Fall 2024

such as “Batman” and “Frankenstein,” and costumes with a Western theme. With events such as Watergate and anti-war marches, the 1970s brought about a desire for presiden- tial masks. It was also the era when the gay and trans community, for one night a year, were able to openly express themselves through costume and disguise. The 1980s brought about the birth of horror films featuring Michael Myers from “Halloween,” Jason from “Friday the 13th” and Freddy Kreuger from “Night- mare on Elm Street.” A sudden popularity in sci-fi and fantasy films such as “StarWars” and “E.T.” and Disney characters fueled children’s imaginations. Today, the trend of pop culture continues. If you were a kid from 1950 to 1990, you will recall those stiff kitschy Halloween costumes of old.They were uncomfortable and fit terribly with a mask that sat on your face held by a thin rubber band, as you would sweat profusely underneath. But it didn’t matter. We would beg our moms to take us to the dime store to pick out our favorite character costume for that one night in October with dreams of chocolate concoctions wrapped in paper and saying those three little words: “Trick or Treat.” The costumes and masks by such makers as Ben Cooper and Collegeville that once sold for under $5 are now selling in the hundreds to thousands of dollars, purchased by avid collectors of vintage Halloween. The “Scream” mask by Fun World Div. is currently listed on Ebay for $8,999. Complete costumes in their original boxes can go for as high as $2,000. Collecting vintage Halloween has become a serious business for advanced collectors only. My favorites are the rubber masks from the 1980s. They are classics with extra textural intrigue. Dracula, Frankenstein, Betty Boop and the wicked queen from “SnowWhite” are among the stars in my collection that cap- ture the scent of the holiday and add twinkle to my life. Spooky season is upon us.We can become what we covet.The art of the Halloween mystique is that it is elusive, stunning and mildly terrifying at the same time and can safely be compared to a choir girl gone desper- ately mad. Marjorie Snow is a published writer and photographer with a vast knowl- edge of antiques and their history. Snow was the owner of Terra Cotta in Las Vegas, an exclusive architectural vintage gallery, which has been featured in numerous West Coast magazines. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 4 95 Collectors are scooping up all things “Betty Boop.” This mask depicting America’s sweetheart is from the 1980s. (Left to right) A classic, “Frankenstein” with eerie corpse-like complexion; a highly-detailed depiction of the wicked queen from “Snow White”; and the always devilish toothy vampire mask. All are from the 1980s.