1910-1914 ANTIQUE Vintage Halloween TREAT SATCHEL Devils Bonfire Bat GERMANY

OK, this result blew my mind. (Another from this set of at least six, with broomed witches, sold a day earlier for a hair over $1,700.) These are very cool and rare items, but c’mon. If any one buyer wishes to own four of the six satchels, shown on page 137 from my personal collection, they can be yours for $7,000.

A long-time collector kindly shared a previously unknown design from his private collection, folded to be used as a hat rather than a satchel - expanding the known designs from four to five. You’ll find this below.

Another collector kindly shared a previously unknown design from her private collection, folded to be used as a hat rather than a satchel - expanding the known designs from five to six. You’ll find this below.

*RARE* 1950s Vintage Halloween BEISTLE Witch Glancing Backwards Pale Green Moon

There have been a number of results that have caused me to raise my eyebrows in disbelief, this being one of them. The three Beistle diecuts that comprise a full set are arguably the result of a last creative gasp from an organization that had been running on fumes for too long by the time these were released during the late 1950s. The trio is stunning! The condition of this example is so problematic that I question why it would have brought nearly $430.

Vintage Halloween Black Cat Letter Napkin Holder Decoration

This is simply a non-descript metal holder that someone slapped a forgettable Halloween seal on at some point. It’s true connection to Halloween is tenuous. Sadly, the seller keeps listing and relisting it.

Scarce 1920s Halloween Black face Jack O Lantern JOL Made in Germany embossed

It is nice to see a rare item of quality on eBay. Sadly, that forum has largely been a shit-show since they inexplicably compressed the holiday categories about one year ago. This smaller version of this JOL design is one that just doesn’t surface much. Made in Germany during the early 1930s, it will win hands-down in a staring contest. (I now feel this design and related ones were made during the early 1930s. The book’s errata has been updated to reflect this new view.)

Vintage Luhrs (Beistle) Halloween Paper/Honeycomb Party Hat Witch/Moon 1940s

Beistle produced this design, as well as the additional three designs comprising a complete set, from 1946-1954. The prices for these designs have been largely moribund for years, but lately this has changed. I sold two designs in my recent auction that fetched well above the average selling prices established over the last few years. You can see all four designs on page 243.

VERY RARE 1930s Vintage Halloween BEISTLE Sunflower TALLY CARD Honeycomb Tutu

This Beistle tutu tally was produced during the 1930-1931 interval. There were two designs sold as a set. The odd thing is that when one of the two is offered for sale, which doesn’t happen often, it is invariably this sunflower design, not the other design. (You can see the other design on page 223.) Weird, huh? This example being offered for auction is pretty darn nice. The seller is too!

03/24 Update: This sold for $311.

RARE 1920s Vintage Halloween DENNISON? GIBSON? Diecut "Faux Stained Glass"

I think the set of four, of which this is one, is unusual, calming and extremely hard to find in collectible condition. Even with the flaws the seller so carefully called out, this fetched a pretty penny! I feel the flaws were overshadowed by the still-bright colors. I had read another listing for an item from this set that claimed the set was produced by Dennison. Although that is surely possible, I can find no evidence that this set was produced by Dennison. Stylistically, it doesn’t seem to fit, either.

Early Vintage Halloween Diecut - THIS WAY - Owl on Sign

The seller, who surely knows this information given how much vintage Halloween he sells, doesn’t mention that this diecut was produced by Dennison beginning in 1928. These diecuts are seldom seen with such rich coloration, surely accounting for the high price the buyer was willing to pay for this diecut with an RSIN of 3.

Vintage '66? Halloween BEISTLE MIP 6 FAVOR-ETTES Table Standees UNOPENED BEELINE

I’m impressed with the care this seller took in describing this item. Beistle’s “favor-ettes” were their second attempt at the same basic decoration. (See the first iteration made for many seasons on page 232.)

Vintage Jack O Lantern Halloween Hanging Decorations Die Cut~ 7 5/8"

Beistle issued this JOL and corn shock design as part of an enveloped set of six designs during the early 1920s. (You can see this set at the bottom of page 218.) None of the designs come to market that often. This offering is hobbled by its poor condition and the very poor photos provided by the seller. Given how good cameras are these days, why would any seller post such photos?

VINTAGE 1930's HALLOWEEN Noisemaker SCREECH OWL SIREN HORN With Metal Top

This horn has long been one of my favorites due to its strong graphics. It doesn’t come available much especially in this stellar condition. (The seller is stellar, too!) This was produced by an unknown firm during the 1930s. I’ve often wondered whether Marks Brothers of Boston was the producer, but they were so diligent about marking their output that the lack of any such mark accounts for my uncertainty. The Germans produced a tin horn around the same time that they called a Screech-Owl horn (notice the subtle distinction), but their graphics are nowhere near as memorable as this US design. (You can see the German horn on page 193.) I hope this brings strong dollars.

02/24 Update: This great horn fetched $270.51.

RARE 1970 Vintage UNOPENED 2 Jointed Skeleton Cats BEISTLE Halloween Decorations

I haven’t seen this skeleton cat packaging for some time, so the seller is correct. (I enjoyed reading the thorough description accompanying the listing.) Beistle was manufacturing great quantities of their designs by 1970, so this jointed diecut would still have an RSIN of 4. However, a still-sealed package is no more than a 3 on the same scale. Beistle issued two designs of the skeleton cats or skelecats. The predominantly green and white design is also quite good.

2 Vintage Halloween Tin Litho Tambourine Noisemakers with Horn, Kirchhof 1950s!

Is this an aberrant result or are values for tin litho tambourines solidifying?

***RARE*** Vintage Halloween Witch With Fire & Broom Celluloid Viscoloid

One of my wishes relative to eBay is that they would choose to become more transparent about what items fetch when a “Best Offer” is involved. This listing shows a celluloid piece in less than pristine condition with what I thought was an offer price that would never be attained. Although the asking price of $2999.99 wasn’t gotten, what was the actual price at which the witch changed hands?

1950s Halloween FANNY FARMER Flying CHOCOLATE WITCH Candy Box Vintage Container

This is being offered in an auction setting with a minimum opening bid of $225. Really? This is a great example of sellers offering items with an inflated, wide-eyed view of what items will bring. I can see this pleasing example of Halloween ephemera selling for $75-95. Remember, this is the box only. The seller has listed the witch container in a separate listing with an opening price of $105.