Spook Spotter: Vintage Blow Mold Style Black Cat at Michael’s

Posted on July 24, 2019 by The Big Scare

Available now at Michael’s, what is sure to be one of the best finds of the Halloween 2019 season, this hard plastic black cat, designed to look like a vintage blow mold.

Black Cat Blow Mold Michael’s

The cat, like a traditional blow mold, is hollow, but the plastic is thick and there is no place for a light even if you were to consider lighting it. That being said, the design and paint is downright gorgeous, hearkening back to the decorations of Halloweens past. The black cat is an original design that incorporates a rather familiar face. The jack-o’-lantern on which the cat sits is the same face sculpt as the old Empire “Hobo Jack-o’-Lantern” blow mold. This one of a kind, 15″ throwback decoration is available at Michael’s stores now for the price of $18.00.

Haunted HomeGoods

Posted on October 10, 2016 by The Big Scare

One of the best retailers to find menacing merchandise is HomeGoods, part of the TJX chain of stores which also includes TJ Maxx and Marhsall’s. This year, HomeGoods has a few items that will be sure to satisfy even the most savvy of home haunters.

First is this fantastic vintage-style Halloween bucket fashioned in the shape of a black cat’s head. This fiendish feline is extremely reminiscent of the papier mache Halloween treat pails from the early 20th century.

Vintage Style Black Cat Treat Bucket from HomeGoods

In addition to some vintage-style decor, HomeGoods is also offering a variety of boo-tiful busts and statues. One of the most popular is the Headless Horseman statue. This year, the Horseman comes in two colors (silver or black) as well as two sizes. The smaller one is perfect for a book shelf, while the larger one would be great for an entryway.

Headless Horseman Statue from HomeGoods

Halloween Cardboard Die-Cut Gallery: Black Cats

Posted on October 3, 2015 by The Big Scare

Greetings, Boils and Ghouls! Today we begin a new series on The Big Scare featuring images that will bring the Halloweens of Yesteryear to electric life!

Beistle Jointed Black Cat

We have created several galleries of vintage Halloween cardboard die cut decorations for your booing pleasure. In the 20th century, these paper cutouts adorned windows and walls in homes and schools during the month of October. The earliest ones started appearing in the 1920s. By the 1950s, they were staples of the season. Nowadays, there aren’t that many being produced, and the ones that are being created are nearly all computer-generated. Fortunately, we have nearly 100 years of cardboard die-cuts to draw from for our galleries. What’s more, every die-cut that will be featured in our galleries is hand-illustrated, designed by an artist or team of artists who captured the spirit of the season with old-fashioned ink and paint.

We launch our Halloween die-cut gallery series with images of one of Halloween’s foremost icons: the black cat! Enjoy! And come back in two days for more devilishly delightful die-cut art!

Black Cat with Top Hat (Beistle)

Black Cat and Pumpkin

Black Cat on Orange Circle

Beistle Black Cat

Black Cat and Pumpkin Pail

Sleeping Cat and Pumpkin

Black Cat and Corn Stalks

Scaredy Cat

Playful Black Cats

Black Cat in Witch’s Hat

Black Cat Family

Black Cat and Treat Bag

Spook Spotter: The Best Halloween Decorations of 2015 II

Posted on October 1, 2015 by The Big Scare

Big Scare spook spotter

Welcome, foolish mortals, to The Big Scare’s 2015 Countdown to Halloween. Every other day, from now through October 31, we will be posting preposterously posthumous ponderings of the Halloween season. We begin October with another installment of the Spook Spotter.

The following does not constitute an endorsement of any product or retailer. It is for information purposes only.

World of Gods and Monsters

Last year, Cost Plus World Market debuted a line of officially licensed Universal Monsters dinnerware featuring The Frankenstein Monster and his Bride. This year, they are expanding the line with all new platters, ceramic plates, and mugs. World Market also carries vintage soda bottles featuring the creature and his mate, lollipops with The Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, as well as Bride of Frankenstein tote bags. What’s really creepily cool is the fact that the ceramic plate of Frankenstein’s monster features an image of Glenn Strange in the role as opposed to Boris Karloff. Glenn Strange as Frankenstein is more iconic and recognizable to Monster kids, as it was Strange, not Karloff, who was featured on the Monster Craze merchandise of the 1960s. Hopefully we will see more Universal Monsters at World Market next year. Perhaps they can cut a deal with Bela Lugosi, Jr. next year and do a Dracula line of dinnerware. “I never drink…” wine glasses, anyone?

Bride of Frankenstein Plate (World Market)

More of the Night He Came Home

HomeGoods (A TJX Company) has come through again this year with some amazingly haunting display pieces for your home of horrors. Take a look at this skull pumpkin, very reminiscent of the jack-o’-lantern featured in the opening sequence of John Carpenter’s Halloween II. This terrifying display piece features a dramatic display of color-changing illumination. Perfect for any fan of Halloween or Halloween. Other pieces for sale at the TJX stores include spooky busts, haunted miniature hearses, snow globes, and glass pumpkin candle holders (pictured in the gallery at the end of our post).

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Mind-Blowing Blow Molds

The final item featured in our Spook Spotter today is a mind-blowing find – a vintage blow mold cat and jack-o’-lantern being carried at… Wait for it… Walmart.

The king of big box stores is carrying mass-produced reproduction vintage blow molds. The first of these is the famous Hobo Jack-O’-Lantern. The next is the cat with the jack-o’-lantern on its back (pictured here).

Vintage Reproduction Blow Mold (Walmart)

These blow molds have not been seen in dime stores in years, but now they are back. Granted, they aren’t 10 cents anymore, but they are better than 99% of the other Halloween decorations out there and definitely worth the $9.00 price tag.

Now, check out other great finds from this season in our ghastly gallery…

Glenn Strange Frankenstein Plate (World Market)

Vintage Blow Mold Reproduction (Walmart)

Bride of Frankenstein Plate (World Market)

Lighted Owl Statue (Ross Dress for Less)

Glass Pumpkin Candle Holder (TJ Maxx)

Lighted Owl Statue (Ross Dress for Less)

Hallowscenes: The Images of Halloween

Posted on October 19, 2012 by The Big Scare

Today, we have a special feature – a post of photos that capture the spirit of the season. Enjoy! If you re-use these photos, please give credit to The Big Scare. Trick or Treat!