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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Happy Halloween!

Hello Readers,
This sure has been a memorable year with Covid warping the “normal” process of acquiring vintage Halloween goods. Shows and flea markets were largely cancelled, and many antiques malls and smaller shops were closed for months, but collectors marooned at home itched to acquire something - anything. Consequently, it seems that dollars that would have been spent on air fare, lodging and other travel-related expenditures were shunted to on-line auctions. We saw unsustainably high prices paid for most everything much to the delight of many sellers. These high prices flushed out many great items from collections. I suspect we’ll see a small avalanche of candy containers, figurals and lanterns brought to market as the first generation of collectors either sell before the Grim Reaper visits or as a result of such a visit. For the medium-term I suspect that such market segments will soften, as the market can only absorb so much at any time. So, keep this in mind as such collections present themselves.
I’ve been saying for some time that the paper market segments are the ones that will deliver scorching returns if you are into that sort of collecting calculation. (Although that shouldn’t be THE primary consideration, it should be a consideration.) The first generation of collectors largely shunned these segments so there is a true shortage of paper items in collectible condition. (What I specifically mean are tallies, invitations, place cards, Dennison and Gibson boxed sets prior to 1932, anything Beistle produced prior to 1932, 1912-1917 Bogie Books, and Dennison and Gibson diecuts. I might have missed a few things but you should get the general idea.) In my view, it is these segments that will remain white hot for years as there simply is so little of it out there.
Interestingly, post cards don’t make my list as there are simply too many of them floating around. Ones from Tuck or ones featuring art by Clapsaddle, Winsch and the like have been frosty lately. The ones bringing solid dollars are from the lesser printers like Rose. That said, Halloween postcards in near-mint or better condition are worth a look as there are few meeting that condition threshold.
It’ll be fun and instructive to see what this next season brings.
Thanks for being such faithful readers. My site analytics have never seen the kind of traffic that has been recorded these last 6-9 months. My 2020 book sales have significantly outpaced the sales from 2018 and 2019, even with a stiff price hike. For those wanting copies either for the first time or to replace copies worn out from use, now is the time to order. The overall number of copies I have available is low and I will not be reprinting. Nor will I invest the time to produce another edition. Another stiff price hike is coming soon, so again, now is the time to order a copy.
Happy Halloween!
MBL

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LARGE VINTAGE HALLOWEEN WITCH ON BROOM BLACK CAT DIE CUT USA

This great seller often has wonderful items up for auction. This very hard-to-find diecut of a grimly determined broomed witch is one of a set of three large witch diecuts Beistle issued in the late 1950s. In my view, the set represents the last gasp of Beistle’s creativity for many years. These diecuts are often found in poor condition given their size and the thin paper stock Beistle used.

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RARE Vintage Japan Halloween Porcelain Jack o Lantern JOL Covered Trinket Box

The vintage Halloween market is certainly not a static one. Market segments fall in and out of favor. Candles used to be as cold as the Arctic, now they are warm. Small paper used to be an affordable niche. There is little affordable about that segment now. These Japanese porcelain items used to be so cold you could more profitably use them for skeet practice. Now look at what even examples in less-than-perfect condition bring. Collect what you love and hope those segments increase in value, but don’t count on it.

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Vintage Halloween Cardboard Candy Container Nut Cup Cat Owl Skeleton By Dennison

Here’s something that doesn’t pop up often. This highly stylized combination nut cup and place card was issued by Dennison in 1929. There were four designs to the complete set - and the four designs were only sold as a set. The stock number was H466. As I write on page 260, “The fantastical imagery of these items is consistent with Dennison’s design focus during the narrow window of 1929-1931.”

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Vintage Antique HALLOWEEN Party Invitation

Here’s yet another example of a seller putting something up for sale they know little about. This rare Dennison invitation first appeared in their 1922 Bogie Book. It has been years since the last one of these was offered. Given today’s nonsensical prices for many examples of small paper, this seller left a lot of money on the table. This was grabbed up in an instant for a laughable $6 with free shipping. If this seller had been smart and let it run as an auction it would have fetched perhaps 40 times that amount and maybe more. (Shaking my head as I type…)

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Vintage German Halloween Poster Featuring a Black Cat

This exceptional item looks to be in unbelievably nice condition. I’ve only seen this variant with factory inserts once - and I bought it. It now appears on page 172. The Germans seemed to produce these variants with inserts only occasionally. (Other examples appear on pages 171, 177 and 181.) If you like rare German diecuts, don’t let this one slip away.

10/13 Update: This brought an unbelievable $2,225!

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