The seller, long one of my favorites, has done a service in disclosing that this diecut is perhaps not what it appears. When she and I discussed this matter, I mentioned that I wasn't aware of it being professionally reproduced, like Beistle is doing with many of its earlier decorations. (As an aside, I applaud Beistle for making their reproductions in such a way so as not to disturb the secondary market. They have marked each of their newly made items in such a way that they cannot be passed off as new, plus make virtually all of their new items as dual-sided items, another quick tip-off to their newness.) However, not being professionally reproduced doesn't mean that some person toiling away privately hasn't made a poor copy of an original. There are such people out there, well-known to me. I suspect that the haze on this particular item is tantamount to the crazing seen in newly manufactured porcelain items meant to fool. The fact alone that this is on thick cardboard causes me to be very suspicious. I feel this has decorative value only.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
