This example of Jitterbug Jones sold for $525. The back easel is missing, but otherwise it displays well. Some unknown manufacturer produced at least two designs with a glow-in-the-dark feature during the 1930s. Both had attached placards, which today are often missing. (The other design shows a witch falling into a flaming cauldron. It is rare enough that I’ve never been able to acquire one.)
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
2 Vintage Halloween Skull Skeleton Cardboard Paper Folding Lanterns Decorations
Know that when purchasing vintage lanterns, it’s quite common for the bottoms to be missing, as they are with this listing. Although new bottoms can be fashioned somewhat easily if you have the proper tools and supplies, most collectors aren’t so equipped. (I know I’m not!) If you want these old lanterns to be displayed as they were meant to be, hold out for those with their original bottoms extant.
Vintage Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Target Game Box Only
Parker Brothers issued this Jack-O-Lantern Target game sometime during the interval of 1929-1932. It almost never is available to purchase. Sadly, this listing is only for a box in poor condition , but the top graphics are compelling nonetheless. To see an example with complete contents, turn to page 26. Finding one with the original cork bullets and rifle extant is especially rare.
10-04 Update: This sold for an unbelievable $431.99.
166 Item eBay Auction by stnick22
Last night, stnick22, a long-time and knowledgeable collecting couple, unveiled 166 auction listings with items spanning the gamut from many entry-level items to those that even the most advanced collectors would spill saliva over. It was fun and educational reading their well crafted descriptions that were devoid of the frivolousness that too many sellers think readers find entertaining. (I’m a just-the-facts type of collector.) Several personal highlights are the “cat and witch hugging” candy container, the Beistle fairy hat and the very large German diecut lantern. It’ll be fun to see what this fine assemblage fetches in a calendar year wherein a stunning quantity of higher-quality items have been offered.
10/10 Update: The devil lantern that was bid up to $7,100 was through error. Tom will be relisting the lantern at some point. Bottom line - the ending bid was unintentional on the part of the prevailing bidder.
10/04 Update: Tom and Deb did very well with a significant number of lots overperforming.
I’ve received a lot of email relating to the devil lantern selling for $7,100, all basically saying WTH? in different ways. I suspect the prevailing bidder was caught flat-footed by the underbidder setting a floor of $7,000, neither surely thinking the bidding would ever reach beyond the already incomprehensible ~$2,000.
Other surprisingly high results include the large German lantern selling for $2,356.91 and the pulp pumpkin dog with a replaced insert selling for $2,247.22. The Gilbert dexterity game sold for $202.50, probably a world record for that cool, common item.
Paper items didn’t seem that strong overall. The tiara seemed low at $401. The Beistle fairy hat was definitely low at $227.50. The mechanical owl, bat and envelope together brought only $647.25.
One of the many good things about stnick22’s auctions is their range of goods. There’s something for every level of collector. I enjoy reading their informative descriptions, browsing through the many quality photographs then sitting back and watching what everything brings.
More generally, I do wonder from where all the money sloshing around in the hobby comes. 2022 has been a year with many fine and rare items being made available, yet the money keeps being spent. I have long feared that collecting vintage Halloween may become the province of the well-heeled. Many of the results I’ve been seeing this year support this fear. I collect a range of different things and those other hobbies, even leaded shade lamps made by Duffner & Kimberly, Gorham and some lamps produced by Tiffany seem cheap in comparison. Prices for vintage Halloween items always seem to be going up, up, up. I wonder if that trend is truly sustainable.
EXCEEDINGLY RARE Vintage Halloween Skeleton with Sign Diecut Decoration Gibson!!
Amidst the too-many listings of new items on eBay since they took away the ability to differentiate vintage from new, it is a joy to view an exceedingly rare diecut. Paper is my province - I love small paper like invitations, tallies and place cards; I love larger paper like table decorations, games and diecuts. Although I collect many other market segments like lanterns and candy containers, what gets my Grinch-like heart to expand is good paper. This is good paper. Gibson’s design aesthetic was eccentric. They used a color palette significantly larger than their competitors like Beistle and to a lesser degree, Dennison. Their designs were more unusual - especially in that their diecuts were often a way to convey party messages. Gibson’s output overall, including for diecuts, was much smaller than their main competitors, which means that finding examples in collectible condition is tough. This same great seller had a Gibson “Cold Facts” diecut end this very morning. It was only the second time I had seen it available - and both times it was the actually the exact same diecut offered. (I was the prevailing bidder.) This “Right This Way” diecut with the green skeleton face and arm bone is a treasure. I’ve only seen it a few times and every time save for this listing, the hand was completely detached. Gibson wasn’t perfect - they should have a sturdier design. It’ll be fun to see what this brings. Gibson items have escalated sharply over these last few years, a market recognition of desirability and scarcity.
10-04 Update: I feel this somewhat underperformed at $1,009.
No New Pulp Novelties Lantern in 2022
I’ve received a number of emails asking if that pulp artist extraordinaire, Tim Ramzyk, would be releasing a new lantern for 2022. Alas, this is a year we’ll all have to do without one of Tim’s fantastic creations.
Tim moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota to take care of an ailing parent and into a home that requires much refurbishing. Those challenges plus the supply line distortions we’ve all experienced conspired to result in a Halloween season coming without the joy of having a new Pulp Novelties lantern.
Won’t this make receiving one of Tim’s lanterns in 2023 all the sweeter?
5 EXCEEDINGLY RARE Vintage Halloween UNused Nut Cups & Envelope Beistle 20s-30s!
This result is a mystery. Two nut cups with this same design sold recently from this same fine seller: one on 8/2 for $158.50 and one on 8/13 for $139.50. Just a tad over one month later five nut cups plus the envelope sell for a song. (The set was incomplete, but still…) Can we chalk this up to the vagaries of eBay? The buyer of this lot received a true bargain.
NEAR MINT UNused Vintage Halloween Invitation with Jack o Lantern Dennison 1920s
Looking at the price progression on three identical items offered by the same fine seller in less than ninety days is interesting. The first one brought $230 on 6/28. The second one brought $157 on 9/1. The third and final example brought a mere $55 yesterday. It may be wise to routinely ask sellers if they have multiples. If so, don’t be first in line!
RARE Large Vintage Halloween 2-Sided JOL Lantern Cardboard Sides Beistle 1933-35
This particular form of lantern from Beistle is hard to find. The yellow cardboard sides and the outline of the JOL in yellow differentiate this lantern from others they produced. I suspect that Beistle found the stiff cardboard sides connected to the two faces with metal clips to be a pain both to produce and to ship. I also suspect that management decided to lose the outline to make the items a tad smaller, maybe to save on shipping. (I don’t know why for sure.) In any event, this is a nice bright example marred only by the inserts.
Vintage Halloween 1920s German Tiara Diadem Diecut Jack O' Lantern Clown RARE
These German tiara or diadem diecuts had their moment in the sun four years ago. Many examples were bringing $1800-2300. I sold several of mine privately then as I felt the market segment was wildly inflated. It was. Today the tiaras bring significantly less money (50 to 70% less). I like that the seller included a copy of the box top showing all twelve designs. This is a box that has eluded my grasp these many years.
VINTAGE ROSBRO HALLOWEEN CAT KITTY ON WHEELS SPRING BOBBLE HEAD GREAT CONDITION
The hard plastic market segment is one that has, inexplicably, remained steady for ~15 years. Prices seem not to move much all the while items in collectible condition steadily find new owners. I find this inexplicable because manufacturers made many tens of thousands of these hard plastic creations for at least ten consecutive seasons. There is plenty of supply and a seemingly endless demand. This isn’t so true for Kokomold products. Fewer were produced and for an abbreviated time so their prices have increased. It isn’t too often that you’ll see a Kokomold item in collectible condition surface.
Original Vintage 1930s BEISTLE Halloween YELLOW DOG Ghost JOL Fence diecut GOOD
This Beistle diecut eluded my grasp for too long. I finally found one that met my condition threshold in late 2018. Beistle wasn’t the design powerhouse it once was at the time this design was released, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at this great item. There is a lot going on. Along with the busy, compact design the color choices were inspired. It’ll be fun to see what this fetches. Check out the other items this seller has listed.
Exceedingly Rare Early 1920’s Vintage Beistle Halloween Tissue Paper Fan
I think this is an interesting Beistle design. I am certain the firm produced this for no longer than two seasons as they simply don’t come available often. I have seen fewer than ten examples in 34 years of collecting. The slight creasing at the grommets this great seller points out is always seen with these fans and shouldn’t be a concern to collectors. (In order to open the fan, that area will always be bent. It is simply part of the design.) The extraneous numerals in black are irksome but essentially not a big deal either. I suspect this will bring strong dollars. Be sure to check out the other items Chris is selling. They are all worthy of your attention.
1929 Vintage Halloween DENNISON Diecut SKULL & CROSSBONES w/ *Blue* Eyes 9"
I’ve really come to appreciate this wonderful seller’s descriptions. They are typically jammed with helpful information presented in an orderly, clear manner. Other sellers should take notice. The extreme description sparsity on one end and the froufrou encrusted descriptions on the other end should give way to more of a no-nonsense presentation of the item, when it was produced, by which firm when known, dimensions and finally a detailed account of description.
Antique Halloween Nut Cup USA Minty
This is arguably one of the most colorful nut cups ever made. The symmetry of the design is appealing. What is truly great, however, is the seller. She is someone I met in the early 1990s when I had only been collecting for ~5 years. She and I gravitated to the same sort of things, including folk art by the best folk artists. Among many other artists, she has many items by Scott Smith and best of all, Matthew Kirscht. I treasure all the many hours we’ve spent together. Bid with the highest level of confidence! Be sure to check out her other listings.
