We recently held a two family yard sale with good friends. When the rain forced us to pack up early. they asked if we could check out some of the things they were given or inherited from parents and grandparents. My jaw dropped when I saw a small box of lithographed vintage Halloween noisemakers and an amazing black cat clacker and horn item.

So off we dove into the vintage knowledge of such things and would like to share what we have unburied. We both have never had Halloween noisemakers as kids. I don’t think they were popular in our town. We have used noisemakers at New Year celebrations which have some of the same shapes but different lithography.

A Bit of Noisemaker History

From an excellent source,  Collecting in the Heartland: Halloween Noisemakers  on PBS Fresh Air, Jennifer Fisher an avid noisemaker collector, says that around 1900, people used earlier German made devices to scare off the bogeyman, bad spirits, death and decay. I assume even a pan and a wooden spoon could shake up the scary things in the dark. Antique German noisemakers with wooden handles are quite valuable. The ones from the 5 & 10 cent store usually had plastic handles and their value is growing as well.

Search for these German vintage Halloween noisemakers to see all the varieties of the older pieces. The ones I show below are from the 1950s and 1960s.

Wood Black Cat Clacker and Horn

When you shake this from side to side, the cat’s head teeters from one side to the other and the wood balls hit its hat! The best sound comes from the fact that the hat has a deep kerf in it. It is very noisy and fun to clack this cat! It is also a horn! Blow into the bottom of the handle to get another joyful bit of noise. This is stamped Japan, so it is from the 50s or 60s.

Metal Owl Clicker

Oh! I remember clickers! Not at Halloween but at Catholic school. The nuns might use one to signal us to be quiet or to stand, etc. And they were much quieter than this owl which give off a loud sharp cricket noise. This one and all the rest of the others that I will show you were made by the U.S. Metal Toy Manufacturing Company.

Owl & Jack O’Lantern Ratchet Type Noisemaker

Get a good grip on the handle at the back and then spin it around and what emerges is the creepiest sound of rusty hinges on the door at the old haunted house. When I hear or see the wood ratchet, I think of Nurse Ratchet…I’m just saying…

 Halloween Rattle with Witch, Owl and Black Cat

This rattle looks like a squashed pumpkin from the side and bears metal beads inside and makes a lot of noise when you shake it with the handle. Surprising it makes a very nice sound when rung which is quite contrary to the image of the scary witch who is reaching her hand out to you.

If these intrigue you, I hope you will start your own vintage Halloween noisemaker collection and get out there and MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!

Happy Halloween!