The seller noted that some fellow collector had concerns as to whether this candy container was truly vintage. Several things puzzle me: What was the specific concern? Was it a true concern or was the concern conveyed to the seller for mischievous reasons? Why would the seller not have had the confidence in her own judgment to ignore the fellow collector rather than give the expressed concern any airtime? The actual owner of this wonderful candy container contacted me to ask whether I had seen the listing and whether I had formed an opinion. (This owner is one of the most knowledgeable, honest and picky collectors I know - and he’s been in the hobby for longer than I have. By the way, I admire pickiness.) I told him that on the few occasions this container surfaces, I make a point of looking at the photos. Why? Well, many serious collectors have invested in a copy of my third edition. On page 69, relative to this candy container design, I write, “Reproduced versions of this container with a smaller pumpkin base were made beginning in the mid-1990s. These new versions tend to be heavier and lack the detailing of the originals.” Truly vintage examples of this particular candy container are easy to identify vis-a-vis the soulless reproductions cranked out beginning in about 1995. When I glanced at the photos the seller provided I thought that it was a beautiful, truly vintage container that any collector should be proud to own. And it is.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
