A new market segment is developing in our fun hobby. I’ve noticed real energy in the unused greeting card market segment with only slightly less energy in the used greeting card market segment. (The amount of use is key.) Some of the imagery ranges from sweet, like with this listing, to scary. There are cards with elaborate pop-ups and with moving parts. In short, it is fun to watch this segment gain currency. This long-time and very fine seller seems to have a deep inventory of unused greeting cards, so be sure to watch her listings.
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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.
Vintage Halloween 1920’s Dennison Cat Face 12” H X 10”wide VGC
This diecut was a big seller for Dennison during the late 1920s. First appearing in 1927, Dennison produced three sizes - all otherwise identical. This is the middle size. The smallest measures ~5.5” high. The largest measures ~17” high. It is the largest version that is seen the least.
3 Antique Vintage Halloween Decorations, Crepe Witch Gibson Bat Beistle Skeleton
When bidding, keep in mind that the wings of the Gibson bat have been creased and folded. They were produced with flat wings. Please see page 272 for a photo of this hard-to-find Gibson item with its wings as they were originally manufactured.
ANTIQUE VINTAGE HALLOWEEN BEISTLE PAPER PARTY GAME JACK-O-LANTERN PUZZLE PIECE
These Beistle items typically trade in the range of $100-125, so this result is an outlier.
ANTIQUE PUMPKIN FACE MINIATURE WASTE BOWL Germany Jack-O-Lantern 1"
Although unmarked, I agree that this rarely seen waste bowl is a product of Germany rather than of Japan.
Vintage Halloween J. Chein Tambourine
Chein produced some of the best classic tin litho tambourines, all avidly collected today. This has long been one of my favorite designs. I remember shopping a long-defunct collectibles show called PMA in 1990 or 1991. I saw this tambourine for sale for $35 and bought it, wondering if I was crazy to pay such a high price for something I rally didn’t need. Sure glad I made the purchase!
08/15 Update: Especially so, since this tam fetched $503.97!
VTG RARE Beistle PINK SKELETON W/ JACK-O-LANTERN ON HORSE Diecut HALLOWEEN 1960
I love this diecut - and am surprised I do. (My opinion has changed {matured?} since 2014.) The darker designs with ominous portent are those that appeal to me the most - and this is galaxies away from that design aesthetic. From my anecdotal pulsing of other collectors’ opinions of this design, I find it be divisive. Few are ambivalent. Others either love it or despise it. Beistle released this for the 1960-1962 seasons. I have grown to appreciate the weird colors and out-there design. Beistle produced similar designs during this small window leading me to believe they had hired - and soon parted ways with - an art design manager with an eccentric outlook. Given these don’t turn up that often, I also suspect it wasn’t a strong seller.
08/15 Update: This brought $189.50.
Rare Vintage Halloween 3 Piece Witches & Pumpkin Fluorescent Die Cut Decorations
These diecuts were produced by Beistle. The witches were released as a trio of designs during the later 1950s. Even in rough condition like these two are, they bring strong dollars as evidenced by the ending price. The large JOL was released during the years between 1952-1963, inclusive. It is not as sought after as the witches. I feel the seller would have have achieved higher gross dollars by listing these items separately.
Vintage Halloween Bat 1920’s Dennison
This non-embossed bat was produced by Dennison. A slightly more colorful iteration first appeared in their 1920 Bogie Book with a stock number of H62. I suspect this one was produced in 1919 or 1920. What I do know is that either variant seldom comes available, especially in this near-mint condition. I appreciate this seller’s no-nonsense listing style. It is something Jack Webb would love with his “Just the facts, Ma’am” demeanor. (Am I dating myself?) I would love it if more sellers would adopt this efficient style.
08/15 Update: This diecut fetched $104.
Vintage Halloween Tin Metal Tambourine Noisemaker Witches Bats Skulls Pumpkins
The manufacturer of the large line of noisemakers with this design was too long unknown. Finally, I can say the manufacturer was Spearhead Industries, Inc. of Eden Prairie, MN. They incorporated in 1968 and have long been out of business.
08/12 Update: This tambourine in such nice condition fetched $296.03.
Vintage Halloween Beistle Pie Fortune Game. Late 1940’s
Beistle produced this game during the late 1940s when they were clearly running out of gas from a design perspective. They were so adrift at that time they actually produced three in the series. Although this is a fine seller with an item in unused condition, the only word it evokes is meh.
08/15/Update: This fetched $72.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN JACK-O-LANTERN CANDY CONTAINER. VINTAGE 9" TALL
This soulless item has modest (very) decorative value only. It is a folk art item made for that market during the 1995-2005 interval. The design is based on the genuine item long part of the collection, even down to the nose. (See page 132.) The seller describes this as in “very vintage condition.” What does this even mean? The answer: nothing.
VINTAGE HALLOWEEN BEISTLE DIECUT * WITCH * BLACK CAT * BAT * 12" BY 18.5" *
Beistle produced five different designs in this large form factor, all with scalloped edges, beginning in 1932. You can see four of these designs on pages 149 and 150. The enduring mystery of this set involves the fifth sibling - a puzzled skeleton in a graveyard shown on page 137. Whereas the other four typically trade in a range up to $700, the skeleton has routinely brought a minimum of $3,000, with several examples far exceeding that figure. The mystery is why the latter diecut is so scarce. Catalogs from the 1930s show the skeleton over several years, but I know of perhaps ten in existence, 3-4 of which are in poor-to-fair condition. My working theory is that Disney objected to the design as being too reminiscent of one of their shorts and demanded their removal from the market. (Now, I have zero proof of this theory, but I’ve struggled to come up with a real-world answer to the mystery.) If anyone can shed light on this matter with some proof, like Ross Perot, I’m all ears.
Vintage Halloween Graveyard Pop-Up Decoration, Hallmark 1960s, Original Envelope
An interesting market segment that has recently gotten definite heat are pop-ups from the 1960s. Those produced by Hallmark seem to be especially hot. I’ve recently sold several 1960s Hallmark pop-ups. Although their Haunted House is perennially popular, this 1960s graveyard pop-up is almost never seen. The fact that the original envelope is extant is a definite plus. It looks to be in very-fine-plus or better condition. This is definitely worth acquiring. I know this seller. He is a long-time collector and a truly nice person.
08/15 Update: I’m glad to see this fine pop-up fetched $280.
Very rare vintage halloween tin noise maker excellent graphics
I’ve only seen this seemingly semi-finished, oddly-constructed tin litho clapper a handful of times in 35 years of collecting. Each one has that same plain-Jane handle. I have not been able to pinpoint the manufacturer with high confidence, but am confident that this tin treasure was made for a single season in the late 1920s. I see that it has been bid up to $300 with nearly six days remaining. It will be fun to see what this fetches. Tin litho items in fine-plus or better condition are overdue for some market love.
08/15 Update: This fetched $407.51.
