Tricks, Treats & Treasures: Inside the October Issue of Kovels Antique Trader

This month, we’re diving headfirst into the weird and wonderful world of Halloween collecting. From Pamela Wiggins Siegel’s tour of spooky vintage jewelry to Anthony Cavo’s deep look at Halloween postcards and their eerie Edwardian origins, October’s issue has treats (and a few tricks) for collectors who love the season’s darker side.

The From the Editor column kicks things off with memories of childhood Halloween costumes and candy hauls, setting the nostalgic tone before the chills begin. That spirit of seasonal fun continues with a look at Department 56’s Halloween villages, where tiny haunted houses and pumpkin-lit streets bring October magic to life on collector shelves.

Readers with a taste for the macabre will be drawn to Kris Manty’s feature on talking boards and their curious place in American Spiritualism, while Sierra Holt explores the frightening allure of haunted dolls, from Isla de las Muñecas to Annabelle. If planchettes and porcelain faces don’t give you goosebumps, our coverage of vampire-slaying kits, witch bottles, and memento mori surely will.

And because no Halloween issue would be complete without monsters, our sale reports round up collectible horror icons, from Universal Monsters memorabilia to vintage movie props and posters that continue to thrill bidders. Whether you’re in it for history, the chills, or the sheer strangeness of it all, this issue proves that collecting Halloween is often more than a seasonal pastime; it’s a year-round obsession