Vintage Halloween Collectibles Research (1900-1979)

Thank you for supporting THR's research series on Etsy Well, here we are (not too far way from a 2nd Anniversary review of stock in August  and a new tissue-paper honeycomb art book in October ) to find ourselves at the beginnings of winter holiday season 2025. And, given the theme of the most recent holiday, it would seem a great time to express THR's gratitude for keeping operations running, most notably the  Etsy bookstore . Thank you to the archives and libraries assisting in early stages of research. Thank you to the various businesses that help produce these publications. And, of course, thank you the readers for purchasing one (or more) of THR’s vintage Halloween collectibles guidebooks which currently number six publications... shown below.   Six new best-selling guidebooks getting five-star reviews  from  vintage Halloween collector seeking  market research. The last two-plus years of publishing have been great fun, yet it obviously takes time...

Vintage Halloween Collectible Guide: THR's New Visual Survey of Lanterns The Halloween Retrospect  ( see THR's bookstore on etsy here ) is pleased to announce that as of the end of September 2024 nearly 200 books by THR have sold since the first research digests arrived for sale in June 2023. Perhaps that is relatively a small number, but the archive librarian feels this ain't too shabby give the niche subject matter, and that THR (publications) is a small do-it-yourself enterprise available only via the etsy bookstore .  And, at that, most of those books were wordy research digests based on data from THR's archive library (!!!) but now, just over a year later, THR begins a splashy new series of visual survey books that are more like art-books in their presentation of vintage Halloween collectibles. That said, the content remains focused on using that archive library of catalogs, newspapers, etc., to show the market availability of the items' as seen from the vinta...

Sane Halloween Observer Offering some night photos of this spooky triangle shade that appeared in vendor supply catalogs of the 1930's. The shade collapses flat, folding on a deliberate line through the middle of the owl. (It's a peculiar design decision that over time has usually reduced the quality of that particular pane). Original method for maintaining the expanded shape of the lantern is currently unknown by this blogger - (and information is welcome).  Note that the item (shown below in excerpt from an original 1937 catalog) is advertised as a die cut which is the industrial "cookie-cutter" process that made so many vintage holiday items, (and not just 2-D flat decor). See earlier blog entry from December 2014:  Halloween Diecut Quiz .