Vintage Halloween Collectibles Research (1900-1979)

Sane Halloween Observer Yet another awesome mid-century merchandise package for what must have been the popular "haunted house carry-case" genre..., this time from Brach's Fine Candie s circa 1955. You can see the handi-pak described in the 1955 Halloween Candies brochure : No. 5101 - Trick or Treat Handi-Pak Haunted house design on satchel-shaped pak contains minimum of 70 assorted cello packets of Candy Corn, Halloween Jelly Beans, Orange and Black Imperials, and Assorted Creme Cones. Empty satchel serves as a container for Trick or Treat loot. Net weight per pack 22 1/2 ounces. 16 Handi-Paks to case.  For more haunted house candy-boxes see  Witch's Chest  and  Candy Loot .   

Sane Halloween Observer Wonderful graphics from yet another mid-century candy box container (see also Witch's Chest ) of haunted houses with peek-a-boo windows. Especially fond of all the attic windows! This item is labeled on the bottom as: Manufactured and Packed by Breaker's Confections Inc., Chicago, Illinois. 

Sane Halloween Observer Mid-century (date unknown) vintage Halloween merchandise box with dual purpose as trick-or-treat carry case. According to ingredient information could contain either bubble gum or suckers in the original package. Produced by Thomas-Wiener Co. of Memphis, Tennessee. Below are two views - one side offering plastic-covered peek-a-boo glimpses of contents.

Sane Halloween Observer A 1955 sales vendor catalog by Brach's with awesome mid-century graphic design, illustration, and layout techniques. Don't forget ( spoken   in your best informational 50s voiceover ) that "HALLOWEEN is one of the year's THREE BIGGEST CANDY OCCASIONS"... "It has a long selling season from Labor Day to October 31"... and... "Because Halloween candies are exciting, colorful candies, they offer exceptional opportunities for colorful EXCITING CANDY DISPLAYS." And after looking at this awesome catalog, I certainly believe every word of it! Oh for a Halloween time machine!  (Click image below to view a larger version - or view on Pinterest ).  (Click image to view larger).

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 THE LIDS OFF! Awesome play on words and mid-century graphics on this vintage (date unknown) Halloween candy box for Snickers candy bars for Tricks... Treats. 24 Mars bars - Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way.

Sane Halloween Observer If you look beyond catalogs (like Dennison's Bogie Books ), there exist a ton of wonderful vintage imagery appearing in magazines, early readers, and comics, etc., receiving little attention for valuation. I'm guessing this is because the content of these various publications is not completely devoted to the holiday, nor tied to the decor that people love to collect and display. So a beginning budget-conscious collector can find some real gems!   One of my favorite vintage covers is this single panel scene of sight-gags created by Graham Hunter for Treasure Chest (of Fun and Fact) Comic Book Vol 4 No. 4. October 19, 1948. A search engine will lead you to a number of his covers (and for other holidays) that are just as much fun! There's so many brilliant details inside of this one piece, that you don't mind the lack of any Halloween content in the rest of this Catholic comic book series. Wouldn't it be fantastic if one day someone g...