This king of the pointy-hat-wearing Jack-O-Lanterns is very old.  It's the earliest Halloween decoration I can remember as a little kid, so I've been looking for one for some time.  A pair of them on the mantle would be great.  A variation on this JOL sports a sticker of Autumn leaves on his hat.

What says Halloween better than a cat snuggled up to a witch holding a huge pumpkin on her shoulder?

So, why collect these old things?  Because they're fun!  I have 9, so far and there are several more that I would like to add, including a boxy sitting owl to keep my hanging owl company.

It's interesting to note that there are variations on a lot of these lights.  For example, there is a version of the witch (upper right corner) floating around out there with a completely black face.  Was this a manufacturing defect or some weird example of affirmative action?

This hanging owl is so ugly I had to have it.  He hangs from a metal wire through his head.  Doesn't seem to mind though.

"Punkin Cats"

An often reoccurring theme in the mid to late 1960's is the "Punkin Cat".  They come in all shapes, and range from 13-16" tall.  There are 4 out there that I'm aware of.  The one not pictured is moderately unattractive, so I never added it to our little murder.

There isn't anything scary or evil about these old novelty Halloween lamps.

Their simple designs, and (often cheap) paint jobs make them instantly endearing.

They're fun to look at and their warm glow is distinctly Autumn.  I can't imagine Halloween without a house full of glowing plastic Halloween lights.

This punkin cat with dancing skeletons was dusty old stock someone found in the warehouse for a local novelty store.  ($8.00, and they were glad to be rid of it -  hee hee)

This "Trick or Treat" punkin cat could use a good meal.  He's a little scrawny, poor guy.  The base says "Treat" on the other side.

Check out the skull and vamping witches flying around the base of this punkin cat wearing a top hat.  Probably a relative of the P.C. on the far left.

"Pointy-hat" Punkins

The "pointy-hats" are perhaps the most-recognized and available Halloween light.  Manufactured by Empire, the pumpkin-on-a-corn shock is still available today and in many different colors.  (I prefer orange, of course.)

A much rarer version of the "pointy-hat" actually has a body and sports a smart black jacket.  Possibly he's a vaudeville performer.

The King of the "pointy-hats" is pictured at the top of the page and is by far the largest of any of the lights in my collection.  I haven't ventured into the seedy world of outdoor Halloween lights yet, so I expect King Pointy-Hat will reign for a while yet as tallest light.