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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

NEAR MINT Antique Vintage Halloween 12-Panel Lantern Decoration Germany 1920s!!

Here is another result that beggars belief. This 12-panel lantern is very common. It surfaces regularly. The sustainable value is in the $300s, so the prevailing bidder paid a substantial premium. My theory is that there has been a large influx of new collectors into our fun hobby who have a weak grasp of value and rarity. Combine that with assumed deep pockets and the result is a spate of values that might not be seen again. I just hope in the meantime that collectors don’t forego the hobby for one that isn’t so pricey.
Now, there is another theory that I’ve spoken to several close collecting friends about. I’ve been a collector of vintage Halloween for nearly 40 years and have seen the valuation phenomenon that I call plateaus and spikes. Prices remain at largely one level for years until there is a spike affecting many market segments at once. The first spike I noticed was in 1992 for reasons that I can’t explain. 1995/6 was another spike, probably due to the publication of two references - one by Schneider and the other, quite a good one, by Campanelli, in 1995. Another spike happened in 2004 soon after my first edition was published and again in 2007 and 2014. The memorable spike in 2020 I place at the doorstep of COVID. Is this another sustainable spike we’re seeing in 2025 or a passing fad driven by hell-bent new collectors?

EXCEEDINGLY RARE Antique Vintage Halloween Diecut Set In Box NOS Germany

What a great listing! You rarely see the box many German diecuts were sold in, so this is a treat. The typical idea is what you see on the lid would be inside. Voila! Except for the JOL, the contents shown in the photos appear correct and complete. I have a box identically sized with identical lid imagery in the collection but the number at the bottom center of the lid is different. (It is also only three digits.) I’d love to know how these numbers were assigned. It will be fun to see what this listing brings!

09/02 Update: The seller definitely didn’t do themselves any favors by having this listing end during a long weekend holiday. It brought $1,680.51, significantly less than I expected. The prevailing bidder is a newish collector who has excellent taste. Congratulations, SH!

NEAR MINT PLUS NEVER USED Antique Vintage Halloween Stunt Game, Beistle, 1930s!

This seller has gotten so many results of late that are so far out of line with long-established values that she has become the subject of much conversation. This game is not uncommon. (I see that another eBay seller immediately listed this game in a similar condition for a BIN of $625 once this listing ended. It’ll be interesting to see if it sells.) I would be thrilled to sell any item I have as part of the collection for the price this seller has recently obtained! So, ASK. I have never seen anything like this. In a recent email exchange with the seller, she states that she starts everything at $9.99 and lets the market decide. Fair enough. I’ve heard a number of theories as to how she is getting these prices. My theory is simple: she has taken the time to build a brand and is reaping the reward - with a high percentage of her sales surely from deep-pocketed newer collectors who trust her and choose to overpay with a trusted source. I don’t subscribe to any of the nefarious theories being bandied about.

08/30 Update: The other game listed, referred to in my post, sold for $500, significantly less yet in the same condition.

RARE Vintage Halloween WITCH CANDY CONTAINER - Molded Pulp Paper

This is a desirable U.S. pulp item. This witch is almost never seen in this condition. For some reason, the paint on these is typically significantly eroded. This may be one of the nicest I’ve seen, even with the wear under the rim of the basket and the indentation at the bottom. As of this writing the price has been bid up to $255. I feel it has a lot of room to run.

09/02 Update: This brought $1,177.77!

Vintage Gibson Halloween Tongue Twister Party Game With Envelope 1928-32

Gibson was in a long boxing match for market share with Dennison, the paper heavyweight, and Beistle. Being the runner-up motivated them to try harder in the creativity of their offerings - and the Tongue Twisters exemplify this. I don’t recall ever seeing a full envelope of six. Most of the time when the glassine envelope is extant, there is but one Tongue Twister accompanying it. Both items comprising this lot look very clean. The marketplace typically values these highly, so it will be fun to see what this wonderful listing brings. Check out page 23, upper right, to see examples of the seldom seen Tongue Twister place cards Gibson also produced.

09/02 Update: This sold for $412.76. I’ll be placing the Book Item equivalent on my For Sale page later this month.

Vintage Halloween Beistle party favor basket of owl bat cauldron 1925 NMINT RARE

Beistle produced four favor basket designs of this size from 1927-1931. They typically surface for sale in good to very good condition because in opening the honeycomb bottom and inserting the tabs to keep that honeycomb open, the entire item is put under stress. This example seems to be as good as the seller indicates. Refer to page 225 to see the other three designs. This one, the learned owl, is the most commonly seen. The design with the witch in the cloak adorned with skulls is the one seen the least. I’ve had a number of collectors mention that they find the background this great seller uses to be distracting, so he may wish to go with something a tad less busy. I very much enjoy and applaud the way he describes things - dividing it into “The Basics” and “The Fluff.” I’ve been acquainted with this seller for many years. Have no hesitation in doing business with him.

For Sale Page to Return in September

Hi Readers,
I’ll be busy restocking my For Sale page with some great items. My aim is to have the page active and visible again sometime in mid-September. Our season is coming quickly!

Vintage Halloween 3 Musketeers Candy Box Empty* 1950s HTF Halloween Decor

There has been a plethora of results these last few months that don’t make sense to me. This candy box has great graphics and is in better-than-average condition but it surfaces frequently. I do know that something is valued at whatever someone wants to pay, but there seems to be a bubble developing in the vintage Halloween market. As a net collector, it makes me uneasy. As a sometimes seller, I don’t mind it quite so much. My long-time concern is that the hobby has simply gotten too expensive for the collector with an average to even above-average income.

1996 Casper The Friendly Ghost Candelabra w/ Box Trendmasters Vintage Halloween

I don’t purchase very many contemporary (Nearly 30 year-old items seem contemporary to me…) decorations, but I picked up one of these Casper candelabras a few seasons ago and LOVE it. It makes a great display with its understated lit appearance and those great flickering candles. I’m glad to see they are bringing strong dollars.

EXCEEDINGLY RARE Antique Vintage Halloween Diecut & 11 Coordinating Placecards!!

This is a result that is more of a function of two determined bidders who surely never dreamed that one of them would be on the hook for such an unsustainable sum. (Take a look at the bidding history.) In conversations with several collectors as to whether I’d be bidding, I said I wouldn’t be as I didn’t want to pay what I thought FMV would be, $2,500. Imagine my shock when the ending price was $4,900. Allow me to temper my shock with repeating that this is a one-off result due to only two bidders AND with the observation that I had never seen any one of the items that comprise what I hope is a complete set. The art is sublime and very reminiscent of Rust Craft. I appreciated how the seller pointed out the “Gertrude” by-line. Fascinating! It will make an astounding display - albeit a very costly one, at ~$415 per item.