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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Incredibly Rare Vintage Halloween Waving Jack O' Lantern Die-cut Germany 1920's

This seller listed four items with stratospheric opening prices. When I saw them while enjoying the wilds of Montana, I felt that only one would sell - and that one did. This seller had two German diecuts (skull and crossbones with hat and a black melon with transparency) that typically fetch below $1,200 with an opening price of $3,499 and $4,299, respectively. The third item was the Beistle skeleton-in-graveyard diecut with an opening ask of what would be a record price - $4,099. (I sold one in my 2024 auction for the still-valid public record price of $3,700.) However, when I saw this waving JOL I knew someone would buy it. The record price for this item was set several years ago for ~$6,600 - and that example was inferior in condition than this fantastic item.) It will be interesting to see if this seller relists the three with opening asks more in line with the market.

Vintage Halloween Witch On Rocket Rosbro Kokomold Candy Container Pumpkin Wheels

The Kokomold hard plastic market segment has been on fire these last few months. I feel collectors are waking up to Kokomold’s “out-there” design aesthetic and attention to detail. (Just look at those wheels!) I had foolishly spurned the entire hard plastic segment for decades until I realized how fun it was to incorporate Kokomold (specifically) pieces into some cabinets. I saw a larger version of the witch in rocket in butter yellow sold for $3,000 on June 28th.

Vintage Halloween German-Devil-Candy Container

Sad to see some poor soul wasted their money on this item. These were produced beginning in 1995 and potentially continuing to today. Although most have no bottoms, some enterprising fakers will fashion a nice looking bottom as with this example. I wasn’t surprised that the seller had nothing to say about the items’ age except to note it was “vintage.”

Vintage Halloween Tin Tambourine Noisemaker: Witch Bat Moon Kirchhoff?

Someone got a true bargain scooping up this tambourine for $69.99. Reading the description, I wonder if it was composed by AI as it is disjointed and repetitive. I’ve never understood why sellers include such phrases as “…is a unique addition to your holiday decorations.” Why waste the space? I’m a strong proponent of a “Just the facts, Ma’am” approach to listing. If a seller is wanting to pad their descriptions like they are reliving their high school English class essay assignments, spend it on meticulously describing condition. Nothing else matters.

2 Packs Antique Vintage Halloween Eureka Die Cuts Witch, Ghost, Black Cat

This listing was valuable in that it conclusively established the manufacturer of these designs. (Extant original packaging will do that.) The witch design is anodyne enough that I think it matters less than with the other design. That surprised ghoul/ghost design surfaces from time to time. Collectors have variously attributed it to Dennison or Beistle. I knew neither was correct - but never thought of Eureka. My collecting interests diminish rapidly for items produced after 1955 - the sweet spot for Eureka.

See You In July!

Hi Readers, I’m going to be doing lots of things the rest of this month. It’s nearly summer AND it has remained cool in the valley, so the outdoors beckon. I’ll return sometime in July with additional posts and a newly restocked For Sale page.

2 Antique Vintage Halloween Full Boxed Sets of Witch Seal Decorations ca. 1940s

Whitney produced these boxes of seals sometime during the early 1920s. Whitney was a decided underdog in the realm of boxed seals and the like. Their design aesthetic was largely static and yawn-inducing. Their output was a fraction of the two big dogs they were trying to emulate, Dennison, the undisputed master of the boxed seals business, and Gibson, which tried for a few years to catch the leader, but never succeeded. I feel that some manager at Whitney urged the company to enter the boxed seals business, and they did so half-heartedly. The first season or two Whitney didn’t even bother to label their boxes with quantity or even their own name. The two boxes in this listing date from those first one or two seasons. After this they did label their boxes, no matter how small the dimensions, with what you’d expect. Today, collectors avidly search for Dennison boxed goods from the teens through the early 1930s. The Gibson boxed seals market is also quite strong, and has remained so for a decade. Whitney seals have struggled to break through, certainly due to their lack of oomph. It’ll be fun to see what this listing brings.

Vintage Halloween Cellowax Jack-O-Lantern Party Favor candle box toy not candy

It is so great to see a rare item like this being offered on eBay. I’ve only seen this box now four times since I began collecting in 1988. I actually offered a box in rougher condition but with its correct candle in my recent March auction. That brought $366. A couple of things to note with this listing. It looks like two of the box’s interior flaps have been reinforced. One appears to be missing. Also, the candle included in the lot is not the kind of candle that would have been originally sold with the box. (I’ve included two photos below of the correct candle.) That said, the box is the gem - not the candle. I have a near-mint box and candle in the collection - and the set is a real showstopper. I hope this listing brings the high dollars it deserves!

Vintage Halloween 4" Metal Round Noisemaker Crow Cat Germany Very Old Rare

The seller definitely made a mistake in offering this rare German tin litho noisemaker for $198.95 or Best Offer. (Whomever stumbled across this listing didn’t even bother to make an offer, but wisely scooped it up for the too-low offer price.) The form of the noisemaker is odd in that the main cylinder is bare with only the two ends having any imagery - spare as it is. This guy was probably produced sometime between 1930-1935. I’ve never seen it before. The Germans didn’t produce that much Halloween tin litho - and the market coverts it. I feel if the seller had simply started it at $198.95 under an auction format it would have fetched no less than double what it did.

Gurley Reproductions

A reader alerted me that The Vermont Country Store has bought some vintage Gurley molds and have been reproducing a few of their candles. When I visited their site (great stuff…) I saw three different Halloween candle designs and three different Christmas candle designs. The Halloween candles could be mistaken for vintage items, so be cautious when purchasing these specific ones. Who knows if TVCS has purchased other vintage molds, so be sure to check their site if you are contemplating purchasing candles you assume to be vintage.

Vintage Halloween Dennison Leaf Face Gummed Seals Complete Box W 6 Seals 1920's

Dennison produced an amazing variety of seals, illuminated silhouettes, cut-outs, etc. housed within slide boxes. Designs range from the forgettable to the disquieting to the beguiling. (Give me all the disquieting ones!) Wouldn’t you agree this fits the disquieting bill? One of my favorite designs, this seller is offering this 1924 box complete with the correct complement of seals - two designs, three each. Yes, the box is tattered but can be restored. Dennison slide box products have been on a nice tear of late, so it will be informative to see what this lot brings.

05/22 Update: This sold for $465, a strong result.