I’ve seen a noted and sustained strengthening to the tin litho noisemaker market segment over the last year. Prices for tambourines by and large have remained strong over the last 15 years, but the same can’t be said for other forms of noisemakers. Yes, unusual tin items routinely bring strong dollars, but prices for common noisemakers have largely languished. With data points like the one below, I feel this is finally changing. The US Metal Toy example shown is common yet it fetched a strong $49.99. There has been a large influx of new collectors into our hobby, seemingly undaunted by the cost of building a collection these days. I feel that much of this new money is being spent in market segments that are still relatively inexpensive - like tin litho noisemakers.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Vintage Halloween Pumpkin Clapper Made In Germany Jol 2 Sided 1920's - 30'
The Germans made and exported several designs of these identically two-sided clappers during the 1920s. As I write on page 196, "All consist of heavily embossed diecuts stapled to both sides of a cardboard paddle. The diecuts for this line were finished in such a way as to make them appear distressed, giving rise to the often erroneous conclusion that the diecuts are in poor condition." Sustainable guide value for these clappers is $100, so this auction ended nearly right on the money.
antique papermachie paper card board Germany Halloween OWL clacker noise maker
The Germans produced several different clapper designs during the 1920s, all the same in the way they were assembled - two identical diecuts affixed to an orange shaped cardboard paddle. What some collectors don't know is that more often than not these diecuts were painted to look distressed. What a casual observer may conclude is wear actually isn't. You can see other clapper designs on page 196.
