They Were Big In The 60s – Now It's The Valuable Collectable Halloween Lovers Would Be Thrilled To Find

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Whether it's a garden full of gnomes or a kitschy mid-century ceramic, a lot of people have a fondness for whimsical vintage treasures. Maybe people love novelty thrift store finds like these because they bring back happier times, or maybe it's because they remind them of their grandmother's china cabinet. Either way, many of the collectibles that were big in the 1950s and 1960s are the same ones collectors are looking for today. Like many imported ceramic pieces of the time, the Napco spaghetti angels were sold at local five-and-dimes. People picked up these charming collectibles throughout the middle of the century for about 99 cents each. Today, Halloween lovers would be thrilled to find the angel with the jack-o'-lantern planter, which can command a price high enough that you'll regret it if you ever tossed one out.

At about five inches tall, the Napco Halloween jack-o'-lantern planter is a vintage Halloween decoration that could be filled with candy for your favorite trick-or-treaters or used to display a small arrangement of chrysanthemums. But since sellers are asking hundreds of dollars for these in good condition at the time of writing, you might want to leave this one in the cabinet. Founded in 1938, the National Potteries Corporation in Bedford, Ohio, started small. It was making candy dishes and vases before World War II, but afterwards, the company shifted to importing ceramics from Japan, which is why the popular "Angels of the Month" series that started in the 1950s is marked "Japan."

One of the best tips for spotting valuable, high-end items at thrift stores is to learn to look for the maker's mark. Most items that are marked have a stamp or marking on the bottom. With the Napco Halloween angel planter, which also says "October" across the front, you're looking for the S633 item number. If it still has its original Napco foil sticker, that may add to its appeal and value for collectors.

The important feature to look for with these angels, though, is the spaghetti trim, because it's the most fragile part of the construction. The spaghetti trim was made by extruding clay through tea strainers, so it's very fine and easily damaged. The outside finish was a cold paint technique, and although these are well-made pieces, some paint loss and crazing of the finish is normal. Chips, cracks, and broken trim are what bring down the value the most for these kinds of pieces.

Grandmacore is trending right now, so it's important to keep in mind that current asking prices may not reflect a collectible's long-term value. That being said, Napco is a highly collectible brand that produced many different series of ceramics, including mermaids and Umbrella Flower Girls. For the birthday angels, look for the series with and without planters, and remember there is one for every month. Like all collectibles, they get harder to find at thrift stores, estate sales, and antique malls over time, but you can still find them through online resale marketplaces.