Fright Night: 5 Thrilling Halloween Auction Highlights From 2023

Calling all ghouls and guys! 2023 has been a strong year for Halloween-themed items at auction. For many enthusiasts, these century-spanning trick-or-treat treasures– often in the form of artwork, decorative or functional items, costumes, ephemera, noisemakers, or novelties– are so appealing that they are displayed year-round. Here are some recent and spook-tacular Halloween auction highlights that caught the eye of the Auction Daily team. All prices noted include the auction house’s buyer’s premium.

#1: Wendell Thompson Perkins’ Pumpkins 

It’s all treats and no tricks when it comes to premier Halloween auction highlights this year. At its July 16, 2023 event, Burchard Galleries Inc. of St. Petersburg, FL sold lot #1328, Wendell Thompson Perkins’ (American, 1928 – 1997) Pumpkins. Estimated at USD 600 to $900, it traded hands at $5,228. This distinctly autumnal oil on canvas work measured 20 inches by 24 inches and was inspired by Thomas Hart Benton’s 1934 painting Going Home. It was signed by the artist on the lower right; on the back, Perkins noted that it was painted for Kenneth Dow, St. Augustine, Florida, for Halloween, 1990.Thomas Hart Benton’s (American, 1889 – 1975) Going Home features two sleepy children riding on the back of a horse-pulled cart driven by a man with a hat; this imagery is clear in this Pumpkins piece by Perkins. A native of Maine, Perkins moved to St. Augustine, FL towards the end of his life. He was best known for his maritime, landscape, and southern Black American-themed work, usually executed in an idealized, primitivist style.

#2: Jack-o-Lantern Candy Container 

Halloween-inspired candy containers generated sweet results in 2023. At its January 23, 2023 event, Davies Auction of Brookston, IN sold lot #0018, a vintage to antique candy container in the form of two anthropomorphic jack-o-lanterns posed like a wheelbarrow. Estimated at $200 to $400, it made $5,290. This unmarked example measured eight inches tall and 9.5 inches long. One character was standing and mounted on small metal wheels while the other was stretched out horizontally and held a large rolling ball between his two hands. Both were dressed in simple outfits detailed with ruffled collars.

Candy containers debuted in the last quarter of the 19th century and were originally designed as treat filled toys or souvenirs. They were produced in countless materials over the years, including glass, papier-mâché, cloth, and even fine plush. Each was made with a hollow or empty area for candy, and a lid or removable portion to keep the sweets in place during storage or transport. Vintage to antique examples featuring humanized pumpkins and other vegetables, like this wheelbarrow pair, are particularly appealing to collectors today.

#3: Steiff Scary Cat

Black Tom cats, with their arched backs and ready-to-pounce facial expressions, have traditionally been associated with Halloween. At its July 1, 2023 auction, Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH of Ladenburg, Germany sold lot #0181, a turn-of-last century all velvet Steiff Scary Cat. Estimated at approximately $168 to $336, it realized $720. This standing, unjointed feline measured 16 centimeters tall and was detailed with tiny glass slit pupil eyes; an open, cloth-lined mouth; and pert, proportional triangle-shaped ears. Tom also retained his blank style Steiff ID button, dating his production to 1905 to 1906.

Steiff’s Tom cats have been collector’s favorites since their introduction in 1903. They made their debut in a photograph that was part of the company’s 1903 to 1904 product catalog. This same image also featured the company’s first jointed Teddy bear, putting this cute cat in very prestigious company indeed. This legacy black design has stood the test of time and still appears in the Steiff line from time to time today, albeit updated a bit to reflect today’s aesthetics.

#4: Halloween Candles

Unusual 20th century novelties flamed Halloween collectors’ interests in 2023. At its March 2, 2023 sale, Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates of Mt. Crawford, VA sold lot #0098, two boxes of Halloween candles made by the Star Molding Corporation. Estimated at $200 to $300, they lit the lamp at $938. Each cardboard box measured 3.5 inches tall and retained its original orange and black printed label, which advised the purchaser to store these Halloween candles in a cool place and not display them in the sun. The candles were in the form of a white ghost holding a pumpkin, a black cat on all fours, a sitting black cat, a standing black owl, and an orange jack-o-lantern. According to the auctioneer, these time capsule treats were found at a general store upon its closing.Star Molding Corporation was a family-run candle business based in East Aurora, NY. They were known in part for their production of hand-painted holiday candles which were made to be sold as point-of-purchase impulse items for retailers. The suggested price was $0.10 per candle. A label from a late midcentury box of Christmas candles read in part, “Here’s added profit for the fall – novelty candles that sell like hot cakes. Hostesses buy them for table decorations and party favors. Children buy them for toys and gifts. Even the dealers take them out of their boxes to dress up their own show case. For best display remove from box and stand different kinds of candles together.”

#5: Christopher Radko Garlands

Finally, modern Halloween collectibles are also doing frightfully well this year at auction. On February 15, 2023, Wiederseim Associates, Inc. of Phoenixville, PA sold lot #0111, a collection of as-new Christopher Radko Halloween-themed blown glass decorations. Estimated at $50 to $100, it sold for $875. The grouping included Ghost Go Round, Boo Bats, and pumpkin garlands, as well as a playfully painted haunted house ornament. The full garlands measured 36 inches long; all items included their original boxes and IDs.

Although Halloween has origins going back centuries–  to the Celtic festival of Samhain, observed at the end of the fall harvest– decorating for the holiday only really began at the beginning of the 20th century. According to the most recent statistics from Magestore, which tracks consumer spending and preferences, 65% of all Americans observe Halloween in one form or another, with the top three activities including handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, home decorating, and dressing up in costumes. These stats may help explain why these eye-catching Radko Halloween accessories called to multiple bidders!

Looking for more Halloween auction highlights and trends? Check out our conversation with category expert Mark Ladenbach.