This Dolly Toy candy holder sold for $275, the best offer. The ending price seems to be somewhat of an anomaly in that given its condition, the candy holder brought fairly strong dollars. I’ve noticed a strong down trend in overall eBay results since early March, a welcome development for buyers. My conviction for many years is that prices have gone up too far, too fast - freezing out the new blood any hobby needs to thrive. It’d be nice to see a substantial reset of valuations across the board, enabling those with normal budgets to actively participate. Given some recent ending prices for items that would have brought significantly stronger dollars even just six months ago (the Beistle Rustic Fireplace, a Bogie Book retail display box, a Beistle Tickler and a Bogie Book envelope as examples), perhaps this is the beginning of a sustained down trend. It could also be nothing more than a reflection that this is a time of the year when interest is low after my annual auction and collectors are calculating their past year’s tax obligations. As with all things, time will tell. I, for one, am taking advantage of this short or long lull by looking for bargains.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
VINTAGE 1940's The Dolly Toy Co. HALLOWEEN Candy Container Box OWL on TREE STUMP
It is so heartening to see a truly rare item on eBay, the once proud site that has sadly become a garbage heap of undifferentiated Halloween goods. (Is anyone else exhausted from scrolling through endless pages of crapola just to find the occasional vintage item? I sure wish the boobs who run eBay would bring back and enforce a vintage category for Halloween items.) Now that I feel better after ranting, let’s turn the focus to this rare and desirable item issued during the 1930s by Dolly Toy of Dayton, Ohio, under their Fibro Toy line. This is only the second time I’ve seen this item. The first time was when I purchased a near-mint+ example from a seller in July 2007. You can now see it on page 296. The owl fits onto the stump and sits above it by using the slot at the bottom of the owl. The photos for this listing seem to show this slot, so the seller’s statement that the owl just sits inside the stump is incorrect. I know of several collectors who want this item, so if the right people are watching, this should go for more than a song. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were to fetch north of $500.
03/30 Update: This ended a bit short of what I expected - $441.
Vintage Halloween Skull Candle Lantern ~ Jack O Lantern ~ Skeleton
There was a time when these surfaced far more often than they do these days. The Dolly Toy references I have indicate this design was produced from 1936 into the 1950s. I am doubting this information. I suspect the skull was produced during a narrower time frame, whereas the devil head lantern, much more often seen, was surely made from 1935 into the 1950s. This skull lantern has some discoloration due to wax residue. The bidding as I type now is at $120.50. What will it fetch?
08/16 Update: This sold for $400.
Vintage Dolly Toy Company Halloween Candy Containers Cat Owl Pumpkin
These charming nut cups were made by the Dolly Toy Company of Tipp City, Ohio. There is at least a fourth member of this set - a devil head - that almost never comes up for sale. I have yet to acquire one. These look to be in exceptional condition. The name written on the bottom of one is a mere condition blemish. These are worth acquiring.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN CARDBOARD BLACK CAT-PART OF A PULL TOY
This seller, who has been selling Halloween items for many years, really should have been able to identify this remnant. It wasn’t “…originally part of a pull toy.” It was a part of a slot and tab decoration manufactured by Dolly Toy as part of their acquired Fibro Toy line during the 1930s. You can see the complete item on page 296.
Antique HALLOWEEN Cardboard PUMPKIN WAGON Toy Pair
I received an email today asking if these were reproductions. They aren't. For some reason, the bane of our hobby, those who reproduce vintage items and try to pass them off as old, haven't wrapped their repellent claws around this design yet. This slot and tab candy holder was intermittently made by the Dolly Toy Company of Dayton, Ohio from 1934 through 1953. This design is less common than the witch and the black cat carts shown on page 53. SGV is $250.
10/06 Update: This pair sold at a discount for $305.99.
Vintage Halloween JOL man pulling cart Candy Container Dolly Toy
This brought a very strong price considering its condition. Dolly Toy made a small number of Fibro Toys and were pretty disciplined about marking their wares. Unusually, this candy holder is never marked. I know it was made by Dolly Toy as I have one of their catalogs showing it for sale. With the cat and witch wheeled candy holders, be cautious of reproductions. The reproductions use thinner, high-gloss paper stock.
Antique Halloween Paper Mache Pumpkin
This slot and tab cardboard (not paper-mache) lantern was made by the Dolly Toy Company of Dayton, Ohio sometime during the span of 1935 through the 1950s. They were made in varying sizes and all are quite common, having an RSIN of 5. Other sizes can be seen on page 31. Given the handle of the seller, he leaves much unsaid, like the dimensions of the item, obvious though they are not.
1950s Halloween 6 1/2" Pumpkin Pulling Cart Cardboard Table Decoration w/ Candy!
This is one of the best candy holders Fibro designed - in my opinion. Given the length of its production run, 1934-1953, relatively few of these surface compared to the witch pulling the hay cart and the black cat pulling a JOL cart. (All can be seen on pages 52-53.) Unlike the other two, this one hasn't been reproduced to my knowledge. Interestingly, a marked example has never surfaced. Sustainable guide value is $250.
