Vintage Halloween Collectibles Research (1900-1979)

Sane Halloween Observer This entry is dedicated to arguably one of the most ignored Halloween noisemakers of vintage collectibles - the Flex-a-tone ( wikipedia ). Its minimal graphics (opposed to artwork that lifts others into triple digits) may forever hold the value of this particular item down (as of this writing) to about $10-$25, and yet for audiophiles it could in fact be the most desirable of any in this genre. Contrary to other noisemakers with their monotonous racket, the musical sound of a Flex-a-tone  was used in the recording studios of classic cartoons and vintage jazz for its glissando effect - a warbling that changes tone - something like a ghost crawling up and down your spine. You probably recognized that sound instantly and can likely name a few tunes or shows where you've heard it? (For example, one person identified it used in the film Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) whenever the evil sorceress Zenobia made her appearance). Well, it'...

Sane Halloween Observer Following is a collage of pages scanned from a 1960's public service announcement on Halloween safety. The actual printed piece is a wallet-sized 3"x4" fold-out booklet from the Minnesota Department of Health printed in 1962 by Imagination Inc.  Mod, kitschy, and rather grim, the story is a cross between a certain politically questionable rhyme of the late 1800's with humor reminiscent of Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies .