Reference Books for
Vintage Halloween collectors
Updated Sept. 28, 2024
If you are just now encountering The Halloween Retrospect archive library and its in-house publishing of Halloween reference material, please see the Home page (for introduction and a list of numerous blog entries) or check out various pages such as About or Publications. In the meantime, this blog entry will offer a review of the past year’s output of books and digests.
From THR there is now one art-book style survey (Halloween Artifacts, V!: Lighting) and three research digests (The Halloween Retrospect V1, V2, V3)… all offered for the reference shelf of vintage Halloween collectors. These books examine subjects by way of primary sources that include ~550 catalogs of consumer-vendor materials 1900-1980, as well as company materials across US archives (such as Framingham History Center for THR, V2 ,or Hallmark Archives for THR, V3).
All new books appear in publications along with previous volumes all offering an Etsy checkout link. Why Etsy? This author sells via THR Etsy Bookstore to control quality, manage applicable taxes as required for sales, and ship in a sturdy box at your chosen postal rate. Note, this also gives the author a chance to include additional material such as postcards, fold-out posters, or (as in THR, V3) a Halloween-themed crossword puzzle.
THR’s Books 2023-2024
A Quick Review
HALLOWEEN ARTIFACTS,
VOLUME 1: LIGHTING
Survey Book (Sept 2024):
The newest reference from THR is Halloween Artifacts, Volume 1: Lighting and this book heads off in a new direction, giving readers a image-driven art-book-style survey of vintage Halloween objects of light (re: lanterns, shades, or glow-in-the-dark inks). This 8-1/2″x11″ softcover book centers around a 100-page collection of such collectibles, and includes for each: 1) a large full-color feature photo bigger than 7″x6″, together with a 2) notes that include a timeline tally of dates appearing in old novelty merchandise catalogs, and 3) a clip of the item from one of those select vintage sources.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword by Charles Beck (pg. 4).
Harvesting an Ember Glimmers of the Past in Lanterns, Shades, & Luminescent Inks (pg. 5).
Introduction Revisiting a Foreword from Research Series THR, Vol. 1 (pg. 6).
Halloween Artifacts: Lighting THRs Archive Collection Synchronized with Library Data (pg. 10).
Sources & Additional Reading A Quick List of Selected Publications (pg. 13).
THR, VOLUME 3 Research Digest (June 2024):
The most recent digest edition, The Halloween Retrospect Volume 3 features a two-part article that in Part 1 studies haunted house ephemera (early-20th-century to mid-century) and in Part 2 features mid-century pieces by Gibson and centerpieces by Hallmark as innovations in paper collectibles. The book also has small articles on the 60’s wave of sound effects vinyl and a list of catalog terminology.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Note official copies contain Hallmark centerpieces poster and crossword puzzle.
Letterbox (pg. 4)
Introduction Statement of Intent, Regarding Source (pg. 5).
Halloween Haunts – Part 1 The Witch’s Cottage and Spook House Additions (pg. 8).
Halloween Haunts – Part 2 Engineered Mansions and Hallmark Innovations (pg. 14).
Haunted House Timeline Hallmark Haunted Houses 1950-1980: Poster & Key (pg. 25).
Haunted Vinyl Sixties Wave of Haunted House Recordings (pg. 27).
The Catalog Audience Understanding Readership to Define Content (pg. 29).
Index The Halloween Retrospect, Vol. 1 -Vol. 3 (pg. 31).
THR, VOLUME 2 Research Digest (December 2023):
The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 2 continues the tradition of researching America’s past Halloween marketplace. The guidebook’s feature article examines Dennison publications with significant finds (about serial numbers on publications) from Framingham History Center. As well, V2 offers information on B. Shackman catalogs, E. Rosen cards, and certain German imports (as like those on the cover art).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Note that official copies include a Dennison poster and Shackman postcards.
Letterbox (pg. 4)
Introduction Statement of Intent, Regarding Source (pg. 5).
Decrypting Dennison Serial Number Guide Featuring Autumn Publication (pg. 10).
Shackman’s 70 / 72 Peculiar Catalogs from the Tens & Thirties (pg. 20).
Skittle or Decor The New Identity Crisis for Vintage Figures (pg. 24).
Trix or Treats at Sears Rosen in Midcentury Midseason Fall Catalogs (pg. 28).
Index The Halloween Retrospect, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (pg. 32).
THR, VOLUME 1 Research Digest (July 2023):
With research pulled from the pages of nearly 500 catalogs (1900-1979) housed in one archive library, The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 1 is the first in a series of new guide books (in digest form) to offer critical perspective of the traditional narrative surrounding vintage Halloween markets, and by result offering important information to collectors in the field.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Note that official copies include bookmark-tallies and a March Brothers poster.
Letterbox (pg. 4).
Introduction Positions for Context, Statement of Intent, Regarding Sources (pg. 5) .
Normal Halloween Holiday Novelties & Early Twentieth Century Youth (pg. 10).
Western Novelty Co. 1928-1990 Carnival, Concession, & Bazaar Supplies – Colorado (pg. 17).
Timeline for Witches A Journey of Two Witches: United States & Germany (pg. 20).
Ornamenten Groteske The Enigmatic History of German Diecuts (pg. 26).
Craw-Bogle Trader a proposal for off-market collecting (p. 32).
PLEASE NOTE: THR does NOT employ AI-generative technology. Content is created by human biological entities to ensure results engage accurate research with mindful artistry.
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