This seller has been offering a range of C-Level to A-Level items for many months but all with head-shakingly high opening prices. I firmly believe this practice is not conducive to getting market prices for items. High opening prices don’t motivate collectors to bid as there is zero possibility of getting any sort of bargain. (When his listings end with no action, he simply relists the item again with rarely any change to the opening price.) Sellers that routinely do well on eBay are those like zizsdream and mysweetjanene who start their offerings, independent of rarity and desirability, at a low price and trust in the auction process. I sold a JOL saxophone horn just like this in my annual auction last month. After some spirited bidding, the horn sold for nearly $1,400. This seller’s horn, although in lesser condition, sold for a pittance relative to what I feel he would have gotten if he would have simply listed it with an opening price of something like $9.99.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
ANTIQUE GERMAN HALLOWEEN DIE CUT- BLACK CAT PLAYING THE SAXOPHONE
This is a hard-to-find diecut in quite nice condition - but the ending price still surprised me. I worry that our hobby is largely becoming the province of deep-pocketed collectors. When two diecuts from the set of three sell for close to $1,000, I have to question if this is sustainable.
large 15 inch German Halloween embossed BLACK jack o lantern saxophone die-cut
The ending price for this diecut was much higher than I would have expected. Although this is a diecut made for one season (1934 or 1935) and shipped only to eastern Canada, the sustainable price for one in near-mint or better condition is $650. The condition of this item is decidedly below near mint mainly due to its washed-out coloration. Collectors, have patience when a rare item comes available. Buy only the best, then limit yourself to a reasonable expenditure.
Vtg Die-Cut Black Americana Musician JOL Halloween Decoration 15.5" Germany Rare
This is a rare diecut, indeed, evidenced by its already strong price with over 2 full days to run on the auction. This is among relative handful of German diecuts made in 1935 and shipped only to eastern Canada before the outflow of holiday goods from Germany was shut down for good until 1946. There are four designs comprising this set. You can see two of them in my book's third edition on page 171.
08/05 Update: This sold for a strong $472.77. I say "strong" based on its poor condition.
"VINTAGE HALLOWEEN GERMANY~CAT WITH SAXOPHONE 15" DIE-CUT~HEAVY EMBOSSING~EASEL
Wow, I have never seen this diecut with such bright, original colors. It must have been displayed very rarely. I am not surprised this was snapped up within minutes.
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.
