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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

SCARCE Antique Vintage Halloween Crescent Moon & Cat Diecut Decoration Germany!

The Germans designed many Halloween diecuts that are true eyeball grabbers. They came up with two similar large crescent moon designs - this one with a cat perched on the Durante and the other with a perched owl. Seldom does one see one of these large diecuts in such splendid condition. Just look how sharp those points are! This seller, who largely sells things on commission for others, has been on a tear lately with nice items that have on several occasions garnered bids I don’t understand. (An example will appear below.) This diecut should do well. It’ll be fun, and perhaps unsettling, to see what it fetches.

08/13 Update: This sold for $427.

NMINT PLUS Antique Vintage Halloween Cat & Pumpkin Candy Container Germany 1920s

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.

08/02 Update: This item sold for $2,253. If someone would like to buy the one in the collection shown on page 69, contact me. I’d sell it for $2,150 - postage included.

RARE VINTAGE HALLOWEEN PULP CAT CANDY CONTAINER PAIL

This rarish cat head candy pail was produced later than many lanterns. The closed eyes and the bright (at least at time of manufacture) yellow highlights are indicative of this being produced during the late 1950s and perhaps through ~1962. This petite pail probably would enhance a display even though the condition is more toward the rough end of the spectrum.

10/15 Update: This fetched $713.

UNCOMMON Antique Vintage Halloween Cat Diecut Decoration Germany, 1920s!!

This is a rare and desirable diecut, indeed. Don’t confuse this with its smaller cousins. This is a honker of a diecut - measuring over 19” high! The immediate tip-off that this is a rare seated cat German diecut is the wide mouth full of what appears to be razor-sharp teeth. This design nearly always includes an easel. It makes an eye-catching display.

RARE Dolly Toy Company Vintage Halloween Candy Container P-6

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.

Exceedingly Rare Vintage Halloween Tango Cat

Some really great paper items have been surfacing with such regularity that purses and wallets all across the USA and Canada have been made thinner by the bounteous harvest. Add this exceedingly rare Tango Cat produced by Beistle to the list. It has been a long time since I’ve seen a truly vintage example surface, especially in this fantastic condition. The seller, a deeply knowledgeable collector, is a wizard with paper restoration. As he honestly points out, the tip of the cat’s hat has been replaced. I’ve seen his restoration work myself. It is so good that this minor matter shouldn’t act as any sort of brake on a desire for acquisition. Beistle produced only two Tango figures from this era - the other is a witch and is also being offered by this fine seller. Both designs are notoriously difficult to find without some problems to the lower extremities. This looks to be a real keeper for collectors.

08/17 Update: This item fetched $772.

2 Vintage Halloween Cat Band Members Diecut Decorations Beistle Luhrs, 1940s-50s

Beistle produced the complete set of eight black cat band members for many seasons beginning in the 1940s. These two diecuts are representative of the other six - each playing a different musical instrument. The set has special resonance for me as it was the first thing I purchased when I began collecting in 1988. I was fascinated by the design while being mystified as to why some had white gloves and others had orange gloves. As this awesome seller points out, Beistle varied the set by the gloves. Over these many years I have upgraded the set several times, with the ones part of the collection now being near-mint or better. My favorite has always been the guitar player. Around 2003 a licensed set was produced that has notable differences from truly vintage set members. Read page 154 for more information.

05/19 Update: I’m flabbergasted that this pair brought $170.08! I’m thrilled for the seller, but the buyer will be hard pressed to sell and break-even.

vintage Halloween plastic PUMPKIN JOL WITCH CAT CANDY HOLDER container

It seems that hard plastic has been on a bit of a tear of late, but even so, this result is surprising. (Values for blow molds from the 1960s have moved sharply upward during the last ~2 years - a related market segment.) There are a handful of hard plastic items that are nearly ubiquitous - and this is one of them. Seeing this fetch $50 is startling. Typical pricing is $20-30.
I’ve never collected hard plastic, as the market segment generally doesn’t appeal to me. However, I have grown fond of most of the Kokomold line from Elkhart, Indiana.

Vintage Four Sided Halloween Paper Lantern / DieCut Cats Tear Missing Top Circle

This lantern was produced by Gibson during the 1920s. They used a grade of construction paper that is rather unforgiving - meaning that once you have assembled the lantern, woe to you if you dissemble and re-assemble it. The soft paper will often just crunch up and then split and drop off. If you obtain one, it is best to leave it unassembled. I’ve learned the hard way! :)

Embossed Antique German MINI Diecut Halloween black cat RARE!

I have learned to really examine these mini-diecuts for variations. This arched-back black cat mini-diecut has differences from the one I own and that is shown on page 185. Look at the positioning of the legs and the shape of the tail. I don’t have a theory as to why these variations surface so regularly with these mini-diecuts. This went for less than I would have thought.