While lots of Halloween items were made of tin and later plastic, the bulk of the older pieces are pressed-cardboard, paper composition, or papier-mache.  Papier-mache candy containers were handed out to children at parties, where the point was the candy they held.  Unlike the decorations for other holidays that were lovingly stored and brought out year after year, early Halloween décor and trinkets were made to be used and discarded. Pressed cardboard lanterns were lighted for parties, and burned up by their candles.  Cut paper decorations were covered with tape or torn during cleanup.  Kids ate the candy and tossed the containers.

Candy Containers

Possibly the most sought after vintage Halloween collectibles are the candy holders made in Germany for the American market from 1919 until about 1935.  The brainchild of American discount retailers like Frank W. Woolworth and Sebastian S. Kresge, these  papier-mache  creations came in a variety of styles and shapes such as jack-o’-lanterns, witches, scary fruit and vegetables, cats, owls, skeletons, and devils.

Some had bobbing heads, some had open heads, and some had parts with removable bases.  Because they were made by hand by artisans in very small factories or even private homes, the overall quality of the containers is remarkably high and each piece has its subtle variations.  Collectors love these papier-mache curiosities and pay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand for hard to find examples.

Tricks, not Treats

Savvy collectors have been buying vintage Halloween since the early 1980’s, but the real collecting craze started in 1995.  However, as with many aspects of collecting, popularity and high prices lead to fakes and forgeries.  The marketplace is full of artificially aged reproductions which tend to be smaller and not as carefully made as the originals.