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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Vintage Halloween Litho Paper And Cardboard Horn Noisemaker

For the longest time early in my vintage Halloween collecting days, I felt paper-litho horns with this design were produced by Beistle given the fairy motif imagery. Over the years as I became more informed, I was curious as to why I couldn’t find evidence that Beistle produced such items. Well, it seems horns like these were made without license. The mystery producer merely appropriated the art work and sat back hoping to make a buck without litigation. So, if you are a potential buyer, know this isn’t a Beistle product, but a by-product.

02/23 Update: This brought $123.50.

Vintage Haloween Tin Litho Kirchhof Metal Toy Party Horn Noisemaker

This seller, wildzombie, is far poorer than they could have been had they offered this very desirable tin litho horn produced by Kirchhof as an auction rather than the ill-advised BIN offering of $27.60. These have changed hands for upwards of $400. The colors and overall condition are exceptional with this example. Someone got a VERY good deal. I hope the seller realized their error when the listing concluded in 14 minutes.

SCARCE Vintage Halloween Horn Noisemaker Decoration, USA, Patented 1921, WORKS!!

I am certain that the seller, a true delight, is over the moon with this result. The buyer shouldn’t be in that celebratory of a mood, though, as they vastly overpaid. This horn surfaces frequently enough that I’m surprised there were 5 bidders who had a hand in driving the ending price up to such an unsustainable level. The one in the collection is in significantly better condition. Anyone who wants it for $450 plus shipping is welcome to it.

1930 GERMAN HALLOWEEN CARDBOARD TIN HORN WHISTLE NOISEMAKER SCARY FAIRY TALES

I suspect this item is a recently made fantasy piece. The graphics are unknown and don’t correspond to anything I’ve seen on unquestionably genuine German horns. Look at the only photo the seller provided of the horn’s interior. Although the bottom rim is splotchy, the interior is pristine and is constructed differently than any unquestionably genuine German horn I’ve seen. This reeks of a recently made fantasy item.

Vintage Halloween Siren Horn Screech Owl -Cardboard Noise Maker

This is a horn that doesn’t often come up for sale. Most of these lithoed-paper-over-cardboard horns are pretty forgettable, but whichever firm produced this had a great eye for design. The graphics are fresh and energetic. The metal top seems right for the horn. The overall condition is quite good. This was produced during the 1930s. SGV is $125, but we seem to be in a vintage Halloween bubble market right now, so who knows what it will bring.

10/13 Update: This sold for a bubbly $211.38.

ANTIQUE BEISTLE LITHO CARDBOARD HALLOWEEN HORN WITH WOO

For many years I mistakenly believed this was produced by Beistle due to the imagery. It was only when I couldn't find any reference to Beistle actually producing such products that I looked closely at the artwork and noticed many differences between the art in such things as their Party Books and hats and this horn. It finally dawned on me that this horn was almost surely an authorized adaptation of Beistle imagery. There is a likelihood the horn was made in Japan, but I don't know this for certain. In any event, it is a nice item, and still has a SGV of $125, but it wasn't made by Beistle. 

Vintage halloween Beistle Horn

We know now that Beistle did not produce these paper-litho horns. In fact, there is no record that Beistle authorized the use of the their imagery in the production of these horns. If you examine the horn's artwork and compare it to the items with a fairy motif that Beistle actually produced, there are enough stylistic differences to lead to a conclusion that these types of horns were produced with no license from Beistle. The leading culprit in producing unlicensed items at that time was Japan, so I believe these horns were made there. 

VINTAGE HALLOWEEN RARE BUGLE TOY CARDBOARD HORN WORKS NICE SHAPE

The mysterious Bugle Toy Company of Providence, Rhode Island produced memorable tin litho Halloween noisemaker designs but seriously faltered in terms of their lithoed paper output. The ho-hum imagery on this horn is representative of their aesthetic. What does make this listing interesting is that this is a marked piece. Whether out of embarrassment or not, it is uncommon for their lithoed paper items to be marked.  

Vintage 1921 Cardboard Horn Halloween Cat Devil Witch Noise Maker

I consider this to be one of the better lithoed paper over cardboard horns produced in the USA. The use of yellow as the primary background color is unusual, setting this noisemaker apart in a display case. The manufacturer isn't known. The Canadian manufacturer, Granger Company, in Montreal produced a black and white version that is scarcer but not as visually appealing. Sustainable guide value on the US horn is $100. 

10/20 Update: A battle royale ensued over this horn as it sold for $194.50.