This seller is squandering chances for a sale by having perhaps the most anodyne header she could devise, poor photos that don’t give any hint of the state of the embossing and by having an opening bid that is much too high. Sigh….
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Vintage RARE GERMAN 3-Part Embossed Die Cut FIREPLACE SCREEN Crepe Paper Back
A small cache of these 1920s fireplace screens must recently have been unearthed, as a number have been offered for sale over the last ~6 weeks. Unfortunately, as in all such cases, the market has had some trouble absorbing them at their typical valuation of ~$2600. My advice: If you like this very large and ornate diecut, buy one today at what I consider to be bargain prices. Once these have been absorbed, the price will stabilize upward, although almost surely not at a ~$2600 level.
09/01 Update: Another one of these sold from the same seller today for $1599.99. This level seems to be the "new normal" given the number that have come on the market in the last few weeks.
Vintage 1920's Halloween Tri-Fold Diecut Fireplace Screen Germany
I think the seller overstated the condition issues present with this fireplace screen. Its unwieldy size makes it much more prone to damage than smaller items. I think the condition is actually pretty good. I feel the buyer got a nice bargain at $1142. Ones in near-mint condition mostly bring around the $2500 mark.
Vtg Rare Halloween Germany Embossed Die Cut 3-Part Panel Screen with Crepe Paper
WOW!The Vintage Halloween category of eBay, typically a very mixed bag of dreck, has certainly been perking up lately. Look at this absolutely stunning fireplace screen made in Germany. I've seen many of these in my collecting career, and this has to be the second best example I have ever seen. There seems to be but a single imperfection in the crepe and a minimal number of surface paper abrasions, nearly impossible to avoid with something this massive. Sustainable guide value is no less than $2600. Who will step up?
Vintage three panel, 20"H x 31.5"w Halloween Decoration cut-out
Wow! It is great to see such a rare and compelling German diecut being offered on Ebay when you least expect something of this quality to be listed. This is, for many collectors, the Holy Grail of German diecuts. Large, impressively detailed and commanding attention wherever it may be displayed, fireplace screens of this apparent quality surface very rarely indeed. (That said, the tape shown at several corners concerns me. However, as long as the tape isn't present to lend structural support I don't see that it matters much since its presence doesn't appear to be very obvious from the display side.) These almost always bring strong dollars. With over one day left to go, the bidding has reached over $1,000. The one in my collection, in perfect condition and shown on page 108, I value at ~$2,500. It will be instructive to see what this lot fetches.
I know the buyer of this great item so I am very happy that she obtained such an excellent deal. (As I described it, she got the "deal of 2013.") On the other hand, why did the bidding stall out at such a bargain level? Thoughts?
