Who was GM Co?

A well-known admirer of vintage Halloween currently credits a series of candy containers, pull-toys and rockers (constructed of paper-laminated cardboard) to General Merchandise Company of the 1940s-1950s. Determination appears based on the bottom abbreviation of G.M. CO., but what is the historical record of this company and of its product output? 

As of this writing, I find no iteration of a plausible General Merchandise Company referred to as G.M. Co. (for example  - The Treasury that was at one time named General Merchandise Company has no evident markings of G.M. Co. on its catalogs). As well, other than a few known series of holiday containers (for Easter, Valentines Day, Halloween see below marked G.M. Co), I find no other products via an internet search. Note that research is made difficult because general merchandise is a common term of business categorization such as dry goods; many businesses could describe themselves as a general merchandise company.

Above are five of the six slot-and-tab candy containers that are known to exist in this series. This series is marked G.M. CO. HRS-A thru F (Not shown above is a skeleton with a JOL in a pull cart (A). These are said to be from the 1940s.

The above item is from a small series of large-sized pull toys. This one is marked RH-6D-GM.  A skeleton with a JOL in a wheelbarrow is 6A, a cat with a JOL in a convertible is 6C, which should leave space for an as yet unidentified character 6B or perhaps more? In the same style as these pull-toys there is a large pumpkin-toy rocker marked as RH-7. These are said to be from the 1950s.

Do you have any firm information about G.M. CO. that would solve this interesting mystery?

Candy Cottage

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 Candies 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.   

Candy Loot

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. 

Witch's Chest

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.

1955 Halloween Sweet Tooth

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).

Halloween Diecut Quiz

Here's a bit of fun for both newbie and seasoned collectors? Look at this selection of lanterns, candy packages, toys, and more. Can you name which of these is a diecut?

Now that you've looked them over, do you have your answer? Well, before you read onward for the solution, can you say for certain what a diecut is exactly?

While not technically incorrect, the terminology "diecut" seems to be used without much understanding by many folks in the Halloween community as a word generalizing a certain range of flat 2-D hanging decorations. It is interesting to see how many mis-understand what diecut really means. This is most obvious when a remnant shows up at auction and is called a diecut. Or a long-time seller lists an item with sloppy hand-cut edges claiming it must have been a bad day at the factory. While the first instance is still a diecut (just referenced incorrectly), a ragged hand-cut edge on anything is not. 

Die-cutting is an industrial machine process that, in tremendous assembly-line quantity, created a large variety of Halloween products, all in the same cookie-cutter shape --- paper lanterns, cardboard box displays, on and on..., as well as that outer line of tissue paper pumpkins that expand into three dimensions, and metal objects. (See this wikipedia article).

So the answer is? Quite possibly every piece of what you see pictured above!