Ornamenten Groteske

Spooked by German diecut availability through the 1970's, (pushing experts' guide dates beyond the 1920s-1940s)? As mentioned in the blog introduction - (see addition of point #6) - content is offered here from historical print (re: vintage discoveries), so I welcome counterpoint (likewise from historical print, that is) that does indeed seclude German diecuts to a time before the mid-century. In fact, I would be most grateful if anyone would provide an actual account of German diecut manufacturers which, to my knowledge, does not exist?

This leads us to yet another expansion for the availability of certain German diecuts (previously glimpsed in the entry Halloween in Germany: 1955).  In a similar pirate theme, we now have this Narrenfibel 1960 catalog (shown here scanned from the vintage item) that offered its German audience the chance to buy these embossed cardboard items - a Hellcat, Skeleton, and Port Lantern... (see the English translation below the close-up of page 51).

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17. Hafenlanterne, imit. (imitation) Schmiedeeisin 40 cm gross mit grotesken Eulen, Hexen, Kater Ornamenten auf orangefarbenem transparentpapier

17. Imitation-ironwork port lantern 15 3/4" tall with grotesque owls , witch , cat ornamentation on an orange transparent paper. Item 4.50

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22. Totenskelett, aus Pappe, gepragt und naturgetreu bemalt, mit beweglichen Gliedern 120 cm gross.

22. Dead skeleton , made ​​of cardboard , embossed and painted lifelike , with movable limbs. 47 1/4" tall . Item 7.50.

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24. Hoellenkater 40 cm gross aus Pappe mit groenleuchtenden Augen. paarweise recht, oder linksschauend lieferbar. stuck 2.50  

24. Hellcat 15 3/4” tall made of cardboard with big bright eyes . paired right or left facing . Item 2.50

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Epitaph

Some items, like German diecuts and tin toys, repeatedly cycle through the market, perhaps indicating that if it's in a book or often listed on ebay that its not really a rare item at all --- or maybe those items just get attention simply because they've been loudly identified? While this noise continues with a known set of collectibles, occasionally some items are a genuine surprise. The item shown in this post, and not even in that good of condition, stunned quite a few people, even old-school enthusiasts. Why are we still lacking in information about some items, even the not so rare?

Here's a digital rendering of how this diecut might have appeared as whole, noting that the bottom right corner (paw and tombstone area) is obvious artistic license based on the Gibson style. Digital version (above) and photo (below) as shared on facebook Vintage Halloween. 

Digital re-creation based on image below.

Image as seen on facebook Vintage Halloween.

Diecut Bubble 2

Do you have any concerns about the assessed rarity and value of German-made diecuts in your collection? It may be of interest to view a series of earlier entries here that show a number of diecuts (formerly dated 1920s-40s) instead appeared to have been on the market in the 1950s (Halloween in Germany:1955) through the 1960s (Seven Spooks in Narrenfibel) reaching all the way to the mid-1970s  (Dead Skeletons). As a possible reflection on what may be newer perspectives, or just post-holiday doldrums, here are some interesting auction results from January 2016... that are well below typical values suggested by various guides.

Sold for $125 ($25 each) plus auction fees.

Sold for $80 ($27 each) plus auction fees.

Sold for $90 ($30 each) plus auction fees.

Sold for $0 - auction passed

Sold for $125 ($31 each) plus auction fees.

Sold for $125 ($31 each) plus auction fees.

Sold for $200 ($40 each) plus auction fees.

The last photograph is interesting in that the top two diecuts pictured have been presumed of rare 1920-1930 production dates, as mentioned above, yet recently discovered in oversea publications from a much more recent period. These two were for sale in 1965...!? (See pages below from the 1965 Einzinger Narrenfibel catalog).

It will be interesting to see how any of the diecuts fare should buyers resell through a different market. Two were already resold at roughly 3x the amount shown. There is the ongoing question of prices in relation to venue and visibility (an effect mentioned in an earlier entry Diecut Bubble?). For example, below are ten Beistle diecuts (from the same auction above) initially sold at an extremely reasonable purchase price of $275 plus fees.

Sold for $275 ($28 each) plus auction fees.

The same diecuts made their way to another venue (ebay) and were sold separately for a group total of roughly $1250! The larger $1000 portion of that amount was due solely on one very determined buyer. How do we assess the true value of these pieces? First price, second price, or would it fall somewhere in between?

There are more treats in vintage collectibles than are imagined in your Halloween dreams. If you are not keeping track of the all-too numerous items (especially items previously thought to be rare) that hit the market, then this gallery, a fraction of what becomes available, may be of interest:

Follow VINTAGE Halloween Hoards on Pinterest.

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?

Halloween in Germany:1955

The title of this entry is something of a deliberate misnomer. It follows on the heels of two previous entries Diecut Bubble? and Seven Spooks in Narrenfibel 1968 / 1970 concerning the presence of vintage products that appeared on either side of the Atlantic. Each previous entry was intended to dispel a centric notion that... "because we celebrate Halloween here in North America, there couldn't possibly be any of that imagery (as vintage decor) found or sold elsewhere in the world." Surprise!

While it's been apparent that European and Asian festival items have snuck into past price guides, it was about two years ago that I began to also question availability dates (not necessarily production dates). This was due to discovering vintage "Halloween" decorations in German-language catalogs printed as recently as the 1970's. (See Seven Spooks in Narrenfibel 1968 / 1970). This catalog displays themes for Germany's Karneval (www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/holidays-and-celebrations/fasching-and-karneval/) with pages containing what North American collectors had considered Hallowe'en product runs circa 1920's-1930's. That's curious math --- an additional timeframe of 25 to 40 years that these appeared somewhere on the market?

1968 / 1970 catalog (Germany)

So here is yet another catalog recently discovered from 1955...! Notice page 16, with the pirate theme. There you will find a devil (marketed as a Neptunian creature with a trident), a skeleton (as a pirate's dead-man bones), a black cat (as a sea creature?), and a lantern (as a pirate-ship light fixture down at the Underwater Bar).... once again, all previously considered to be rare because of limited North American availability. What does this information (in addition to the recent preponderance of German diecuts in the second-hand market --- see Diecut Bubble?) do to change the collectible landscape?

Translation update 11-22-2015. Relying on online translation tools with some logical (?) adjustments, here is a rough approximation for items of note on page 16:

725 Lanterne aus schwarzem karton mit augest (aufgeklappt?). Grotesken figuren, 40 cm groß stück 4.50

725 Lantern of black cardboard, expandable (?), grotesque figures, 15 3/4" tall..... piece 4.50

735 Kater - 40 cm, Pappe geprägt, schwarz bemalt, mit grünen leuchtenden augen (auch paarweise, links und recht schauend lieferbar)  stück 1.50 

735 Tomcat - 15 3/4", embossed cardboard , black painted, with greens shining eyes (available in pairs, left and right-facing)..... piece 1.50

738 Fledermaus-teufel, 40 cm, bemalte, flach geprägt figure stück 1.50

738 Bat-devil, 15 3/4", painted, flat embossed figure..... piece 1:50

750 Totenskelett, 120 cm groß, aus starker pappe geprägt und natürlich bemalt...  stück 7.50

750 Dead skeleton , 120 cm tall, from strong cardboard and painted naturally.... piece 7.50

Diecut Bubble?

While prices on vintage German-made diecuts were optimistic this year, one might wonder if, like tin toys, this will be the next vintage Halloween category to fall on hard times. While much of the purchasing Halloween audience is likely viewing the market for only a few weeks, and thus continuing to see embossed diecuts as occasional novelty --- those watching the entire year saw many designs repeatedly available and sometimes more common than some tin toys. Will the diecut bubble burst as they become more and more visible, and new knowledge is gained about their production numbers and availability?

Following (without direct reference to buyers or sellers) are some interesting examples of what I call the vagaries of vintage prices:

ONE: It was surprising that one lot (from a well-known auction house) sold extremely weak in early September (just weeks before the big holiday). Ten German diecuts together with two product packages sold as a lot for $550 --- roughly $50 each. However if you assume the Dancing Skeleton envelope is firmly worth a suggested guidebook price of $325, then from the remaining sale price the embossed pieces would have cost about $25 each.

Lot  of 13 items (above) sold for $550 plus auction fees.

To complicate matters the savvy buyer/seller began turning these around to a different venue the very day the auction hammer fell. During the weeks leading up to Halloween, the diecuts sold separately for roughly around $100+ each. This introduces 2 questions --- How rare is an item that is churning between venues? And what is the actual value when an item is selling to different audiences who may have different perceptions of the market?

TWO: Like any category, some items will likely remain more elusive than others.... but it seems imperative that long-time collectors begin to provide better evidence of their research regarding production and availability dates of products available to both U.S./Canadian markets as well as across the ocean. It appears now that much of the existing stock was cross-marketed to various holiday celebrations inside and outside the borders of the country of manufacturer, and for more years than previously believed?

For example, the vintage witch design (shown above) sold during 2015 as a pair for $1400. One guidebook references the characters from this set of seven as rare with availability only during the 1920s. 

However, a German-language catalog page (above) shows these (as well as one well-known devil) seemingly available within the country of origin as recent as 1968-1970!?! See this entry: Seven Spooks in Narrenfibel 1968 / 1970. What is the larger story here, and how does this effect true rarity and price?

THREE: In what was perhaps the most shocking bargain of the year, a lot of 50+ vintage Halloween items sold for a mere $520 --- that is likely less than $10 a piece for each item. Here are just some of the contents of that purchase (below). Undeniably a smart buy (and not an auction) from a quick hand.

The German diecut (at top of the collage) has lately been re-photographed by the buyer and viewable on a site touting the esteem of high-value vintage Halloween collectibles. For this diecut it was a quick and interesting turn of events, something that actually happens more frequently (within all categories) than an average onlooker might guess. Having seen this diecut before in other collections --- what is the actual story of this item? Considering what was shown in examples one and two, what was its production and availability history?

While I know this entry is likely raising more questions than it is offering answers, I believe these are important to consider --- if for no other reason than to have as mental references when reading the price (often sensational) or language (often hyperbole) attached to any vintage piece, until such time as better records are offered and/or evident. 

Luminous Fortunes

Fortunes by the Luminous Spirit 

or 

How to Stretch Your Ectoplasm and get Cooler Spooks!

Following the spooklight glow of the previous entry Luminous Halloween, an interesting opportunity for a bit of compare-and-contrast occurred recently with two vintage Halloween games (one by the very same American Novelty Corporation of Omaha, 1943-1950). Although the condition of said game was not optimal, the outsider-art smorgasbord of this game (another example shown below) offers a ton of lo-fi messy fun - crazy fonts (some with random shadowing),  odd charms, symbols, and creatures, all surrounding a witch acting as the game's spinner. Best of all, we've got that fun glow-in-the-dark ink overlay (shown below). The game sold for around $50.

Overlay of previous image with a shot in total darkness (see first image).

Another vintage Halloween game, of similar ilk, went for about 6x that amount! Arguably, this latter game (by Whitney) is not (imho) as interesting. While the artist may be more dialed-in on established art principles - the game contains only a portion of a witch's portrait with a small cat and owl in nearby silhouette. The bulk of the layout is plain text in a subdivided circle. 

Of additional curiosity, there was some recent indication by a long-time collector that the latter piece may not actually be vintage (i.e. a reproduction), and I would wonder this as well looking at various edges, (see earlier entry Halloween Diecut Quiz). The skewed result seems to add fuel to a bit of personal wisdom gathered these past few years: go with what you think is cool, not with what is currently being touted as an indispensable must-have. 

Seven Spooks in Narrenfibel 1968 / 1970

Here's something puzzling for a research enthusiast...

This entry is written with no definitive assumptions of what the mysterious images shown here might mean in regards to production dates, but it will perhaps be of interest to vintage Halloween collectors? And perhaps someone out there can provide clear details on the history and dates of this apparently long-running decor and costume magazine?  For better detail - the images below link to the full image gallery by flickr contributor EYE-talian where you can see these in much larger sizes.

Vintage collectors will of course recognize the bottom-most row of characters on page 39 titled "The Ghosts in Haunted Castle." Anyone care to guess their story? The corresponding description reads something like this...  "#16 Block Mountain freize, 40 cm wide, 2m long, vibrant green wall strip of crepe paper with 7 different spooks together of embossed cardboard ... Frieze 11.50" 

Additional link of interest: Hexen am Blocksberg (Witches on the Block Mountain) -www.harzinfo.de/kultur/hexen-am-blocksberg.html