Spooky Surprises: 2025 Halloween Auction Highlights

Although officially taking place on the last day of October each year, true Halloween enthusiasts celebrate all things spook-tacular year ’round! Tricks and treats related to our favorite haunted holiday appeared at auction throughout 2025, with some premier lots taking off like a witch on a broomstick! Here are some frightfully fantastic Halloween- themed auction sales noted by our Auction Daily team in 2025. All prices noted include the auction house’s buyer’s premium.

There’s no bones about it, this first highlight clearly caught a few eyes when it went under the hammer! Here we have lot #24, a large metal folk art skeleton sculpture sold by Public Sale of Hudson, NY on January 11, 2025. It was estimated at $250-500 and traded hands at $5,000… 10 times its presale high estimate! It also generated a whopping 30 bids. This oversized piece measured 83″ x 96″ x 16.5″ when fully upright and extended. The bones were produced from found pieces of metal that were painted white. Both structurally authentic and playful at the same time, this fully jointed skeleton could be posed sitting, lying, or standing, depending on the setting. 

Nothing says Halloween like candy containers, and fine examples continue to call to collectors and their wallets! On January 17, 2025, Bertoia Auctions of Vineland, NJ sold lot #461, a German Veggie Man Chauffeur candy container for $3,438 on 30 bids. It carried a presale estimate of $ $700-$1,400.  This rarity measured 6.5″ tall and was in the form of an anthropomorphic pumpkin, dressed as a driver with goggles and a racing cap. He was smiling broadly and was painted in fall colors, including orange, green, brown, and burgundy. This candy container was stamped GERMANY on its base in black ink. Given its presentation and markings, this example was probably made from molded papier-mâché at the turn of last century.

Vintage Halloween ephemera, including post and greeting cards, also rose to the top of this spooky survey. On June 20, 2025, JMW Auction Service of Kingston, NY sold lot #276, six Halloween postcards, for $1,250 over eight bids. This collection had a presale estimate of $200-300. These scary-sweet postcards were from a Hudson Valley collector and were illustrated with anthropomorphic pumpkins, Tom cats, bats, witches, the moon, an owl, and even a flying pumpkin-mobile, most against a nighttime sky. Given their themes and presentation, this archive probably dated from the c. 1900-1920 time frame. 

This next 2025 Halloween highlight really takes flight. On June 14, 2025, Golden State Auction Gallery of San Francisco CA sold lot #2004, a white jade carved flying bat pendant, for $2,794. It held a presale estimate of $100-200, and generated 11 bids.  This 19th century, Qing Dynasty example measured 42 X 37 X 23 mm and was in the form of a handsomely carved bat, with outspread wings, resting on a lucky melon. This example came from a family that owned a Chinese art and gift store in Rochelle, NY in the 1950s. In the Chinese culture, melons are associated with prosperity and good fortune, and bats represent health, longevity, and happiness; these universally auspicious elements may help to explain, in part, why it generated so much interest at auction. 

Our last 2025 Halloween highlight tiptoed into the spotlight on little cat’s feet. On June 28, 2025, Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH of Ladenburg, Germany sold lot #1160, a fully jointed Steiff black Tom cat, for 4,875 €. It had an opening bid of 600 € and generated 26 bids. This mohair example was most likely a prototype made by the famous German toymaker around 1910. It measured 15 cm high and 28 cm wide. Its head, limbs, and tail could each be rotated 360 degrees. It retained its long trailing “F” button as its identification. This Tom checked all the boxes in terms of auction success. First, early turn of last century Steiff black mohair items appear very infrequently on the secondary market. Second, felines – especially prewar models – are a key Steiff collecting category. And finally, the sky is the limit with prototypes, especially ones that literally appear out of the blue. 

Interested in past year’s Halloween finds? Then check out https://auctiondaily.com/news/fright-night-5-thrilling-halloween-auction-highlights-from-2023/. To learn more about collecting vintage Halloween items, please see our interview with Halloween collector, author, and expert Mark Ledenbach here: https://auctiondaily.com/news/collecting-vintage-halloween-with-category-expert-mark-ledenbach/.

Captions, all photos from sources as noted:

• 24: A skeleton sculpture sold by Public Sale of Hudson, NY on January 11, 2025 was estimated at $250-500 and sold for $5,000. Image from Public Sale. 
• 461: A candy container sold by Bertoia Auctions of Vineland, NJ on January 17, 2025 was estimated at $700-$1,400 and sold for $3,438. Image from Bertoia Auctions.
• 276: Six Halloween postcards sold by JMW Auction Service of Kingston, NY on June 20, 2025 were estimated at $200-300 and sold for $1,250. Image from JMW Auction Service.
• 2004: A white jade carved flying bat pendant sold by Golden State Auction Gallery of San Francisco CA on June 14, 2025 was estimated at $100-200 and sold for $2,794. Image from Golden State Auction Gallery.
• 1160: A Steiff jointed black prototype Tom cat sold by Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH of Ladenburg, Germany on June 28, 2025 had an opening bid of 600 € and sold for 4,875 €. Image from Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH.