Miscellaneous Collectibles

 

The variety of Halloween collectibles is almost endless, and this page just shows a few of the items that have been available at some point during the last century. Again, my own idiosyncratic selection, not meant to be a comprehensive overview (see the page on books about Halloween collectibles for the real experts).

Click any image below to enlarge


Here's a typical example of the papier mache or composition material jack-o'-lanterns that were so popular in the 1930s and 1940s. This one would probably have had paper inserts for the eyes and mouth, and a wire handle through the top for carrying purposes. Here's a classic trick or treat bag, probably from the 1960s. This one is small and made from cloth.
Here's a perfect mid-century Halloween table decoration, complete with an accordion-style haystack that can be unfolded for three-dimensional effect. This one isn't made by a major manufacturer, but is similar to those produced by Dennison and Beistle. Some Halloween collectors focus on vintage photographs, much like this little snapshot showing a girl in a hand-made Mickey Mouse costume, next to her delighted younger sibling.
Here's a page from a 1920s-era catalog, showing masks for sale. Note that even though the masks include traditional Halloween figures like a witch, there is no mention made on this page of these masks being used for Halloween, suggesting that Halloween costuming was still not as popular as simply dressing up for parties or school pageants. This wildly politically incorrect cigarette ad appeared in the 1953 Halloween issue of Life magazine.
Here's a promotional brochure from the late, great SpookyWorld, once billed as "America's Halloween Theme Park". Anoka, Minnesota, calls itself "the Halloween Capitol of the World", and here's one of their promotional brochures. The large circle on the front panel is a metal button.