“I stumbled wide-eyed into the world of collecting vintage Halloween memorabilia in the late 1980s. I was browsing in a local store when its proprietor asked if I would help her move several boxes containing old Halloween decorations from a back storage area for her seasonal displays. Being curious, I opened the boxes and was dazzled by the strong imagery of those vintage pieces. I had never really seen anything like them before. Instantly hooked, I recall writing a check for $350 that day, which bought quite a lot from those boxes. Among my first purchases was the complete set of eight Beistle black cat diecut band members with the HE Luhrs’ mark for a total of $16. Those were indeed the days!

   The focus of my collecting efforts has been to find superb examples of games, lanterns, shades, candy containers, figurals, nodders, candles, table decorations, party items, and diecuts. I have striven to buy only those items in superior condition and have taken care in ensuring that I preserve them for future collectors.”

   —Excerpt from “Vintage Halloween Collectibles: An Identification and Price Guide”, by Mark B. Ledenbach. Krause Publications, 2007. Although Mark could not contribute directly, he was kind enough to give me permission to quote his marvelous book for this section. Thanks Mark!

   Many years ago while I was on ebay I came across the ‘Vintage Halloween’ section. I just loved what I was looking at! I had a friend that was a little depressed at the time, and after telling her what I had seen on eBay, she asked me to bid on one item for her. I did and she won it. While bidding on other Halloween items for her I started to get interested in Halloween items myself. Over time my friend and I enjoyed talking about the items, comparing what we bought and we loved looking at the Halloween books to see what else we could learn. I owe my Halloween collecting to her.

   While we collect some of the same items, I personally have always had a love for anything that is paper. One of my personal favorite items in my collection is my Placecard Holder Spook Lamp (shown above). This item is about 8" tall by about 2 3/4" across the bottom, and is a great find for someone like me who loves place cards, tally cards, invitations, etc.

   Autumn has always been my favorite season, and Hallowe’en has always been a very special holiday for me. I was one of the lucky ones! I grew up with wonderful parents who loved to celebrate holidays. My oldest sister, Bobbie, was born in October, 1943, and my mother had THE BEST Hallowe’en birthday parties for her. Throughout the years, Ma continued to adorn our house every year with the same die cuts, paper mache jack-o-lanterns, garlands, costumes, and table decorations, so that my sister Sally and I could also enjoy the magical atmosphere of Hallowe’en.

   Although she didn’t know it, Ma was a visionary, and saved everything. All of the great decorations from those childhood Hallowe’ens from the 1940s through the 1960s were carefully saved and recently found in my parent’s attic. I have spent years trying to recreate those special times by searching for the same magnificent pieces for our collection. How wonderful it was to find the originals again! They were the inspiration for my many years of collecting and loving vintage Hallowe’en memorabilia. I have such glorious memories of Hallowe’en! I still love the aroma of burning leaves mixed with the scent of candy corn. I can still hear the sound of my own breath behind my plastic mask as I joyfully ran from house to house hoping for a full-sized candy bar. As my life-long friend Jeannie recalls, Dad always accompanied us but stayed in the shadows so we never felt that we were being chaperoned. What fun we had!   —Cindy Vogel

   Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays. My lifelong interest in art and antiques has combined with my love of Halloween, and I am fascinated by the many styles and designs of old Halloween decorations—especially those from pre-WW II.  It’s thrilling to find a rare piece in mint condition, when you consider that these delicate paper goods weren’t meant to be kept, and were usually discarded after the party. Cindy has become very knowledgeable about antique Halloween items! She is highly regarded and I have learned a great deal from her. We share the enthusiasm for the look and feel of Halloween collectibles, no matter what time of the year!   —Mark Vogel

   Cindy and Mark are consummate collectors who sometimes sell on eBay under the handle “zizsdream”. Rest assured, whenever they have items for sale, you can always bid on them with utmost confidence!

   I began collecting vintage Halloween items in 1993 after seeing a magazine article in one of the County Decorating magazines featuring the Campanelli collection. I had been collecting kitchen antiques and sewing antiques years before, but as soon as I saw the vintage orange and black displays of the Campanelli's, I was instantly hooked. I began looking at my local street fairs and antique shops for anything Halloween. I began slowly, pricing items and buying those that I could afford. I really loved the Halloween party items and still do today. I began focusing on nut and candy cups, paper plates, Halloween hats other party items…and German die cuts. I have loved the 1920's and 1930's German die cuts ever since. My collection grew slowly until 1997. I remember the first time I found Ebay, then in it's infancy. I was so excited to be able to connect with others who enjoyed Halloween and bid on items all year round!

   Then came the Halloween folk art. Always searching for Halloween-themed items, I began visiting decorating shops that carried limited editions pieces from a few local artists. Ginny Betourne of Trout Creek Tales truly inspired me. I couldn't believe the wonderful images I found and the imagination to create such wondrous works of art. Each piece told a little story, and I was immediately drawn to those artists who had a more “vintage” or old-fashioned look. Ginny and a few of her friends began a little art show called the Halloween and Vine in Napa, California. I began attending that show about 10 years ago, every October. Halloween folk art has a prominent place in my collection next to the vintage items. Many of the best folk artists in the country have also become good friends, and I marvel at their talent and creativity.

   One of the most interesting things to me about collecting vintage Halloween is the wonderful people I have met along the way. Each person has a collection that is similar, yet quite different. It is so much fun to share yearly displays and discuss the origins of a vintage piece. When was it made? Who made it? Have you ever seen THIS before? I have met and become good friends with other collectors across the country, and the best part is, I never get tired of the orange and black. Every year I look forward to the folk art shows, setting up the Halloween displays both inside and out, and getting together with old friends and new who love Halloween as much as I do.  —Bobbie Lasky

   Paper mache jack ‘o lanterns with expressions frozen in eerie mid-howl; composition candy containers in dark and fantastical shapes; embossed die-cuts; weird and wonderful veggie figures and glorious crepe panels of orange and black.

   I can't tell you why I love Halloween the way I do, only that I always have. I remember row-upon-row of Gurley Halloween Candles in the local Woolworth’s, and the Dennison die-cut witch, JOL and skeleton that mom brought out and hung on the wall each October.

   I remember the smell of the inside of my old plastic Halloween masks, pumpkins toasting, and the exquisite perfume of crisp fall leaves on those rare few days when it filled the October air. Oh yes, and the halcyon sugar haze of a trick or treat bag overflowing with peanuts, chocolate, gum, apples and sugary goodness! These are smells like no others.

   I can tell you, that even as Halloween is a very social holiday, it's an introspective and personal thing for me that usually “happens” some time before Halloween proper. It will take place on some quiet, solitary evening while walking home under lonely street lights, listening to the whirring of fall leaves as they skim across the sidewalk, and spotting the pumpkins on steps, waiting patiently to be carved and lit to welcome trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

   For years I collected what I could in Canada, die-cuts, the (very) occasional American made pulp jack o’lantern from an antique show, ceramic pieces and paper decorations. The Halloween market in Canada was lean compared to the U.S. I practically slept with Stuart Schneider’s book, ‘Halloween in America’, on my pillow. Others on the subject followed, and I bought them all, the Campanelli book, several books by Pamela Apkarian-Russell. I coveted the pictures of things I dreamed of, but thought I could never have.

Then I discovered eBay.

   eBay was my gateway to finding the museum-quality Halloween collectibles I'd seen, and only dreamed of owning, in the pages of Schneider’s book, and in the Martha Stewart article credited with ‘starting the vintage Halloween craze'. I was able to acquire some of the actual pieces that had thrilled me in the best-known books on Halloween collectibles, in some cases, from the authors themselves. I have never tried to collect everything, amass the biggest collection, or even buy multiples. I've collected pieces that I love, pieces that thrill me, and every year I bring them out.

   It's an October ritual in my house, unpacking and taking out these ‘old friends’. I love their imperfections. I am very aware that somebody from the late 1800s to the 1950s loved these pieces enough to take special care of them and I respect that. One piece that I have a soft spot for is an American paper mache JOL. It's not particularly rare or mint, but it does have a small child’s writing on the bottom that reads “for mommy”. I imagine the lives that swirled around these nostalgic pieces of North American history and wonder what those people were like and what they dressed up as for Halloween.

There are many more stories to come so please check back often for updates!

If you are a collector of vintage Halloween material, and would like to share your thoughts about the hobby with others please email me for details on how to submit your story for posting on this page!