Modern Collectibles

 

Every year at Halloween, I buy a few of the goofiest seasonal items I can find; and friends gift me with others. What you'll find on this page is by no means a comprehensive look at modern Halloween collectibles, but rather a small, idiosyncratic selection of a few of my personal favorites. Feel free to e-mail me photos and descriptions of any personal faves you might have, and if I agree I'll add them to this page with credit to you! Enjoy.

Click any image below to enlarge


I scored this little oddball at the 99 Cent Store a few years back: It's a tiny little figure until you drop it into water for a few hours, then it puffs up to fist-sized. Seen here next to jack-o'-lantern electric lights from Big Lots. Here's a lovely piece of modern folk art: Wooden blocks that spell out the name of my favorite holiday and feature colorful retro-style figures.
For some reason, the Halloween toys in 2011 were obsessed with a certain bodily function. First I found this "Monster Pooper" mummy at the supermarket... ...then a friend (thanks, Nanci!) sent me "Pooping Kitty". Both pump jelly beans out of their posteriors. Yay for Halloween.
I never collected Beanie Babies, but I confess that I grab one or two of the Halloween issues every year... ...and yet I prefer this no-brand cheap knockoff from Big Lots. There's just something delightfully mischievous about him, isn't there?
I've got a lot of Halloween mugs, but this one from Target is my fave (seen here on my desk, holding a steaming cup of my favorite oolong tea). Another treasure from the 99 Cent Store: A three-pack of pumpkin bubble blowers on little strings so you can...uh...wear them to raves, I guess. The bubbles are lame, but they do entertain the cats.
Halloween pet costumes are booming, and you can see how happy Roxie is about that fact, as she models her Halloween pet hat from the 99 Cent Store. Here's Zola, the late great mascot of the Iliad Bookshop modeling her "I'm a little pirate" Halloween baby bib from the 99 Cent Store as she poses next to a lovely modern ceramic jack-o'-lantern (this photo appeared in a Los Angeles Times feature on pet Halloween costumes).
I love Pez candy dispensers...but a Pez knockoff is truly an object of wonder, as seen here with the "Kreepy Klik" candy dispenser, purchased from Ralph's. A co-worker found this treasure cheap in a Rhode Island antiques store. Fortunately he recognized it as Guy Fawkes, bearing the lantern he used to find his way down into the basement below Parliament just before he attempted to blow it up; my co-worker knew I wanted Guy Fawkes collectibles (since the November 5th celebration has a long, intertwined history with Halloween), so he grabbed this for me. Turns out the figure is Royal Doulton and may be somewhat valuable - but I just love the visual appeal.
I've got a few Halloween wind-up toys, but this is my favorite - a pumpkin man on a tricycle carting a lollipop. Purchased at Gelson's Market, 2010.