Since I have a trimmed one of these in the collection, I called the seller this morning to convey that it was not a prototype not meant to be sold, but an item produced and distributed by Beistle - very much meant to be sold. I acquired my lesser example 6-7 years ago when I purchased a box from a seller in the Midwest. Everything in the box was from a party some relative threw in 1923. Therefore, I think it reasonable to assume this creation was sold that year, too. I suspect that it didn’t sell well, causing Beistle to but the brakes on such designs. (Beistle was a well-managed company with responsive management acutely attuned to market trends. From my familiarity with their business practices honed through my 33 years of avid collecting, I know Beistle seldom lost much time in acknowledging market missteps.) They tinkered with the overall design until they hit upon a better one, a more easily worn one, known today as Domino masks. These were sold from 1926-1931. Examples can be seen on pages 236-237. In short, this is a rarity - and in better shape than the only other one I’ve ever seen.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
