This very large game is quite hard to find in decent, complete condition. There are a myriad of condition issues with this, but the colors look bright and the detached ear can be remedied easily. The seller is offering it for a BIN of $900, which seems overly valued. I think a fair value is in the $500-600 range.
12/13 Update: The seller has finally dropped the asking price from $900 to $630 - close to my recommended fair value range stated above.
This seller has gotten so many results of late that are so far out of line with long-established values that she has become the subject of much conversation. This game is not uncommon. (I see that another eBay seller immediately listed this game in a similar condition for a BIN of $625 once this listing ended. It’ll be interesting to see if it sells.) I would be thrilled to sell any item I have as part of the collection for the price this seller has recently obtained! So, ASK. I have never seen anything like this. In a recent email exchange with the seller, she states that she starts everything at $9.99 and lets the market decide. Fair enough. I’ve heard a number of theories as to how she is getting these prices. My theory is simple: she has taken the time to build a brand and is reaping the reward - with a high percentage of her sales surely from deep-pocketed newer collectors who trust her and choose to overpay with a trusted source. I don’t subscribe to any of the nefarious theories being bandied about.
08/30 Update: The other game listed, referred to in my post, sold for $500, significantly less yet in the same condition.
The contents of this Whitney game are incorrect and incomplete. The fortunes with lid tops do not belong with the game. (One actually belongs as the fortune to another listing this same seller has on eBay now.) Although the spinners are present, the wooden sticks and the twelve fortunes are missing. Given the overall poor condition of this admittedly difficult-to-find Whitney item, the BIN price of $395 is much, much too high. I feel a fair price given what is on offer is $75.
I was visiting with good friends who happen to be collectors of vintage Halloween memorabilia when this lot ended. We all stated what we thought it would fetch. We were all wrong - all of our predictions were too high. Why did this exceedingly rare, eye-catcher of a game bring such a low price? The seller took great photos - even including a video. The lid is stunning - especially with that brilliant blue circle. Whoever the buyer was has to be quite happy they acquired such an item at a real solid value. I wish I had been a bidder!
This large and incredible game was produced by Gibson during the late 1920s or into the early 1930s. Even though several of the feather fortunes are missing, the seller is offering a true bargain here. It shouldn’t last long.
09/24 Update: This great game sold moments after my post for $369.99.
Although this game is well-designed and this listing has everything a potential buyer wants to see - clear photos and a straight-forward description uncluttered with a lot of nonsense - I have never classified this fortune game as one made specifically for Halloween. There is no Halloween iconography, no Halloween colors and no mention of Halloween anywhere on the game. It is simply a fortune telling game.
Although it is great to see such a rare item on eBay amongst all the garbage, I sure wish this seller would have spent more time taking photos and providing a detailed description of condition rather than the formal gobbledygook they employ. This rare game was produced by Gibson during the early 1930s. There should be twelve feather fortunes. It is unclear just how many remain. There seems to be spotting at the bottom. One ear seems bent. Are there any other condition issues? What does the reverse look like?
01/02 Update: I’m glad to see the seller added a photo of the reverse.
01/14 Update: This game fetched $559.89. I can’t help but wonder if the ending price would have been higher if the seller had better photos and a more concise description. Sellers should always remember that buyers are just interested in many clear photos with a concise description devoid of nonsense.
Beistle produced this game during the late 1940s when they were clearly running out of gas from a design perspective. They were so adrift at that time they actually produced three in the series. Although this is a fine seller with an item in unused condition, the only word it evokes is meh.
08/15/Update: This fetched $72.
Ah…the vagaries of eBay. This same seller sold a Wheel Witch game on August 24 for $2,025. Just a scant sixteen days later one in arguably better condition sells for just ~27% of the first listing. (What must the buyer of the first listing think?) With all the duplicates being listed this season, be sure to ask sellers if there will identical items listed. If so, just hang back for awhile.
Parker Brothers issued this Jack-O-Lantern Target game sometime during the interval of 1929-1932. It almost never is available to purchase. Sadly, this listing is only for a box in poor condition , but the top graphics are compelling nonetheless. To see an example with complete contents, turn to page 26. Finding one with the original cork bullets and rifle extant is especially rare.
10-04 Update: This sold for an unbelievable $431.99.
This is an example of Beistle running out of gas. They produced this game for several years spanning the late 1950s and early 1960s. The design is forgettable and pitiful. Contrary to what the seller says, the game while “intact” is certainly not “super rare.”
Beistle produced this small game during the mid-1950s. Finding a complete example is not common, as playing the game engendered its destruction. One sold in 2016 for nearly $149.
This game has zero connection to Halloween. It is simply a generic fortune teller game that could be used for any generic gathering.
This iconic Beistle game, produced from 1928-1931, is seldom seen in this near-mint condition. The witch’s hat is nearly always damaged in some way. Although there is a slight bend toward the top of the hat, this is still leagues ahead of what one normally finds when examining this game. Beistle produced two sizes of this game with a honeycomb base. The smaller one, measuring ~9” high, is seen much less often. It’ll be fun to see what this brings.
Now, here’s a game I haven’t seen made available in a long time. Beistle produced this visually alluring item from 1933-1938. Given that it was in production for so long, one doesn’t often see them. The condition of this one is average compared to what will see when you do see one. This is a big item, so it was prone to sustaining bends and rips. Beistle’s first iteration is significantly harder to find. This elusive will-o-the-wisp has an off-white background but is otherwise the same. This first was produced from 1931-1932 and can be seen on page 15. I have never been able to secure one good enough for the collection. If you have one in very fine or better condition, you own a rarity.
