Ever on the hunt for haunted treasures, I try to keep my eyes open whenever a code orange opportunity presents itself. While the rest of the world is busy sweating through the mundane mid-summer heat, stalkers of the eerie know that just because it’s the off-season doesn’t mean elusive spirits can’t come out to play. From Facebook Marketplace to the basement corners of local estate sales, July offered up a few frightful vintage Halloween finds that have officially made their way into our Cabinet of Curiosities.
There is a level of thrill and excitement in rescuing a piece of Halloween history. This month’s finds are steeped in childhood nostalgia, retro whimsy, and unusual suspects. To see what nostalgic novelties and curious oddities are new to the collection – pour yourself something dark and delicious, pull up a comfy chair, and let’s dive in.
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An unplanned stop at the thrift offered up an amazing duo of cast iron cauldrons. Surprisingly, these made it off a cart and onto the shelves before I came along to scoop them up. Thanks to failing to grab a cart upon entry, I got in an awkward and uncomfortable strength training session lugging these around the store.
The large cauldron has a banded look, with a flared rim, and stands on three tiny feet. Its bail handle – a bit wonky from use – is held in place by bail loops or ears. Yes, I did a bit of a dive into cauldron anatomy, and that’s what they’re called. (Learn something new every day!)
The smaller cauldron is a basic little pot with a flat bottom and much simpler ears with holes to secure the bail.
There’s nothing like an early morning estate sale to kick off a great day. I’m kidding; I actually do not like arriving early, standing in line, and navigating entry with a herd of other treasure hunters while trying to recall which bedroom I spotted that weird widget in in the preview photos. But – we suffer for the bounty.
For this particular estate sale, I was on a personal mission instead of a Halloween quest. Still, when I passed this glass cat head boot (or slipper, if you prefer) on a table, I immediately reversed and snatched him up.
This boot was most likely produced by Fenton glass, and known as the Kitten Slipper, can be found in a variety of colors. We already have an amber one in our collection, so it was only fitting that I give it a companion. These spirited slippers look great tucked in among cauldrons or other Halloween decor and remind us to think outside the box when it comes to spooky decor.
When it’s too hot to be outside, one must partake in antiquing – it’s a rule around here, and July was HOT! So off we went. The antique shop was having a sale, so they were focused on moving old inventory. This meant there were very limited Halloween goodies on the shelves, but we did manage to unearth a few small gems.
I was most excited about this witch hat light-up pumpkin pail. Produced by Empire between 1995 and 1999, this grinning ghoulie’s lid lifts up to reveal a secret, deep cavern for candy collecting. As a parent who has wrestled with the littles while trick-or-treating, I love that the lid stays attached by sliding up the handle and the light is securely tucked into the hat.
The antique store also offered up a small collection of eerie ephemera. This set of sweet jack-o’lantern napkins and coasters is in its original Hallmark box. All of the coasters are accounted for, but the napkins must have been more popular, as the full count is not included. Nevertheless, a nice little party decor set.
This brand-new, in-the-package set of die-cut jack napkins originally sold for $1.65. While simple and not too exciting, I do love discovering vintage Halloween finds in their original packaging, so we picked these up, and I plan to leave them sealed.
The last piece we grabbed was this 1983 Hallmark wall decoration. I don’t believe this one was ever used, as the tear-away portion is still intact, as is the punch-out to hang it on the wall.
This piece would hang, and the sections would drop down, giving it a dimensional effect. I love the artwork on this piece – eerie skulls flank the entry to a haunted house, sinister ghosts swirl, a toothy monster peeks from behind a pillar, a wicked pumpkin grins, and an unconcerned owl sits in the graveyard. A masterpiece of mischief.
My old friend, eBay, landed us a vintage 1990s blow mold light set in the original box. This set features orange globes with black icons – flying witches and scaredy cats. Originally sold by Michaels, the price sticker lists this as a whopping $4.99 and is dated 10/92.
I admit that this wasn’t an accidental find; I actually went looking for these. I kept seeing spare globes listed in some of the groups I haunt on Facebook, and I fell in love with their simplicity. So – why settle for a few globes when you can have a whole set?
Childhood called and I answered twice. First on an out-of-town visit, I explored a new shop where I found hoards of vintage Jack and Jill magazines. This publication has been in production for nearly 90 years, and while I don’t collect it, I am quick to grab the October editions. This visit yielded four new October issues for our collection: 1953, 1955, 1956, and my birth year 1967. It’s always fun to see the artwork, crafts, and stories in these old publications.
Sometimes you forget childhood favorites until they show up right under your nose. Such was the case on an afternoon trip to the thrift when a fresh cart rolled out as I was walking in. There, balanced right on top, was Alfred Hitchcock’s Haunted Houseful: nine “cool” stories about haunted houses and ghosts for boys and girls.
This 1961 book was one I read through often as a kiddo, but it disappeared at some point, and I forgot all about it. I was thrilled to find this one in excellent shape and hardly read.
Illustrated by Fred Banberry, the artwork, in blue and black tones, is as bright as ever, and just seeing it reminded me of time spent with this book of haunted tales.
Facebook Marketplace strikes again! While having a doom-scroll moment, this cheeky fellow popped up on my feed – a 24” vacuform plastic vampire. Larger vacuform plastic pieces can be hard to find, as they are pretty fragile, so finding this one was quite a thrill.
Vacuform wall decorations – crafted from lightweight, thin molded plastic – were popular holiday wall decor from the 1970s through the 1990s. Cousins of the era’s thin plastic masks, these uniquely charming decorations boasted bright graphic paints, glossy sheen, and creative designs. And check out that price tag of $1!!
This classic creature of the night brings some retro whimsy to our collection. I’m quite smitten with him, so despite his less-than-stellar condition, I look forward to getting him on display.
As summer’s door begins to close I look forward to what we dig up in the next couple of months. What will you be hunting for?
Well, call my mummy cause that’s a wrap! Sorry – these mid-century finds have me pulling out the retro Dad jokes.
Until next time – stay spooky.
