Personal Effects

Published 3:18 pm Monday, October 3, 2016

Question: Hey J, I know that this is just a junky piece, as it’s from the 1960s. Measures about 7 inches in height. But I heard that you were looking for Halloween type items. He’s in good condition but there is a tear to one of his paper feather wings. Guess that wipes him out. But I wanted you to see it. Thanks. I read your column every Sunday.

Answer: Gee, don’t knock it out just yet. This is a great piece and certainly what Halloween collectors are looking for today. You see, so many of the really early Halloween pieces have climbed so high in value that they are out of reach for most collectors. Pieces from the early 1900s can, and do fetch, hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

This piece from the 1960s has a strong nostalgia force to it. It was one of the last times, in my opinion, that Halloween was viewed a simple and spooky holiday, not the gore fest that it’s viewed as today.

This piece is just marked, “Made In USA” and could be any number of American paper novelty paper companies that were in business at the time. Condition is good, colors are fresh and bright, edges are still sharp, and even with the tear to his wing, it’s not bad. Remember, this is tissue paper after all. I would expect that this wise owl would quickly fly off to a new home with a price tag of a $15. He’s not junky, he’s great.