About Our Antique Mall About Antiques News & Press What's In Store (Antiques, of course!) Virtual Showcase Mall Views - 2004 Mall Views - 2005 Antique FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Trick or Treat!

By: Janet Werner

Halloween Halloween collectibles were considered at one time, to be one of the smallest vintage, collectible markets, but a niche market no more. The popularity of the Harry Potter books about witchcraft, the interest in medieval history and the Dark Ages, the gothic movement, and of course, nostalgia, have contributed significantly to growing this market. There’s just one problem, the demand is outstripping the supply. Although this is an unusual experience for antique dealers, it’s preferable to an over saturation resulting in excess inventory.

Mass production of Halloween paraphernalia emerged in the early 1920s. Most of the items were imported from Germany, and secondly from Japan. The United States started mass producing Halloween decorations at the same time, but dominated the US market during World War II, for obvious reasons. Unfortunately the inexpensive materials used, and improper storage, have prevented most of these older items from weathering the test of time.

Halloween collectibles are divided into two main categories…noisemakers made from tin, and paper decorations. Tin horns, clickers, shakers, tin pan clangers, and tambourines, were festooned with the obvious characters of the season…witches, ghosts, bats, and black cats. The dominant American, metal noisemaker manufacturers were US Metal Toy, T. Cohn, S. Chein, and Kirchof. If residing in any of the areas where these items were manufactured, availability would be better. Prices on tin noisemakers typically start at $20, and can go over $100 based on condition and rarity.

Beistle provided the largest selection of Halloween paper goods, but some of the others include Merri-Le, Whitney Co., Dolly Toy, Gibson Art Co., and Whitman Publishing Co. Molded candy containers made from molded pulp in the form of jack-o-lanterns and black cat heads, are an especially desirable collectible. Door hangings and lanterns exposed to the weather, and delicate table decorations of the honeycomb fold-out variety, deteriorated the easiest and are the hardest to locate in good condition. A company by the name of Dennison expanded their paper goods to include a wide variety of games for Halloween parties, and books on Halloween. Collectors of vintage graphic art have enabled their merchandise to become a cross-collectible. Reference Mark B. Ledenbach’s book Vintage Halloween Collectibles for a complete price guide and plenty of photographs.

To preserve your delicate Halloween collectibles, store in a temperature-controlled environment. Heat rises, so a closet on the ground floor is best, as opposed to an upstairs closet, or worse…the attic. Vintage Halloween decorations are so popular that the Spring Antique Mall dealers keep this merchandise available year round.

The Spring Antique Mall is located at the southwest corner of I-45 and FM 2920 (U-Haul Rental Center), Exit 70A. Call 281-355-1110 for more information, and to print a copy of this article, please visit their website at www.springantiquemall.com

We have fun! Come see us!