Trick-or-Antiquing

Decorations are the finishing touch for a Halloween party and most are reasonably priced, but vintage Halloween decorations prices will scare the BOO out of you. Originally sold in the ‘five-and-ten cent’ stores early to mid-20th century, Halloween decorations were mostly made of inexpensive materials like cardboard, wax, or paper mâché, because they were intended for one-time usage. The disposable age was practically ushered in by this merchandise manufactured for Trick-or-Treaters.

So popular are these rare and hard-to-find collectibles that price guides have been published about them, and condition is everything. To ensure paying a fair price for your treats, two authoritative books on the subject are: "Halloween Collectibles" by Dan and Pauline Campanelli, and another book with the same name by Mark B. Ledenbach. Both are full-color, well-categorized, complete with price guides.

Die-cut cardboard decorations by Beistle made in the U.S., like jointed skeletons and black cats circa 1920s-30s, are some of the most popular collectibles. Depending on size and condition, they can go for hundreds of dollars. Another ephemera collectible… postcards.

“Halloween postcards outsell all other holiday postcards, if you can find them,” said Tracy Bradford, an antique dealer at the Spring Antique Mall and a member of the Tomball Postcard Club. “Postcards by John O. Winsch and Rafael Tuck are the most desirable, but any Halloween postcard is going to be highly collectible.”

The prices can be startling for other collectibles that were originally low-cost items like accordion-pleated tabletop decorations and paper mâché pumpkins for collecting candy. On the high end are tin horns, rattles, and clickers, manufactured from the 1920s to the late 1950s. Prized for their colorful and spooky graphics, the pre-WWII noisemakers were made in Germany; post WWII tin noisemakers were manufactured in the United States. As time goes by, the prices will continue to escalate for those that have weathered the test of time without rusting. It’s not unusual for tin horns in excellent condition to sell for over $100 in antique stores.

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