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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

1920's Antique German Halloween Die Cut Candy Box-- Rare & Hard to Find

This is just a poorly married item. Some untalented end-user simply glued a tatty German diecut to a box. The arched-back black cat diecut doesn’t even fit on the box top properly. This seller, one of the earliest collectors on the scene, really should know better. It is disappointing to see this kind of junk listed as something worth collecting. It has decorative value only - nothing approaching the price this seller is dreaming to get.

WHY EBAY EXISTS...VINTAGE 1940/50's ERA PUMPKIN with CLOWNS Halloween decoration

The once mighty marketplace of eBay has been so boring lately with virtually nothing worth mentioning when, like manna from above, this thing gets listed by a seller who states that it is for pieces like this one that eBay exists! (I kid you not...) If I was into abbreviated communications I would type LMAO, OMG and ROFL, but since I am not a teenager, and don't even try to pass myself off as one, I will simply say that I found the entirety of this listing amusing. The seller goes on to grandly state that he/she sells "...the rarest/coolest Halloween items ever made." If this garish trinket is an example of such items, his/her additional statement that "...it doesn't get any better than this," (emphasis thankfully removed) makes me marvel at the wonders of hyperbole. If you like decor that Marie Antoinette would have had stuffed into Le Petit Trianon, pick this priceless gem up for the asking price of $3,500.

08/31 Update: This has been relisted with a new, reduced price of $1,900. 

Early vintage Halloween standup decoration

You have to laugh at either the ignorance or audacity of some sellers. All this is is a trimmed photo of a lantern with a cardboard backing. To complete the sheer lunacy of this and similar listings, the seller wants over $7 to ship a 6x4" piece of worthless cardboard. 

VINTAGE HARD PLASTIC SKELETON HEAD LIGHTED HALLOWEEN BUCKET PAIL-1988-RARE-RARE!

OK, so what is this doing in the "vintage" category? And what makes it "rare-rare!" Even though there are still great sellers on Ebay who offer quality items, I feel they are quite hobbled by the "who-cares" attitude Ebay seems to have about the integrity of their own categories and the ability of some sellers to endlessly list and re-list the same tired stuff without ever lowering their starting price. Although I still troll through the listings regularly, I have to say it has become less of a joyful experience due to these and other factors.