Krampuskarten (Krampus Cards) are Wonderful

Krampus Cards (Krampuskarten) are hilarious.

See what happens when you act up?

This one reads, "Greetings from the Krampus!"

Yeah, just keep misbehavin', kids...

And Another Horrid Krampus!

(Read the post immediately below this one for more info on this Christmas Devil.)

Actually, you can learn a whole lot more about this possibly Pre-Christian, folkloric (let's hope!) figure here.

He appears to have a nice butt for a devil.

Vintage German chocolate mold. 
German Christmas Halloween Devil character KRAMPUS. 
The mold is 9.5 inches tall with original side clip.
There is an embossed 14 on the front of the mold and an embossed 7 on the back side.

Oh Gawsh, Beware the Horrid Krampus!

Somehow, that basket is the scariest part of the whole presentation for me. I don't think I want to know what's in there.

...... Measuring 15 ½” tall this antique, early 20th century, Devil Candy Container is called a Krampus. According to traditional Alpine folklore, the figure Krampus punishes children during the Christmas season who have misbehaved, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards well-behaved ones with gifts. Krampus would seek out all the naughty children so they may be punished. Punishments range from gifts of coal to thrashing with birch branches, which he holds in his hands. The chains in the other hand were for binding children and dragging them to Hell! ... Made in Germany during the early 20th century, this large Krampus Devil Doll measures 15 ½” tall to the top of his rabbit fur hair. In the close-up photograph you can see where two horns once were, that stuck up through the fur. The painted head is made from composition and he has a cloth tongue. It has a cloth covered body with a coarse wool pile and he is standing on a 3” by 5” wood base. In the front is a gold painted splint basket candy container with a drawstring cloth top. ... 

Witches Enjoying Tea

This photograph gets around quite a bit, but I haven't been able to get the attribution.

The general consensus is that it dates from very early in the twentieth century.

It's definitely a keeper. That's for sure.

Halloween Parades in Black and White: Old School and More Recent

The first one is Anaheim (CA). I think. We have to guess the year. The second is Greenwich Village's Halloween Parade (1986).  The somewhat Diane Arbus-y looking one is Burns Park Elementary School's Halloween parade in 1951. The one after that is the same school's parade the next year. Not sure where the sexy Halloween parade was or what year. It looks like it might be Greenwich Village again. It has that vibe. Shrouded figure is Greenwich Village parade, 1981. Illuminated hand is also New York, unspecified but probably the Greenwich Village parade (no date). That really fabulous "Doorway in Soho" photo that looks like Nan Goldin is actually Arlene Gottfried. Not sure if that's actually Halloween or Goth style. It did come up in my search for Halloween parades though. No details on the when or where of the crowd of masked kids in vintage costumes. The last photo is the Anaheim Halloween Parade again, 1946 (possibly same year as first photo).

Maybe it's just me, but I seem to have noticed a real decline in the quality of today's Halloween parades.

The last few I've attended have been pretty lackluster.

And with all the high-tech effects at one's disposal, is there really any excuse?

Oh yeah, everybody lives online and nobody has any time to actually make anything anymore. I forgot for a moment.

Sigh.

The internet makes everything quicker and everything poorer. I sound like a crusty f*** of a grandfather now, which I'm not. I mean I'm not a grandfather. Maybe I am crusty.

I know, I know: it's called evolution. 

Cool Halloween Costume Idea: "We're Going to be Polaroids"

Found on this website.

"The intern even made a mathematical equation to make sure our polaroid frames were proportional to a real Polaroid frame."

It Takes a Tender Man to Make a Tough Chicken

Halloween costume from back in the day (source unknown). 

He looks pretty tough. I'm sure he was quite tender underneath. 

Or is he a rooster? I suppose it comes down to the size of his comb.

Two Wax Mannequin Heads

Two extremely creepy wax mannequin heads came up to auction in Indiana last year.

Nobody knows anything about their origin.

It is speculated that they might be images of sisters who died in a house fire, and that they will converse with each other in whispers when the lights are put out in the room in which they are located.

Seems believable to me.

Buy Your Casket on EBAY

"CUSTOM MADE-BIRCH & OAK CASKET-25 X 72-FUNERAL NEW/VINTAGE HARDWARE--BEAUTIFUL!"

A Clint Eastwood fan (note movie poster on wall) is selling a brand spanking new, throwback style coffin on EBAY.

I found myself wondering whether one could still be buried in an old school coffin like this? Aren't there state regulations now for containment? But then I suppose they go inside outer shells, so maybe the nature of the interior coffin doesn't matter.  Anyone know?

Somehow I think you'd rise again if you were buried in this very vampiresque coffin.

So the argument might be moot.

Seller says "Price has been lowered." Presumably so the coffin may be.

I smiled when I saw "No Returns."

Uh, yeah.

Oh, and check the MANTIQUES sign. Wow. "Ain't no sissies collecting antiques round these parts, podner. Now can I whip you up an appletini so we can slip a dvd in and watch shirtless Clint chop wood again?"

Further info:

"Beautiful, handmade,...Birch and Oak casket made in Swartz Creek, Michigan by German craftsmen.  Originally used for a photo shoot for "Old Homicide, It's To Die For" rye whiskey...no longer needed. ......25 X 72 .......mixture of vintage and modern hardware....ideal for prop use, Halloween decoration or for funeral use.   The four Bier Candlesticks are listed in a separate auction and not included.   This is a local pick or I can arrange for delivery by a local expeditor at the rate of .75 per mile/round trip from our store in Elmore, Ohio....please look at all the pictures and ask any and ALL questions before bidding.  If you place a bid, I'll assume you find this item acceptable.....payment within 24 hours of auction end.....pick up within 5 days."

PEZ "Eerie Spectres" Prototypes (1979)

Prototypes for the "Eerie Spectres" Pez dispensers.

Shown in the book Collecting Pez (author's photos).

1979 PEZ ad sheet is shown below. Also there is a photo from the offical PEZ site showing the collection.

The author of that collector's guide explains: "These 6 items all came from the same former PEZ employee around 1991-1992. A woman who had worked for PEZ in the 80s (and I think still did at the time) consigned them to be auctioned through a dealer. Since the PEZ hobby was very "young" at that time, the true importance of these were not recognized by most collectors. All of these have been sitting in the same collection for 20 years. They were never again on the market.

"Photo (below) is a scan of the original salesman sheet for the Eerie Spectres. It is quite clear that the heads shown are NOT the actual dispensers heads but are plaster mockups or prototypes. Even then, the heads had been chipped and had some paint scuffs as the photos clearly indicate. In fact, taking the Spook and Air Spirit as examples, you can see that the ear tips of the Spook and the point on the top of the head of the Air Spirit have been color retouched on the ad sheet to cover defects on those tips.

"Since obviously another 10+ years intervened after the ad sheet photos were taken, when they arrived to me, they had even more chipping and paint loss than in the photos. But in the comparison of the heads in current state to the photos, you do see many of the same defects.......in some cases the defects got worse........but it helps to satisfy us that these are likely the VERY SAME prototypes shown on the ad sheet."

These are for sale as of this posting date (see EBAY).

David Shrigley Does Halloween

David Shrigley gives us his take on a Halloween pumpkin.

A Rather Halloweeny David Shrigley Bat

David Shrigley is a constant delight.

I wanted an excuse to post something by him and this one is rather Halloweeny.

"May I Be Your Hallow-e'en Beau?": A Jack-O'-Lantern Goes Courting

Card published by L & E, no.2262

Printed in Germany. Posted Circa  1911.  

Halloween "Hazel Nut Test" Postcard Poem (Circa 1918)

A boy in a clown suit drops a hazel nut on hot coals to determine if his love is true while a witch flies by the moon. 

I wondered whether this "hazel nut test" was pure invention on the part of the writer of this versicle--or if it had deeper roots in folk ways.

I found some corroboration in The Oregon Countryman:

"A youth and maid place hazel nuts near the hot coals of the fire. If one nut bursts, that lover is untrue; if one hisses and steams, bad temper is indicated; if one or both pop away, it means separation; if both burn tranquilly, a peaceful, happy life is indicated; the flame of one may follow that of the other, thus telling who is master of the house, or else who does the wooing."

Antique German Dresden Moon Candy Box Ornament (Circa 1910)

Measures 1 1/8 " thick with a 3" diameter.

German Dresden Moon man candy container, separates in the center for candy retrieval. Dresden trim around center band. Opens in the center to read "Fry's Chocolate".