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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Exceedingly Rare Vintage Halloween Tango Cat

Some really great paper items have been surfacing with such regularity that purses and wallets all across the USA and Canada have been made thinner by the bounteous harvest. Add this exceedingly rare Tango Cat produced by Beistle to the list. It has been a long time since I’ve seen a truly vintage example surface, especially in this fantastic condition. The seller, a deeply knowledgeable collector, is a wizard with paper restoration. As he honestly points out, the tip of the cat’s hat has been replaced. I’ve seen his restoration work myself. It is so good that this minor matter shouldn’t act as any sort of brake on a desire for acquisition. Beistle produced only two Tango figures from this era - the other is a witch and is also being offered by this fine seller. Both designs are notoriously difficult to find without some problems to the lower extremities. This looks to be a real keeper for collectors.

08/17 Update: This item fetched $772.

Beistle Tango Witch Halloween Decoration

I know the sellers were astonished at this ending price - as am I. Given the fully disclosed poor condition of the item, this ending price is wholly unsustainable. If you look at the bidding history, you'll see that the bidding would have leveled off at a reasonable $150, again given the item's poor condition, if not for two bidders who wished to own it at such a stratospheric price against all reason. Ebay sure is an odd place! Sometimes treasures go for a song while problematic items bring dollars they shouldn't.