Time, that ever-slipping shadow, has not been entirely on my side this spooky season. My foraging for frightful relics has been more phantom flicker than full-on hunt, and while I have conjured a few thrills online, I haven’t stalked the aisles and antique shelves nearly as much as I’d like. Still, the spirits were kind enough to deliver a handful of ghoulish goodies worth sharing.
I haunt a few online groups where sellers trade their eerie effects, and though my vigilance has waned (curse you, mortal obligations!), there’s plenty of delight in watching others unearth treasures too. Half the fun is seeing how fellow fiends get excited about these relics of Halloweens’ past.
So, frightful friends, pour yourself something dark and delicious, and come creep through my latest Haunted Haul.
The latest treats to land in my mailbox? These tiny bags with witchy artwork stand about 6″ tall and 3″ wide. The seller guessed they hailed from the 1970s, though their true origin remains cloaked in mystery.
Each one bears little staple holes along the top indicating they once held treasure. My mind can’t help but wonder – what sinister sweets or to-die-for delights were once tucked inside?
Next, a stack of candy boxes too charming to resist. Ten in total, each box bursting with vintage whimsy – witches, Jack O’Lanterns, ghosts, bats, and black cats, imagery straight from the haunted corners of my childhood.
Made in the USA, these little cartons would have once been packed with candy corn, chocolate bars, and maybe a wax vampire fang or two, before being slipped into pumpkin pails under the light of an October moon.
No haunted haul is complete without a trip to the library of little scares, where two tiny tomes found their way to my shelves:
Spooky Rhymes and Riddles by Lilian Moore, illustrated by Ib Ohlsson (1972), is a Scholastic edition filled with eerie verses and stark orange-and-black art. One whiff of its pages takes me right back to school book fairs – the ultimate candy store for little ghouls like me.
Something Queer at the Haunted School (A Mystery) by Elizabeth Levy, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein (1982), tells the story of amateur detectives Jill and Gwen, who investigate spooky occurrences at their school. While published well after I had graduated from trick or treating, as one of the Weekly Reader Books, it still evokes fond childhood memories.
I have a thing for treat pails and blow molds – both were quite common when I was growing up. As such, I could not pass up the opportunity to add this spirited spooky to our collection.
He arrived very dirty, and the inside was covered in wax. After some gentle but serious scrubbing and a warm water bath to melt the wax, he’s as good as new!
The first reference I found to the red-eyed skull in online Empire catalogs dates back to 1994. An earlier version, done in black, was launched in 1991.
Tiny treasures with BIG haunt factor: vintage Halloween cake picks. My jars overflow, yet I keep adding more. This year’s acquisitions include oversized haunted houses and creatures of the night, crafted from old paper and plastic.
I use these to add timeless, tiny touches to crafts, decorations, and, of course, cupcakes.
A rare field trip to the antique store with the hubby brought us face-to-face with vintage party decor. We picked up a package of small, paper Jack party ornaments, in the original packaging, complete with the 39¢ price tag.
But the favorite frightful find? A papier-mache Choir Boy Jack, complete with his original insert.
This is the first Jack in our collection to have the insert, and we are delighted to preserve this piece of Halloween history.
Well, that’s a wrap for now. Soon I’ll be unearthing all our haunted treasures and setting the house for Halloween.
May your own hunts be plentiful, your treasures eerie, and your nights filled with the glow of Jack O’Lantern grins.
Until next time – stay spooky.
