If you think back on the Halloween celebrations of your youth—what do you remember? Is it the decked-out pumpkin carving parties? Bickering with your siblings over who gets to carry mom's old candy bucket for trick-or-treating? Bright orange pumpkin candles lit at the table throughout October? It's hard to put your finger on it, but there's something we can all agree on: the look of vintage Halloween décor brings us back to simpler times.
With rare and stylish Halloween collectibles, anyone can transform their home into a spooktacular affair. This autumnal season, set aside some time to hunt down pieces that will enhance your festive décor. Whether you prefer vintage Disney Halloween designs or timeless Jack o' lantern blow molds, the items you add to your collection will be unique to you. Learn a bit more about what it takes to collect vintage Halloween designs today.
The History of Halloween
Halloween wasn't always about collecting vintage Halloween Lemax homes or dressing up and going door to door with your friends. This holiday can be traced back to the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain, a day that marked the end of summer harvest and the beginning of winter.
They believed that on this date, October 31st, the boundary between the realms of the living and the dead thinned and that ghosts could return to Earth. To commemorate, the Druid priests would build sacred bonfires where Celts dressed up and sacrificed crops and animals to the deities—as well as attempt to tell each other's fortune.
As Christianity began to spread into Celtic lands, the traditions began to mix. In AD 1000, the church began to hold an All Souls' Day in early November with similar bonfires, parades, and costumes in order to honor the dead (though it is widely thought that this was just an effort to replace the pagan bonfire celebration with a church-official holiday). As this day was adopted throughout Europe, the night before was deemed All-Hallows Eve—a term that eventually became Halloween.
When Did Halloween Start in America?
Halloween was practiced in various forms for thousands of years across the pond, but it wasn't a solidified holiday in America until the early 1900s. At first, they just adopted the mischievous tradition of pulling pranks in your community during the night. But, as schools, families, and even the White House adopted charming Halloween décor in the '20s and '30s, they began throwing the festive parties and wearing the cute costumes we recognize and love today. It's been many people's favorite time of year ever since!
Why People Choose to Buy Vintage Halloween Décor
The number one reason people spend their days searching for vintage Halloween Lemax designs and adorable antique party decorations is something everyone experiences: nostalgia. In the hustle and bustle of our modern, over-commercialized life, it's fun to slow down and lean into the spooky yet sweet look of Halloweens from the past. Being surrounded by older items that remind you of your childhood will help you feel cute, cozy, and in the spirit all season long.
Did you know that Halloween is one of the most wasteful holidays on our calendars? If you want to help eliminate Halloween waste, make the more sustainable switch to shopping at vendor malls and thrift stores for secondhand decorations. Whether you're searching for a used Halloween Snow Village piece to complete your collection or mini party favors for your children's party, you can find every type of Halloween collectible at an Illinois antique mall instead of buying it new.
Some people look for vintage spooky items so they can turn a buck and sell to an antique store. While the range of value depends on the exact design, people can make quite a profit buying and selling rare thematic collectibles from different decades. This is even more true for those who specialize in one type of item, whether that be vintage Disney Halloween décor, noisemakers, or something equally festive.
Are Halloween Collectibles Worth Anything?
Who would have guessed that Halloween collectibles could be worth a substantial amount of money? Though the exact price tag depends on the design, age, condition, and, most importantly, the rarity, most items can be worth anywhere between $20 and $300, with a select few being sold for thousands of dollars! If you're looking to start a collection that is sure to grow in value over the years, vintage Halloween Lemax houses or something similar are perfect for you.
7 Popular Halloween Collectible Brands to Keep an Eye Out For:
Beistle: a well-known paper goods company famous for making early party decorations and wall décor.
Lemax: mostly thought of as a Christmas brand, there are plenty of vintage Lemax Halloween buildings to go around.
Department 56: between the Snow Village Halloween design and the other boo-tiful ceramic and resin items, this brand is good for more than just its Christmas pieces.
Empire: a beloved manufacturer of spooky blow mold décor, from buckets to outdoor decorations and more.
Fitz and Floyd: a creator of hand-painted ceramics, from whimsical candy corn mugs to pumpkin vases and everything in between.
Gemmy Industries: an '80s novelty manufacturer famous for its animated décor, such as the chattering skeletons, screaming ghosts, and cackling witches, to name a few.
Gurley Novelty Co.: a popular choice for novelty candle collectors, its Halloween designs are shaped like ghosts, witches, and other creepy ghouls.
Start Collecting Vintage Halloween Décor Today
Nowadays, anyone can go to the store and get the same dime-a-dozen decorations for the spooky season—but what's the fun in that? If you want a unique aesthetic that celebrates vintage style for Halloween, you have to invest in antique designs used in decades past. From setting up Halloween Snow Village products in your dining room to wearing your favorite vintage Disney Halloween clothing, a few small pieces can make a huge impact.
Make a Village Out of Vintage Halloween Lemax Houses
If you've ever walked into someone's home and seen a twinkling holiday village set up around Christmastime, you've had a firsthand look at just how beautiful these whimsical designs can be—but did you know they have vintage Lemax Halloween pieces as well? A couple of years into their booming business, the creators released a new collection, lovingly dubbed Spooky Town.
While you may not find a Halloween snow village, you will find little towns where each building is crafted to match the cute and creepy vibes of the holiday, from scenes of monster motorcycle rallies to creepy cabins and witch burnings—and so much more.
If you have a flat surface that needs decorating during this scare-tastic season, a vintage Lemax Halloween set is the perfect collectible for you. With just a couple of vibrant and eerie scenes, you can create a Halloween town in any room of your home, from the dining room table to your kiddo's bookshelves and more.
Pro tip: Every season, the company adds a few new products and retires others, placing them in the Spooky Town Graveyard. As they go out of production, their value increases, and collectors search high and low for the remaining designs. If you find one at an antique store in Highland that you suspect to be an older vintage Lemax Halloween house, make sure to grab it!
Set Up Your Porch with Halloween Blow Molds
If you're looking for a colorful and sentimental way to decorate your front porch for the month of October, there's no better collectible than blow molds. Every year, these adorable figurines make a comeback, but an authentic antique design by the original creator, Don Featherstone, is worth the hunt!
Each one is handmade from melted plastic, with some including light bulbs—perfect for illuminating your home all night long! Any antique store near Orlando worth its salt will have a few stocked at their booths, so it's always worth a look.
Popular Halloween Blow Molds
While Christmas holiday blow molds are all the rage, sometimes these cute Halloween designs go overlooked! If you see any of these, make sure to scoop them up:
Dracula
Jack o’ lanterns
Ghosts
Black cats
Haunted houses
Tombstones
Frankenstein
Elevate Your Home with Papier-Mâché Pumpkins
When the majority of decoration production moved to America after World War I, there was a call to return to basics, and the treasured papier-mâché pumpkins were born. Made with traditional papier-mâché methods, these were often used as lanterns, with real flames being placed inside to cast that soft glow. After a few years, this common craft would be made from tin and plastic, making these the precursors to the pumpkin-shaped candy buckets we now know so well.
These pumpkins add a seasonal spirit to any room of your home. Consider placing a few in a group along your mantel, within your bookshelf, or on your side tables (complete with fake candles) to give your house that cozy feel. Bonus points if they fit in with your vintage Halloween Disney collection.
How Can You Tell if a Papier-Mâché Pumpkin is Actually Antique?
Papier-mâché pumpkins remain one of the most sought-after Halloween collectibles, but with a rise in retro style, authentic ones can be hard to distinguish. If you come across one at a Highland antique mall, remember that original designs often have a smooth finish and are made from translucent lantern paper, while modern reproductions have a crackly, opaque top layer.
Design Unforgettable Parties with Antique Halloween Decorations
If you're someone who hosts the annual Halloween get-togethers, you should consider collecting vintage decorations to give your vintage Disney Halloween party that sentimental look. As you shop at your local antique mall, look for essentials such as:
Tablecloths
Place cards
Centerpieces
Noisemakers
Punch bowls
Games (think "pin the nose on the witch" cutouts!)
Candles
Garlands and lights
What's the Best Vintage Halloween Party Favor?
If you're planning an elaborate party to celebrate the scariest day of the year, you may want to include a party favor your guests will treasure for years to come. If you can’t hunt down vintage Disney Halloween toys, consider giving your loved ones a treat by stocking up on a variety of antique Pez designs. From skulls to ghouls to witches and more, Pez released a wide variety of Halloween-themed candy dispensers that can be found at almost any of our antique malls in the months leading up to October.
Go Trick-or-Treating with Vintage Candy Buckets
It wouldn't be Halloween without a bucket for trick-or-treating! When you complete a vintage Halloween Lemax village, invest in a collection your kids can actually use by hunting down whimsical and unique candy buckets and bags at Melbourne vendor malls. The most popular design resembles the classic bright orange pumpkin, but you can find different styles to suit any aesthetic (and match any costume!)
Embrace the Magic of Vintage Disney Halloween Collectibles
If you're a fan of the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party that Disney hosts every year or grew up watching the charming Halloweentown franchise, you'll know that this ever-so-magical company has this spooky season down pat. But have you ever looked into collecting vintage Disney Halloween designs? If this sounds right up your alley, you're in luck: vintage Halloween-inspired Disney clothing, decorations, figurines, and more can likely be found in your favorite Indiana antique mall.
Disney has released hundreds and hundreds of timeless vintage Halloween treasures throughout the years. Keep a look out for adorable Minnie and Mickey figurines dressed up in various costumes, Jack o' lanterns with big mouse ears sticking out, wall art, and more as you shop. You can even add to your vintage Lemax Halloween village set with a Haunted Mansion! Any room in your home can turn into a theme park goer's dream with vintage Halloween Disney collectibles.
Where is the Best Place to Find Vintage Halloween Collectibles?
Whether you're looking to complete your village of vintage Lemax Halloween buildings or searching for a thoughtful vintage Disney Halloween gift for a loved one, your best bet will always be stopping into a well-stocked antique mall near Chicago or your own neck of the woods. With hundreds of booths and showcases filled to the brim, you can spend hours scouring each collection until you find the perfect items to haunt your home décor. Stop by with a goal in mind or browse until something sparks your interest—you're sure to come across something that inspires your inner spook!
This year, celebrate Halloween the old-fashioned way, surrounded by beautiful vintage décor! Between the colorful vintage Disney Halloween characters and blow molds and the beautiful vintage Lemax Halloween buildings, anyone can start a collection. We can't wait to see you at America's Antique Mall.
