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.
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.
The tip of one ear is definitely missing on this glazed, rather than matte, German diecut. As with almost all of the glazed diecuts from this period of the 1920s, the colors appear strong.
What a delightful and grin-inducing item from the good people at Gibson! This is an item I had only ever seen in a Gibson catalog, so the opportunity to acquire one in superb condition was irresistible. Sadly for me, I was an underbidder.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This place card is only one of a complete set of six. The set was produced by Whitney during the early 1930s. All are scored so that the sides can bend inward allowing them to stand upright on a table. The opening price of $45 seemed aggressive, but it already has a bid. It will be instructive to see what this fetches.
Original diecuts of this design were single-sided. This appears to be double-sided, so would be a modern reproduction.
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! :)
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.
This German composition candy container looks right to me. Beginning in the 1990s, this design was reproduced, but with at least two ways to immediately spot a reproduction: the pumpkin was not much wider than the cat’s bottom and the cat was mostly smooth with none of the detailing you’d expect to see with authentic German wares.
Tim Ramzyk is nearing release of his latest fantastic creation, The Halloween Alley Cat! Just look at the craftsmanship! Tim tells me this lantern is his most ambitious to date, consisting of no less than seven separately molded pieces. He was able to craft this scary and unsettling feline even though the raw materials necessary to actually produce them were most costly and more elusive than ever.
This lantern proudly joins my collection of Tim’s limited edition releases he has been creating for the last several years. The detailed molding and coloration of the fur, the care to show its war-torn ears, the cleverly distinctive eyes and unbelievable realism of the mouth and fangs on this chilling lantern are, frankly, astounding. I plan to put it at eye level so my visitors will be a bit spooked.
Tim is a Wisconsin-based artist who meticulously and painstakingly hand molds his own designs from a heavy, durable material. I am in awe at the workmanship and the true craft Tim brings to pulp design. I proudly have seven of his treasures now on exhibit in my main display room. (For those who I've been lucky to host at my home, you know that in order for something to be placed in that room, it has to carry its own weight.)
Tim is offering The Halloween Alley Cat for $205 plus shipping, way too cheap for an item of this quality! He’ll begin selling them on Etsy on September 19th. As with all of his most recent lanterns they will be made in a limited number of small, handcrafted batches. When they are gone, they are gone. Do not miss out on the chance to have a limited edition piece of sculptural art from this great Wisconsin guy. The name of Tim’s Etsy shop is PulpNovelties. You can also contact him directly at pulpnovelties@aol.com.
For those who know me, you know that I rarely buy anything Halloween unless it is vintage. I've made an exception - and you should too. My advice is to place a pre-order with Tim now. I am privy to the number he plans to produce in his initial batch. That number compels me to repeat the advice - place a pre-order now. :)
The buyer of this fantastic candy container came by yesterday to show it to me. I think the seller’s photos, which didn’t accent the playful bee on the side of the cat or show the candy container in its best light, caused the price to descend to bargain territory. Frankly, the paint and detailing are top-notch. The size of the item is perfect and it is a wholly pleasing item overall. The price should have easily crested $1,000. A take-away here is critically look at the photos. If you feel details are left out or there can be better photos provided, ask for more.
