Catalog (172)

Very nice embossed vintage Halloween postcard featuring a line of girls dressed as ghosts and carrying smoking jack o'lanterns. The colors are bright and fresh. Postmarked (date illegible).

Origin: America, circa 1915. Condition: excellent, sharp corners, no tears or creases. Size: 5-1/2" x 3-1/2".

Fabulous handpainted sheet iron feather tree stand. The Christmas tree stand features three elves contemplating their traditional lucky mushrooms. The elves, one each in blue, red and yellow hooded suits, are seated on little grassy knolls planted with flowers. The painted details are terrific; each elf has completly different facial features than his friends. The center pole is painted green with metallic silver highlights.

Origin: probably Germany, circa 1910. Condition: completely original; 2 screws missing (easily replaced); paint is 95% intact and is very colorful. Size: 15-3/4" diameter; 9-1/4" high; opening for tree is 1-1/4" diameter.

Wonderful vintage children's Christmas storybook, "Jolly Santa Claus". The cover is printed in full color with a depiction of Santa arriving wiht a decorated tree and a load of toys. The interior has another full-color plate depicting Santa driving his team of reindeer toward his castle at the North Pole. Nearly every page has a black-and-white illustration. The stories are not restricted to Christmas, and include jingles, poems, historical stories, tales, etc. The book was published by M.A. Donohue & Co. of Chicago. All the pages are intact; the book has the usual wear around the edges of the covers. Circa 1910. 9-13/16" x 7-5/8".

Pretty vintage Halloween postcard showing a young couple, he dressed as a Pilgrim and she dressed as a Victorian lady, walking along a scary path through the woods. They have just startled a black cat while a pair of witches look on from the background. The card has nice colors. The two lower corners have some creasing, sharp edges. The back is postmarked 1910.

A colorful antique composition witch's head from hand puppet or marionette. She has a long crooked nose and just two snarling teeth.

• Origin: probably Germany, ca 1910
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimenisions: 2-3/4" tall

A scary antique composition Devil head from a hand puppet or marionette. His features are dramatically highlighted with colorful paint (all original) to be seen from a distance.

• Origin: probably Germany, ca 1910
• Condition: excellent, all original paint, very small area of flaking at the tip of one horn at the back of one ear
• Dimensions: 3-1/4" tall.

This Matchless star Christmas light has clear glass prisms and a red glass gem. The base is bakelite and the bulb is C-6. These star lights were manufactured by the Matchless Electic Co. of Chicago, circa 1930. This light is 2 inches in diameter and in working condition. Condition: excellent.

This Matchless star Christmas light has amber glass prisms and a cobalt blue glass gem. This is one of the less common color combinations. The base is bakelite and the bulb is C-6. These star lights were manufactured by the Matchless Electic Co. of Chicago, circa 1930. This light is 2 inches in diameter and in working condition. Condition: excellent.

Terrific vintage Christmas ornament fashioned from a papier-mache bell turned into a house. A cotton batting Santa Claus with a composition face is attached to the side. Unmarked, but most likely Japanese. Circa 1930. Very good condition, a little of the paint missing from the hanger and some wear to the "feather" trees. 3-1/2" high.

Nice wooden recipe box in the form of a book. The cover has burnt and painted decoration showing a cocktail shaker and a beverage. The "title" of the book is "The Art of Mixing Cocktails". The cover opens to reveal a storage area for paper recipe cards specifically designed for cocktail recipes. Ca. 1920. Very good condition; the leather binding on the hinge has dried out and has surface flaking. 6-3/4" x 5-1/4".

Charming Art Deco child's porcelain cup and saucer decorated with transfer scenes depicting "Little Boy Blue". The outside of the cup is decorated on both sides and there is a small scene on the interior, as well. The saucer has three matching small pastoral scenes. The rims and handle are decorated with gilding.

Origin: probably England, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, normal glaze crackling, no chips or cracks. Size: cup, 2-1/2" tall; saucer, 5-1/2" diameter.

A vintage composition candy container in the rare form of a pink pig. The head is delicately painted to highlight a devilish face with red lips and a broad grin in which he bares his teeth. The painted eyes give him an overall scarey look. The tail is rawhide or leather while the head detaches from the body to reveal the storage compartment -- what an odd place to hide that holiday Christmas candy ! German vintage figural candy containers in the form of uncommon animals are rare.

Dimensions: 6 inches long and 3 1/4 inches tall from the foot to the tip of his ear.

Origin: Faintly marked Germany on the underside of the pig.

Circa 1920.

Condition: Very nice, with a bit of flaking around the neck. No visible repairs or breaks.

An outstanding early German wooden double-ratchet noisemaker featuring a composition black cat head wearing a crepe paper ruffle. The clacker blades are stained black. The ratchet is stamped "Germany."

• Origin: Germany, ca 1920
• Condition: excellent, all original, clacker blades appear to have been re-glued to the frame, typical fading to crepe paper
• Dimensions: 8" x 6"

Very rare early German double-ratchet noisemaker featuring a composition devil head wearing a crepe paper ruffle. The ratchet is stained orange and black and is stamped "Germany."

• Origin: Germany, ca 1920
• Condition:very good, all original, a few nicks to the composition at high points (ear and horn tips, nose, cheeks)
• Dimensions: 7" x 4-1/4"

An extremely rare early German wooden double-ratchet noisemaker featuring a composition and wood witch with moveable arms. Ratchets with full-body figures are very uncommon. The witch wears a red crepe paper ruffle and a pinkish paper skirt. The ratchet is stamped "Germany."

• Origin: Germany, ca 1920
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 9-1/2" x 5-1/2"

Vintage Halloween papier-mache Veggie Person or Jack o'Lantern, one side painted with a male face and the other side with a female face. Both sides have protruding red nose. The bottom is stamped "Germany."

• Origin: Germany, ca 1920
• Condition: excellent, all original, bright color
• Dimensions: 3" diameter

A rare vintage bisque jack o'lanern placecard holder and candy container. A thin slit just above the eyes holds a placecard. This is the only bisque card holder/candy container we've seen.

• Origin: Germany, ca. 1929
• Condition: very good; about 10% paint loss
• Dimensions: 2" diamter

Antique German Halloween composition Veggie Man head from a candy container. He has a lot of personality with big teeth, spectacles, and a jaunty hat.

• Origin: Germany, ca. 1920
• Condition: excellent, about 1% paint loss
• Dimensions: 2-1/8" tall; 1-3/8" wide