This mini-diecut, produced in Germany both before and for a few years after WWII, is part of a set of at least five designs - all shown on page 185. What I’ve discovered after seeing so many of these min-diecuts over the years is that there are quite a few variants with subtle differences. For instance, on page 185 I show two broomed witch mini-diecuts. Look at the subtle difference at her cape’s edge. My advice is to do what I do - when I see any of the minis I closely examine it for subtle differences rather than assuming I have it already. Who knows how many variants have escaped my grasp!
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Rare German Mini-Diecut
I attended an event last week in southern California’s California Adventure park called the Oogie Boogie Bash - A Disney Halloween Party. It replaces the significantly superior Mickey’s Halloween Party in Disneyland. As a bonus during the trip, I had the opportunity to view Jason Walcott’s collection for the first time since 2018. Jason’s collection is amazing and wide-ranging. One of the true pleasures of seeing his collection is the quality of each piece. Jason, like me, places a very high value on condition. Anyway, as I was perusing his wonderful displays, I spied the German mini-diecut shown below. I had never seen it before. It makes me wonder just how many German Halloween mini-diecuts were made. Congratulations, Jason, on having such a fantastic collection so nicely displayed. Thanks for letting me visit!
Embossed Antique German MINI Diecut Halloween black cat RARE!
I have learned to really examine these mini-diecuts for variations. This arched-back black cat mini-diecut has differences from the one I own and that is shown on page 185. Look at the positioning of the legs and the shape of the tail. I don’t have a theory as to why these variations surface so regularly with these mini-diecuts. This went for less than I would have thought.
Halloween German Miniature Diecut, Witch Stirs Cauldron, 1930s
This is arguably the very best design of the set to which this German mini-diecut belongs. Its intricacy while maintaining such a small form-factor is appealing. Prices this season have been extraordinarily strong, which causes me to wonder where all the money is coming from. Typically, at this point in the cycle, prices start to droop due to many, many listings and the depletion of the more casual collector’s monetary resources. I haven’t seen that repeated this cycle to the extent I forecasted. One theory is that our hobby is experiencing an influx of well-heeled new collectors. (Thankfully, I started collecting in the 1980s!)
Halloween Pressed Paper Hanging Decorations Large OWL, small cat & small bat
It’s pretty rare that I am able to get a bargain on eBay outside of the mispriced BIN listings. This auction-format listing actually ran for a full week. I put in a bid significantly higher than what I ended up paying for this lot - a relative pittance of about $110 with shipping. Lots of collectors were asleep at the switch or were inundated with the avalanche of listings that materialize at this time of the year. Although the owl is quite nice, it was far eclipsed by my interest in the two mini-diecuts - both rare enough that I’ve never seen them. Although the bat is not in the condition normally required to become part of the collection, it is energetic and full of personality. I have a similar cat with the tail demurely by its side, but not this great design. For once - an auction bargain!
Later Update: Well, not so fast. A good friend pointed out to me that the mini-diecuts I was so excited about look to be cut-outs from two of the set of six German diecuts of characters with crescent moons that you can see on page 184. I don’t know how I didn’t see that before. So, the only person asleep at the switch was me. The lesson here is that even someone who has been collecting for 31 years can be dumb enough to waste money on remnants! Very good catch, CR. How I wish I would have had your wise counsel before bidding on the lot!
Halloween German Mini Diecut, Owl on Crescent Moon, Heavily Embossed, Easel
Wow, someone really wanted this German mini-diecut! Three bidders drove up the ending price to an unsustainable level. This is part of a set of six first produced during the early 1930s, then produced again from about 1945-1949. The others can be seen on page 185.
"EXCEEDINGLY RARE"--MINI-- EARLY 1930'S GERMAN HEAVY EMBOSSED OWL-GREAT ITEM
Wow, the eBay listings now are an embarrassment of riches after a long drought of mainly common, lower-end items. The various German mini-diecut sets are amongst my favorite to collect. The artistry in such small form factors always amazes. Look at this owl managing to look angry and befuddled at the same time. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen this item. The condition is as amazing as the seller, who has my full confidence. Others from this set can be found on page 185.
Vintage Halloween Cat Diecut 1950's Hallmark
I'm glad to see this seller listing some fine material. She is one of the rare long-time collectors who has long loved small paper. You would be hard pressed to find a nicer person in the hobby! You can buy from her with confidence. This mini-diecut is definitely something Hallmark issued, but I believe they issued this in the later 1920s through the early 1930s. They used this glossy stock with red backing only during that small interval.
Early 1900's German Halloween Litho Die Cut Pumpkin Head Girl Vintage
This exceedingly rare German mini-diecut brought strong dollars even though significant condition issues and fading ruled. Still, I can count on one hand when I've seen this out in the wild with fingers left over. It is likely part of the set shown at the middle right of page 185.
Rare Vintage Germany Die Cut Embossed Halloween Mini Witch with Cauldron 1920s
The seller made an error offering this with a BIN of $75, as this rare mini-diecut would have fetched triple-plus that in an auction format.
Rare 1920's Die Cut Halloween Decoration Germany Little Girl Devil Demon Antique
It is so great to see such rare and desirable objects begin to populate Ebay's un-patrolled vintage Halloween category! This German mini-diecut is one of an exceedingly rare set that many of my collecting friends have been struggling to complete for years. (Others to this set can be seen on page 185.) The condition of this she-devil seems to be pretty darn good, so I expect bidding to continue to be fierce. The current price is $90, but I'll be surprised if this sells for less than $250-300. If you like this miniature-sized diecut set, don't let this one slip by.
08/18 Update: This exceedingly rare mini-diecut brought $317.57, about where I expected it to finish. You don't see pieces from this set too often made available for purchase.
1920's Vintage HALLOWEEN Pumpkin Girl CAT Die Cut Embossed Germany Decoration VG
This mini-diecut in one from a set shown on page 185 in the upper left. If you look carefully, you'll see that this is a variant from the ones typically seen. The one in the book shows a cat with much more definition to its fur and a somewhat longer tail. The edges of the cat of the one listed are much smoother. There are other, more subtle differences, so look closely. This is a variant I have not seen before, so even with its less-than-perfect condition, it should fetch some bigger dollars if there are at least two knowledgeable bidders involved by the end.
08/14 Update: As I suspected, this variant did quite well, raking in $249.50.
