Vintage Halloween Collectibles Research (1900-1979)

Sane Halloween Observer Note: (2-1-2024)  various dates are  lined-through here  (since the old 2015 entry)  to reflect  primary sources  rather than secondary are now referenced. In the  THR archive library , various sets are depicted in candy ads (1946-1954) in Sears catalogs. And while this may not definitively narrow years of availability, it does indicate that variations in regional distribution may have been a stronger factor. More primary sources are needed concerning the cards appearances to consumer. In the meantime  these cards are discussed further in  The Halloween Retrospect: Rosen Moon Pop  for the new book  The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 2  that presents new details from on-hand catalogs. A quick visual survey of known sets of Rosen's Hallowe'en Trix or Treats  lollipop-holder cards (with variations of style shown here dating from the 1930's to the 1950's ). The first seven-card set (at righ...

Sane Halloween Observer Two more by Rust Craft . See also Ain't Grub Grand .   Also check out this other blog's entry on the Rust Craft Rustler in " Mid Century Card Shop" Updated 11-25-2015 - Addition from set? Marked on back Rust Craft 5H222.

Sane Halloween Observer While Beistle's vintage oeuvre gets plenty of attention (that I don't suspect it will need much repeating here), some of the smaller details get lost "in the shuffle" shall we say? The Kitty Card Game  from the late 1920's is often shown with the packaging and instruction sheet, while perhaps the best part, the imagery of the individual items, is only hinted by a stack of nearby cards. I thought it would be fun to create this quick collage of the 10 hatching-effect sketches seen in the deck.

Sane Halloween Observer A HALLOWE'EN WISH May all the bats and ghosts and frights Bring jolly fun and laughter And fill your day with such delights You'll smile forever after! Here's an incredible vision - of another pumpkin-headed spirit at the fence ( see also  Beware! The Gatekeeper ).  This is a vintage Hallowe'en card posted by Alan Mays on Flickr ( originally posted on Ipernity: A Halloween Wish ). Would love to know more details on this item which is stated as being a single-sided greeting card from the 1920's-1930's. Will this smiling spook be as friendly once it climbs to the other side of the fence?  Check out the meticulous details of this illustration. The landscape above the fence reminds me of Seattle where you see 1930s brick tudor style architecture in neighborhoods of extremely tall Douglas Firs silhouetted in the skyline. The fence alone has me stunned, with the glowing highlights at top, the visible knots and nail-heads, and ...

Sane Halloween Observer modern re-sampling Curious obscurity (below) of Hallowe'en invitation card with neither a marked manufacturer nor a firm date, (though likely 1920's-1930's when ghosts with whipped-topping-heads were popular imagery). Blank on the back. Below is the actual vintage invitation: "Hist! You are wanted at a Hallowe'en..." original vintage invitation

Sane Halloween Observer As might be guessed from the previous blog introduction  there is a real thrill discovering sets, or additions to sets, (by someone who loves obscurities). And these cards really wowed me!  Here are five (are there more?) wonderfully illustrated and poetic cards featuring weird witches, bedraggled cats, skulls, elves, and an odd moon seemingly spirited up from a cider keg. These likely date from the early 20th century, judging from the addition of gold (below) seen during 1920's / 1930's paper goods by Rust Craft, Whitney, Dennison, and Gibson.   These seem close to character designs found on a  Whitney  (?) product (particularly the witches and cats)... but I'm no longer certain after noticing items from another postcard set (example shown below) with a "M in a teapot beanpot" mark on the back: Update 12-1-2014:  an active member of the Vintage Halloween group on facebook ( www.facebook.com/gr...