German

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the German-produced items from the
“Golden Age” of Halloween collecting, most notably the early 1900s with the period
waning in the 1940s. At best, these pieces are simply marked GERMANY or MADE
IN GERMANY. You have to understand that during this particular timeframe,
Germany did not celebrate Halloween, as we know it. Their productivity, which for
the most part is defined as cottage industry, was exclusively for export to the United
States. (Cottage Industry is a term used to describe the process on how factories,
that manufactured pieces that required assembly and/or hand painting, would sell
these unfinished portions to local townspeople [these said factories were typically in
agrarian localities] for mere pennies along with a deadline for the completed projects.
This being accomplished, the local “artisans” would turn in their handiwork where the
company would pay back the initial “deposit” along with a little something more for
their hard work and creativity. This was a big help most especially in the winter
months when there were no crops to care for – it kept the people busy plus brought
some much-needed revenue into their home.) All the same, the German factories
produced some of the most extraordinary examples of ephemera that vividly captures
the essence of October 31st. Die-cuts, lanterns, noisemakers, hats, masks, candy
containers – each piece more spectacular than the one before it. Those European
artists brought a whole new meaning to the word fantasy. The German die-cuts are
readily recognizable with their deep embossing and attention to detail – they have an
almost life-like quality to them. And the variety! Warty Witches, wide-eyed Owls,
anthropomorphic people (a.k.a. male & female veggie persons), nattily-dressed Black
Cats, finely-detailed Skeletons that would make any Anatomy class proud, fiendish-
looking Devils, and, of course, the most recognizable Halloween icon of them all – the
Jack-O-Lantern. German Candy Containers are in a class all by themselves – the
variety is absolutely exhausting! Typically made of molded cardboard and/or plaster
of Paris, these pieces command high dollars in an auction and/or Holiday Show
venue. The more whimsical – the more $$$ you’ll most likely pay. The lanterns took
on many forms – bats, cats, skulls, owls, ghosts, and the omnipresent vegetables – in
the shape of pumpkins, beets, turnips, carrots, onions, parsnips, etc. – all indigenous
to Germany and obviously most familiar to those living in surrounding farming regions
and a source of inspiration to the holiday artisans.

There is one known exception to the customary non-descript marks printed on the
German-made decorations noted above – the absolutely whimsical porcelain children’
s tea set from the 1920-30s. Because each piece is marked so well (at least, for the
most part), it didn’t take much time to discover that this tea set was manufactured by
Craemer & Heron Porcelain Factory in Mengersreuth, East Germany. Each piece
from the set are Jack-O-Lanterns with big, toothy smiles and includes the much-
coveted teapot – a really rare piece which collectors will typically pay high premiums
for; a lidded sugar bowl (for some reason, there are two examples of this piece –
each with a different facial expression); a creamer, cups (with handles) & saucers,
“handleless” cups (which, in reality, were meant to be used as nut cups); a waste
bowl and a vase (which I’ve only seen in Pamela Apkarian-Russell’s book More
Halloween Collectibles published by Schiffer Books). A few months back, a young
woman sold a set of four cups with saucers, the sugar bowl and creamer for close to
$1,000. on eBay; I happened to be the underbidder. At the time, there was a lot of
scamming going on after these online auctions had completed – especially for the
high-priced items. Two days after the auction, I received an e-mail, supposedly from
the Seller, stating that she had an identical set to sell and since I was the
Underbidder on her original auction, she would sell me the set at my final bid. This
sounded too good to be true! To make a long story short: I contacted the Seller; she
informed me that it was indeed a scam and she did not have a duplicate set. I
groaned inwardly when she mentioned she bought the set at a consignment shop in
her area for $38.00!!! Plus, she had no idea as to what she bought; she just thought
that they were cute! Yes, these kinds of things do happen. Getting back to the
German Halloween Tea Set – a few years back, I was contacted by a fellow
Halloween collector who informed me that he had some pieces from the German tea
set for sale. As Fate would have it, my computer was on the fritz – I wasn’t able to
open any of the photos he sent so with blind faith, I purchased the remaining
available items. Imagine my surprise and delight when I opened the package to
discover that I had purchased some pieces from the ADULT-sized tea set! I never
knew such things existed and I’m sure there are a number of collectors who haven’t
laid eyes on these beauties. Since I only have a few pieces, I’m not quite sure as to
what constitutes a full set. What I do know is that there are cups (with handles) and
saucers, nut cups, salt & pepper shakers, dessert plates and just recently I
purchased what I believe to be the sugar bowl to this set along with a couple of Jack-
O-Lantern bottle stoppers (who happen to match the sugar bowl perfectly) that once
belonged to a pair of cruet bottles. I hope I come across the creamer in my travels
and I can’t imagine how grand the teapot is going to look! If there is a teapot
somewhere out there, I can’t imagine what price it will take to own it. These rarer-
than-rare pieces will surely become The Holy Grail to many Halloween collectors.