Friday — August 13th, 2010

   EBAY GOODIES: My good friends Cindy and Mark have listed a wonderful German owl die cut for sale on eBay. This is a VERY rare die cut which I have never seen before, even in the books. Please check it out here. Cindy and Mark sell under the eBay handle ‘zizsdream’ and you can’t go wrong with them! They are great people to buy from on eBay, so rest assured you are in good hands.

Wednesday — July 7th, 2010

   NEW SITE FEATURE! I've just added a ‘For Sale’ page to this website which will feature things I have available to purchase. For now there is only one thing: a set of handmade reproduction die cuts that were inspired by vintage designs. Check it out here.

Monday — July 5th, 2010

   GUEST BLOG POST: Jason Hendricks asked me to post this article that he wrote about choosing costumes for boys. Enjoy...

   “Last year you were a cowboy and the year before a comical cow. How about breaking out of the Halloween costume desert and choose boys Halloween costumes that simply rock?

   It's never too early to start planning on winning the boys Halloween costumes contest at all of your favorite Halloween parties this upcoming season. Of course, you know that waiting until the last moment to pull all of your Halloween costumes together is a big no-no. Just remember back a couple of years when you ended up having to go as a comical cow because there were no Zorro costumes left that would fit you.

   Of course, you really don't want to be yet another cowboy. And for heaven's sake, please make sure you consult with your friends so that when you all arrive at the Halloween party your group doesn't collectively resemble a rag tag rendition of the Village People.

   Not that there's anything at all wrong with that as a concept, however. The challenge is that those types of costumes tend to be easy and generic, and frankly just not that much fun. And you're out for the evening to have fun and a rocking good time right? Of course you are.

    With this mindset, let's dispense with a few other purportedly "popular" boys Halloween costumes as well. First off, unless you live in the absolute coldest regions of the country, do your best not to don a gorilla costume. Even the best quality ape suits will have you scratchy, hot, and frankly creeping people out. Of course if this is the effect you're going for, then proudly plan to put on weight and become that 800-pounder in the room.

   Also, don't resort to that lame old sheet-over-the-head ghost as one of your weak boys Halloween costumes. Remember when that's all you had to choose from as a kid? Remember how hard it was to get those darned eye holes to actually stay centered on your head so you could see something besides the white sheet? If you have to go this route, take the time to find quality, professional Halloween costumes that will provide you with safe, vision-permitting ghostly features.

   Finally, you can always choose to become some character that's currently popular in entertainment, politics, or sports, for example. Remember the Tricky Dick Nixon masks? They make that same style lampooning former President's Clinton and George W. Bush. By this Halloween, they'll probably have President Obama Halloween masks as well.

   And the painful days of sifting through mask after mask in a grungy store are long gone. Now you can buy Halloween costumes with the click of a button. There’s simply no excuse not to look good and take home the gold in those costume contests at Halloween parties.

   Just remember that you don't have to wait to get your boys Halloween costumes in order and raring to go. The earlier you start collecting all the elements, the better off you'll be when time comes to strut your stuff on All Hallow’s Eve. ”

Monday — June 14th, 2010

   Hello! I hope everyone is having a nice June so far. A month or two ago, I found this website displaying amazing Jack-O-Lantern carvings that go way beyond the traditional carved pumpkin! Click here, or on the picture below to view the gallery. My personal favorites is the “Death Star”. What a fun idea!! I would have loved that when I was 10. Personally, I always seem to end up with more traditional JOLs when I carve them myself, but I always admire those creative souls who come up with such inventive takes on this old Halloween custom.

Saturday — May 29th, 2010

   Hello everyone and Happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope everybody has a safe and enjoyable holiday. Summer is here again!

   EBAY SELLER ALERT: For some time now it has been suspected among seasoned Halloween collectors that the seller on eBay known both as fallsmist52 and/or 1falls is engaging in unscrupulous activites regarding our wonderful hobby. There is strong evidence that they have been purchasing beat up old pulp Jack-O-Lanterns , repainting them, replacing the inserts and reselling them as mint condition originals found in a retired school teacher’s estate. However it is also possible they are simply making excellent reproductions. This has been going on for years now. Recently, as word of their dealings has spread, their bids have dropped off prompting them to create a new account with the handle “1027-97th” out of Santa Fe. Make no mistake these are the same people! Their very first feedback rating was a (-1). And this from a buyer whom I know to be a reputable and upstanding eBayer. Avoid this seller’s items at all costs and whether you are a novice or seasoned collector be sure to spread the word to anyone else you know who collects! People like this are a serious drain on the good karma of our wonderful hobby and should be exposed. To cheat people looking to enjoy a pleasurable pastime must be about as low as you can go. OK, I’ve said my peace...

Thursday — May 20th, 2010

   Well folks, I’m back!!! First, let me say sorry for taking so long to restart the blog this year. It’s been a crazy 2010! I hope everyone has been happy and safe so far this year. As we begin the countdown to the start of the Halloween season, I am hoping the next four months will prove to be good ones...

   There have been a lot of developments on the Halloween front so far for 2010. One of my favorites is the new line of die cuts and lanterns that Matthew Kirscht has been producing with his wonderful artwork! Done in a style very reminiscent of early Beistle designs, his die cut sets and other goodies are truly among the most fabulous folk art pieces I’ve seen this year. Somehow he manages to make them look like Beistle artwork while keeping his own style that is uniquely Matthew. Below is a picture of a limited edition set of die cuts that I bought from Matthew back in early 2010. Not only are the die cuts completely awesome, but he even developed his own packaging! LOVE IT!!