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This blog page provides a place for my comments and
insights on a selection of the multitude of items listed on Ebay. I
have no financial interest in any of the items mentioned on this
page, as I do this for fun as well as to educate. Feel free to
check back often, as it is my intent to update this page at least
weekly depending on the time of the year. If you have a question on an item I haven't
mentioned below, always feel free to contact me through the site. MBL
Sellers Who Receive
MBL's Vintage Halloween Stamp of Approval
55audrey,
devilwoman,
djdutch48,
dragonflydesignstudio.com,
freshest1,
fritzyfinds,
goofus999,
halloween824,
holidays2you,
jazz4jols,
jawboy71,
member666734,
mmccall,
ms.dennistle,
mysweetjanene,
northcane,
nyleos,
scarlettssister,
sellmestuff,
shiverbones,
stnick22,
strega3338rby,
walpurgis1031,
whirlwind27,
zizsdream
Sellers With Whom MBL Chooses Not To Do
Business
1027-97th,
1falls,
aboveindustry,
cold-angel07,
curiousimp,
dreamcatchers*,
fallsmist52,
landerstoys,
ronscollection,
rwb9,
shadowtown,
warbond321,
yevdokcem
COMMENTS ON COMPLETED AUCTIONS
110817391694 1940'S US METAL TOY HALLOWEEN WITCH &
OWL TIN NOISEMAKER
Ended 02/03 Given the very nice condition, the buyer got a
real bargain here. Congrats!
220939159139 Small Halloween Green Ghoul Figure
Composition, German C 1930
Ended 02/02 Typically these early, small German compo items,
free from their original bases, sell for around $100 in near-mint
condition. They were very quickly and easily made, as the detailing
is scant and the hand-painted flourishes nearly non-existent. Given
that and this one's overall condition, I was surprised to see it
sell for $123.51.)
220938421070 2 very rare vintage 1950s halloween
pirate skeleton decorations
Ended 02/01 Over the last 18 months, I've noticed that this
common Beistle diecut of a pirate skeleton has brought significantly
higher prices than ever before. They aren't rare, having been made
for many years. The guide value is $20. Do any of my readers have a
theory as to why the prices have risen on this diecut?
130637815592 VINTAGE HALLOWEEN RARE PARTY SIGN GHOST
JOL "THIS WAY BEWARE" DENNISON GIBSON CO
Ended 02/01 The offering of this never-before-seen Gibson
diecut caused me a great deal of consternation. I don't have it.
I've never seen it before. The condition was very problematic.
Should I bid on it knowing I may never see it again, but also
knowing I'd never be happy with it? Or should I let it pass by
waiting for a better example to come along? I have a true fondness
for Gibson's output, so the decision was a tough one. I ultimately
decided to let it pass by. As I sit here typing, knowing that it
sold for a mere $154.38, I wonder if I made the right call.
150742329651 Vintage Rare Halloween German Pumpkin
Face Child's Bowl 1920's
Ended 01/29 The prevailing bidder did not get a bargain with
this purchase. These mini cups from the well-known porcelain tea set
from the early teens, typically trade for around $90.
180801703693 Vintage Halloween Fortune / Stunt Game
Ended 01/28 I've seen this game twice in my collecting career,
so I think it is exceptionally rare. Even given the condition, the
price seems reasonable.
260941020916 2 VERY RARE VINTAGE (BEISTLE) UNUSED
HALLOWEEN CARDS
Ended 01/28 These two desirable Beistle place cards with
flip-out bases are two to a set of four, made in 1930-31. Several
sets of these surfaced in 2007. Other than this listing, I've seen
neither hide nor hair of them since. Back then, they traded between
$125 to $250 per card, so for the pair to sell for $227.50 seems
like a strong bargain indeed.
370572218330 Scarce Antique Wooden Halloween Noise
Maker with Pumpkin Head
Ended 01/07 Given how often these are really married items
(meaning not made originally together) and how uninteresting the
wood JOL is, the selling price of $72.89 is difficult to understand.
120838081657 Vtg. 1950s Ratchet Halloween 4 1/2"
Noisemaker Witch on Broom by Moon Tin
Ended 01/04 Unfortunately, someone just threw away $37.95 on
this tin ratchet. Contrary to the seller's assertion that it was
from the 1950s, it was actually made about 2007, specifically for a
retailer called Restoration Hardware. This identical design took at
least three forms, so be careful. ******************************************************************************************************************
Item Number and Description
260946238256 Vintage Halloween Beistle Black Cat
Moon Diecut Decoration Antique Rare
Ends 02/29 This seller consistently offers ridiculously overpriced
wares.
120854404584 NEAR MINT Vintage Halloween Witch
Diecut Standup Decoration Germany
Ends 02/13 This large German diecut is difficult to locate in
this eminently collectible condition. Being sizable with irregular
borders, it is very prone to tears and bends. The true bonus with
this auction is that it is being offered by one of the very few
sellers on this forum that I hold in the highest regard. You will
never be unhappy with your business dealings with zizsdream!
180810704985 Primitive Vintage Style Cast Iron Ghost
Girl Pumpkin Bank
Ends 02/09 It's nice to finally see a seller honestly describe
these as being in a "vintage style" rather than vintage.
Unfortunately, many of these fantasy pieces have been sold to
unsuspecting buyers. One prolific seller of these, bigindian15,
has been peddling them for years, with differing explanations as to
how he managed to stumble across such quantities. The bottom line:
these are fantasy items, made recently, with zero collectible value.
270903833169 RARE Antique Pulp Paper Mache JACK O'
LANTERN in UNUSUAL FORM
Ends 02/05 I wonder how this seller can guarantee this to be
"...honest, old and attic fresh..." when it wasn't made before
1995ish?
280815779292 dennison vintage cut-outs 4 owls
halloween
Ends 02/03 This is an interesting lot in that I've not seen
these owl cut-outs sold with a glassine envelope before. The typical
way for them to have been sold was in a slide box with an inventory
number of H-99. Dennison's record keeping has always been
impenetrable to me, with no visible logic to their inventory
numbering system. (These sold for a very
reasonable $39.99.)
160723671613 Identically-sided 3D flying Bat
Halloween decoration USA Gibson Art 1930s rare!
Ends 01/31 I have come to truly appreciate Gibson's output
over my collecting career. They didn't have the marketing muscle of
Beistle or Dennison, but they strove to introduce unusual and
whimsical products to retail establishments year after year. This
bat is wonderful - and appears to be in near-perfect condition. I
think the Buy-It-Now price is reasonable, and would hope this fine
item gets snapped up.
180803134559 Vintage Halloween Fortune Crystal Game
Ends 01/30 Although this unremarkable fortune game is marketed
as having a Halloween connection, it really doesn't. Just casually
look at the imagery. What about it conjures Halloween?
170769057282 SET of VINTAGE HALLOWEEN JACK O
LANTERNS GERMAN PAPER MACHE Full set of 9!!!
Ends 01/29 Directly below, I discuss this set of fantasy
pieces. This seller, based in Germany, provides an excellent photo
of the entire faux set. Keep it and refrain from buying any of these
items unless you wish to try to decorate cheaply! They have zero
collectible value. (Pity the poor sap who
dropped $557 on this dreck.)
200702995129 VINTAGE HALLOWEEN JACK O LANTERN 1920'S
GERMAN COMPOSITION
Ends 01/25 Look at this seller's six other listings of JOLs
and copy the photographs. You will then have an excellent library of
seven of the nine fantasy pieces from the set that began appearing
in the mid-1990s to fool collectors. Unscrupulous manufacturers in
Germany, understanding how quickly prices were rising for truly
vintage German Halloween items, began cranking these things out by
the truckload. I can't begin to guess how many collections I have
examined where items from this set were proudly residing. If you
have purchased these for any more than simple decorative value,
return them to the dealers you purchased them from for a full
refund. As I have said for years, never buy any Halloween items from
sellers based in Germany. The Germans made Halloween items strictly
for export, so little to nothing was left in their country to be
"discovered" in warehouses.
320833627211 VINTAGE DIE CUT BLACK CAT W/ GREEN EYES
RED TONGUE
Ends 01/23 Do not buy this diecut remnant. What do I mean by a
remnant? This was cut from a circular diecut wherein the cat was the
center of the entire item. Flip to page 162 of my book to see what I
mean. Given it is merely a remnant, it has no collectible value.
370577318591 VINTAGE RARE DEVIL HORN GERMAN
HALLOWEEN NOISMAKER
Ends 01/22 Like the faux devil head referenced below, this is
another of the very well-known fantasy pieces that began polluting
the hobby in the mid-1990s. I was fooled back then, spending $300 on
one even though I had suspicions from the start. (Pay attention to
your intuition!) It lingered in my collection for several years
until I confirmed that it wasn't vintage. I attempted to get my
money back from the dealer I purchased it from, Jenny Tarrant, to no
avail. (I never did business with her again, and never will.) The
seller here mentions that the devil horn appeared in one of Pam
Russell's books with a citation that it was old. In an email
received from her years ago, Pam admitted that she had made a
mistake. Don't be fooled, like I was. (I'm
glad to see this POS brought a mere $61 bucks.)
250972639976 VINTAGE MID CENTURY HALLOWEEN CAT &
WITCH DECORATIONS
Ends 01/20 This is a diecut that surfaces very rarely, but
when it does it invariably has damage. This was made by Dennison and
first appeared in their 1928 Party Magazine. It was made for perhaps
one or two seasons, accounting for its elusiveness. Dennison had a
sense of whimsy and fun fully on display here. The book value is
$185, but because of condition issues I'd guide the price to around
$125. We'll see... (And it came in at $94.14,
a good value...)
120842957314 VINTAGE HALLOWEEN West German Paper
Mache Jack-o-lantern
Ends 01/19 This is another well-known fantasy piece. Sets of
eight different models began appearing in the mid-1990s, and they
have plagued our fine hobby since then. This iteration, as well as
all the others in the set, have no collectible value.
(Glad to see no one was fooled with this
listing.)
180794961575 VINTAGE HALLOWEEN PAPER MACHE PULP JACK
- O - LANTERN
Ends 01/19 This is a home-made item with little collectible
value.
350522996398 1920/30s Halloween Devil Candy Container,
German Made, Excellent Condition
Ends 01/18 This is one of the better known fantasy pieces that
began appearing for sale in the mid-1990s. There is no vintage
equivalent. I discuss this faux item on page 66 of my book. These
regularly surface with no attached candy box, so the presence of a
candy box is a new twist on an old story. This has no collectible
value. Definitely avoid...
260930492362 Vintage Halloween German pumpkin face
teaset
Ends 01/14 The asking price is much too high for these, given
that the sugar bowl has no lid and the cup is probably from Japan. A
realistic price would be in the neighborhood of $350. Read the
seller's answer to whether the sugar has a lid. WTH?
270887870171 early vintage Halloween WITCH Large
German Candy Container pressed
Ends 01/12 This isn't old either. Although there is a lot of
paint crackling and other condition issues that might entice you to
believe it to be old, it surely isn't. It is hard to convey in
writing what to look for with these fantasy items, but the flat
expressions these have is one giveaway. Another is how pristine the
interior cardboard is versus the faux-distressed exterior. I sure
wish our fun hobby wasn't polluted with such garbage.
(Sorry to see that some poor schmuck threw
away $89.99 on this.)
220926222817 Vintage CORN MAN Candy Container GERMAN
1930's Halloween
Ends 01/11 Most of these compo wash over cardboard tube candy
containers are modern reproductions - like this one. Although it is
VERY difficult to discern new from old, the slanted hat on these
containers is a good indication that it isn't what it seems.
Avoid...
150730025908 Rare Vintage Beistle Halloween Party
Decorations Book
Ends: unclear This is a good example of a seller asking for
the moon for an item while not adequately taking condition into
account. Although these Beistle party books typically do trade
between $350-450, those prices are obtained for mint condition items
with complete contents, a far cry from this rather pitiable
offering.
380399314987 Vintage German Halloween Jack o'
Lantern Rattle & Whistle Noisemaker #2
Ends 01/11 This is not a vintage item. Blumchen's imported a
large set of these from Germany in the mid-1990s, polluting our fine
hobby for nearly two decades now. (Wow,
someone tossed away $39.99 on this.)
220924491250 Old Halloween Diecut GIANT OWL MOUSE
HONEYCOMB WINGS
Ends: unclear This lackluster diecut, made by Beistle in the
1960s, demonstrates the sad design decline of this once great source
of truly inspired Halloween decorations. Compare this forgettable
owl to their 1920s Halloween elf diecut - for merely one example
among many. Beistle still exists. Why don't they revitalize their
art staff and begin making limited edition designs for
discriminating collectors like us? They should begin this effort by
hiring my long-time good friend, and for even a longer time a
talented artist, Matthew Kirscht, to spearhead the revitalization!
220923369221 Hardcover Dennison's Bogie Book 1925
Halloween Parties Decorations Original
Ends: unclear I cannot believe this listing is still available
after nearly one week. Hardcover, non-ex-library Bogie Books are as
rare as cogent thoughts in Michele Bachmann's head. The asking price
of $95 is eminently reasonable given the parlous state of the front
cover. SNAP THIS UP!
320820993654 4 ANTIQUE PRESSED CARDBOARD HALLOWEEN
JACK O LANTERN
Ends 01/08 I greatly dislike when a seller (especially when
the seller is really just an antiques mall striving to reach a
broader market) slaps a laughably high price on objects knowing only
that the objects have some value, but little else about them. Take
this listing, for example. The seller has an OK assemblage of
mediocre 1950s pulp JOLs that were all made in the USA. Their
auction verbiage states these "pressed paper" JOLs were probably
made in Germany in the 1930s. Wrong on all counts. Given the
condition, especially given that one of them surely has a replaced
insert, a more reasonable price would be south of $300.
140671687670 OLD CANDY CONTAINER HALLOWEEN BOBBLE
HEAD GERMAN
Ends 01/05 As I have written in this blog many times, simply
do not purchase compo or papier-mâché items from sellers based in
Germany. Through the 1960s, Germany produced Halloween decorations
strictly for export. They had no domestic market for them. Since
truly vintage Halloween items began their price surge in the very
early 1990s (something that has been largely sustained since...)
manufacturers in Germany have been dedicated to churning out
soulless reproductions and fantasy pieces aimed at the
under-informed novice collector. Don't waste your cash on such junk.
Like the item being offered by the Germany-based seller, taveris,
these things not only have no value, but have none of the style,
flair and élan of truly vintage things.
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