Glow-in the-dark toys seem to have sprouted anywhere from glow sticks and star stickers to glow-in the-dark posters, and even glow-in-the-dark clothes! At least you would be easy to find at night.

But what makes those fun glow-in the-dark novelties…well…glow? If you own any of these products or have had fun with them in the past, you are well aware that anything glow-in the-dark has to be “charged.” This is usually done by holding them to a light, where you can then take them into a dark room and enjoy their glorious glow-in the-dark radiance, for up to ten minutes, anyway.

All glow-in the-dark products contain phosphors. A phosphor is a substance that emits visible light when energized. Phosphorescent materials continue to glow even after their energy source (light) has disappeared or has been removed. We see phosphor products everyday, even if we’re not aware of it. For example, some of the main places we see phosphors is in television screens, computer monitors and florescent lights.

In order to make a glow-in-the-dark toy, it would require phosphor that is energized by normal light and has a long resolution. Two phosphors that have these characteristics are zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate. Strontium aluminate is newer and it’s what you see in the "super" glow-in-the-dark toys, toys that can glow-in-the-dark for over an hour. It has a much longer persistence than zinc sulfide does. The phosphor is mixed into a plastic and molded to make most glow-in-the-dark merchandise.

A 1953 glow-in-the-dark Ghost Rider mask, still glowing strong, was sold by Geppi’s Entertainment Auctions in their January Hake’s auction for $3,333.76. The mask was obtained in 1953 through a mail-in promotion offer through “Magazine Enterprises.” The mask was mailed to the consumer for $1.00 plus mail coupon. It is one of the rarest and most impressive premiums Hake’s has ever offered. Hake’s only knows of two and this one is in superior condition.

Click here to see what else sold in Hake’s auction.