Pumpkin Man Postcard

This jolly pumpkin man and I wish you a Happy Halloween!

Printed in Germany, 1908.

John Winsch Halloween Postcard, 1914

Photos don't really do this antique Halloween postcard justice: it's one of the best in my collection, and my very favorite. Published by John Winsch of New York in 1914, it features fantastic, tiny illustrations of a witch and ghost in a hot air balloon, fending off veggie people clinging to the anchor rope, while a bemused gnome watches the excitement from his airborne bat.

Some close-ups reveal the detail of these imaginative illustrations.

Witch and Owl Postcard

This antique postcard features a witch and a rather unusual owl taking a break from their Halloween festivities while resting on a sliver of moon. The caption reads, "When the owl & witch together are seen, there's mischief brewing on Hallowe'en." Dated 1911.

Pumpkin Man Postcard

The dapper pumpkin man on this antique Halloween postcard bears a bouquet of smiling veggies with the caption, "Hearty Hallowe'en Greetings." Printed in Saxony, early 1900s.

Ellen Clapsaddle Halloween Postcards, 1909

These are two antique Halloween postcards by iconic illustrator Ellen Clapsaddle. They were copyrighted and mailed in 1909, and have a delightful, whimsical charm.

Antique Halloween Postcards Coming

This October I'll highlight some favorites from my antique Halloween postcard collection.

Not too long ago, Halloween postcards commanded high prices that were truly scary (heh!) But their prices, like those of many other collectibles, have fallen considerably in recent years, particularly for less than mint examples. If you thought antique Halloween postcards were beyond your reach, you might be pleasantly surprised if you browse again. Happy hunting (and haunting!)

Circa 1908

Antique Diecut & Cotton Batting Santa

Made in Germany circa the 1890s, this large diecut Santa is 18 inches tall and features a cotton batting cloak with gilt paper embellishment.

He has an exceptionally soulful expression on his face:

The Santa came from an elderly woman whose family had hung it each Christmas in their house from the 1890s all the way to 2010. It's incredible that this fragile piece survived so well for so long, and intriguing to imagine all the family Christmases it witnessed over those 120 years!

Vintage Chenille Santas

These little chenille Santas were made by the millions in Japan and sold in American dime stores from the 1930s to '50s. Averaging 2.5 inches tall, their little faces are usually made of molded clay, and they each have their own unique character.

Closely related to the chenille Santa is the cotton batting Santa. These are harder to find than the chenilles, probably because of their greater fragility.

When new, these little Santas decorated Christmas trees and gift packages. Now they are highly sought by collectors and their prices have risen accordingly, typically $10-13 each, but occasionally as high as $28 for an early or unusual example. The lucky hunter can sometimes still find them for a few cents at garage sales, so it pays to dig through boxes of vintage Christmas decorations whenever you can.

I keep my stash in this old glass candy container, where they are safely lodged in the chimney.

Antique Santa Claus Postcard

December is here at last, the toy collectors' favorite time of year. This month I'll be featuring a variety of Santa Claus themed items from my collection, including candy containers, decorations, and a rare board game from 1890.

First up is this fabulous postcard, circa 1906. The colorful card depicts a busy Santa listening on the wireless station at the North Pole. Looks like he's receiving lots of orders (I got mine in early.) Note the Northern Lights flickering overhead.

German Antique Die Cut Skeleton

Found in a local antique shop just in time for Halloween, this heavily embossed, die cut skeleton was made in Germany circa 1920, and measures 19 inches tall.

It had long been on my Halloween wish list; I'd only ever seen it in books before. Known as the "waving skeleton," it's much more unusual, and uncommon, than the typical jointed model with posable limbs.

Have a happy Halloween!

Antique Postcard: Halloween Pranks

Happy October! My favorite holiday will be here soon, so it's time to start posting Halloween stuff.

I'll begin with an antique postcard I found recently. Even though the card is in rough shape, the illustration was an unusual one I hadn't seen before, so it was still worth snapping up, especially as it was only a couple of bucks.

In this little scene, three mischievous boys are engaged in a classic Halloween prank: switching store signs. Here they are replacing a dressmaker's sign with that of a sausage and sauerkraut shop. Imagine the confusion the next morning.

This card also features a wonderful, cartoony witch, and a bizarre, vivid green cat.

Watch out for pranksters this month! More Halloween and spooky stuff to come.

Pumpkinmobile Postcard

Halloween is fast approaching, and so is the pumpkin headed driver of the automobile on this antique Halloween postcard. Circa the early 1900s.

Note the jack o' lantern headlights, a clever touch. 

Creepy Antique Halloween Squeaker

One of the creepiest antique Halloween items in my collection is this little noisemaker. Circa 1915, it was made in Germany of lithographed cardboard and fragile paper, and is just under 3 inches tall.

The ghoulish face has eyes that move and change when the bellows behind are squeezed. Originally, it would have made a squeaky sound as well, but that part of the noisemaker has long since ruptured.

This squeaker was one from a set of several different faces. Some, like this one, featured moving eyes, while others had tongues that stuck out when the bellows were squeezed.

These white faces represent mangelwurzals, large, beet-like root vegetables used in some parts of the world instead of pumpkins for making jack o' lanterns. There was a similar set printed on orange cardboard representing the more familiar pumpkins.

Some of the other pieces from this set, along with the pumpkin version, can be seen in the books  Halloween in America, by Stuart Schneider (page 27 of the 1995 edition) and More Halloween Collectibles: Anthropomorphic Vegetables and Fruits of Halloween, by Pamela E. Apkarian-Russell (page 95.)

Antique Halloween Paper Dolls

From a 1917 issue of Ladies' Home Journal, a child who was very good with scissors cut these wonderful Halloween paper dolls.

The dolls include three children in period clothing. The back side of the dolls reveals their magazine origins, with portions of articles visible.

The costumes are beautifully detailed, and include a witch, a clown, and a jester. There is also an outfit featuring a bushel of apples for one of the dolls to carry.

The jester holds a pumpkin topped with a tiny witch:

The clown carries a parade lantern. These antique tin jack o' lanterns are now some of the rarest, most valuable, and most highly sought Halloween collectibles. You can see some original patent drawings for these lanterns at http://www.spookshows.com/patents/patents.htm.

Antique Halloween Postcard: Apple Bobbing

Here's a favorite from my collection of antique Halloween postcards. Circa 1906, it features wonderfully expressive apple characters plunging themselves gleefully into a tub, ready to take part in the classic party game of bobbing for apples.

On closer inspection, the apples' expressions become clear: those waiting for their turn to jump in the water look expectantly happy, while those already in the water appear distraught, only now fully comprehending their plight. In the background, a sinister jack o' lantern urges the hapless apples on.

"Wheeee! We get to go swimming!"

"Oh no! What have we done?!"

Halloweeny Valentines

Have a monstrously happy Valentine's Day!

 

Vintage valentines, circa the 1960s.

Antique Photographs of Children and Toys

Like many toy collectors, I'm always on the lookout for old photographs of children with toys. Such photos add character and life to a toy collection; they remind us that the toys were originally made for and owned by real children, who played with them, loved them, and eventually grew up, leaving their toys behind for us to find and treasure.

I found two such photos just before Christmas. The first is this posed studio portrait of a little girl with her doll. The doll looks like she might be an Alabama Baby, a cloth doll with a painted face in a primitive style.

The little girl and her doll share strangely similar expressions. Are they anxious? Alarmed? Needing to use the bathroom? If only they could tell us...

While this photo has a homely charm, the second photograph I found is very different, capturing the image of a wealthy Victorian child surrounded by expensive toys, including a platform horse, a train, blocks, a musical push toy, bowling pins, a horn, and a small horse drawn cart.

The skin covered horse on its wheeled platform would have been a German import and a pricey toy. In the foreground is a cast iron train.

It's a bit difficult to see, but in the right foreground is a little horse drawn cart, with an alphabet block in the open seat.

Here's a closeup of the lithographed tin musical push toy. What a lot of beautiful toys! This child must have been very good all year.

Victorian Scrap Snowmen

We got our first big snow of the season here on Christmas night, with a little more falling this morning. The drifts are up to my knees now. Seemed like a good time to post some of my stocking stuffers: these Victorian scrap snowmen, circa the 1880s-90s. The larger snowman is 6 inches tall, while his little friends are a wee 2.5.

 

Unlike the snowmen currently outside in the yard, these embossed paper varieties won't melt away, and have lasted for the past 130 years.

 

Antique Halloween Witch Postcard

Just a classic Halloween witch image, circa 1910, 

to wrap up this year's October posts.

 

Happy Halloween everyone!

 

 

 

Halloween Fortune Telling Cake Charm Set

These fortune telling charms were typically hidden in slices of cake at parties and were a favorite Victorian holiday custom; this set is circa the 1940s. If the recipient managed to not swallow the charm, they could look up its fortune on the enclosed sheet. The thimble meant you'd be an old maid, the button indicated a bachelor was looking for you, and the baby predicted...well, babies.

 

These charms look like they've seen a lot of cakes.