Vintage Halloween collectibles: so popular, it’s scary

A 1980s Remco action figure of the Phantom of the Opera brought $814 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2020. Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Halloween ranks among the biggest holidays in the vintage collectibles market, second only to Christmas. Halloween-themed offerings range from the whimsical to the downright scary. Movie monster figures, dolls and build-your-own-creature model kits have long been popular with Halloween-focused collectors. The material has evolved from toys built by and played with by children to purpose-made holiday keepsakes that can bring hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars at auction.

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Space toys: charting a course from Buck Rogers to Star Wars

Known as the tulip head robot, this Japanese tin litho battery-op Space Robot X-70 made $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2017 at Dan Morphy Auctions. Image courtesy of Dan Morphy Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
Known as the tulip head robot, this Japanese tin litho battery-op Space Robot X-70 made $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2017 at Dan Morphy Auctions. Image courtesy of Dan Morphy Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
Known as the tulip head robot, this Japanese tin litho battery-op Space Robot X-70 made $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2017 at Dan Morphy Auctions. Image courtesy of Dan Morphy Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Given the enduring fascination with science fiction and space travel, it’s no surprise that collectors ardently pursue space-themed toys. The trifecta of this category comprises toy ray guns, spaceships and robots with a common denominator being the action of these toys, many of them battery-operated. Glowing red or flashing “laser” lights along with popping, clicking or whirring sounds add to the fun.

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