How do you do your Halloween shopping?

Discussion in Fashion & Apparel started by bryce12 • Aug 8, 2012.

  1. bryce12

    bryce12Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2012
    Threads:
    6
    Messages:
    123
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hey guys,

    I know Halloween is few months away but I am curious about how you do your Halloween shopping? Do you take time to browse through recent trends or stick to popular and evergreen costumes? Do you have any favorite stores or do you buy from whatever sites appear at the top of search results for your query? What is your approximate budget for Halloween costumes and decoration for your entire family?

    Bryce
     
  2. Pocs

    PocsActive Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2012
    Threads:
    45
    Messages:
    149
    Likes Received:
    1
    Halloween is quickly becoming my second favorite holiday, with people dressing up their yards and home. I have joined on the band wagon by buying those light up haunted houses to make a Halloween town. They're a little pricey though, so I only have a few.

    Costumes? I have and still do make my own as well the rest of the family. The store bought costumes are either cheaply made and don't survive a party or trick or treating or they are extremely exspensive.
     
  3. andrew320

    andrew320Active Member

    Joined:
    May 28, 2012
    Threads:
    83
    Messages:
    422
    Likes Received:
    2
    I'd only spend a few bucks, but I bought my annual costume a couple of years ago: a Groucho Marx mask. Other than that, most of my Halloween money would go towards food and movie rentals. If I had to buy a costume, it'd be at one of those thrift stores or dollar stores.
     
  4. Tinee

    TineeMember

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2012
    Threads:
    4
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    0
    This year I think of going as Daria. So that means I'd just buy regular clothes in thrift shops and some retail stores. :D
     
  5. Lena51

    Lena51Active Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    Threads:
    4
    Messages:
    625
    Likes Received:
    2
    If I were you I would make my own or go to a thrift store to purchase some of the items or all of them. Because by next Halloween, you will want to be something else and you won't have wasted a lot of unnecessary money on junk that you won't use again. Do that sound like a winner. It's no big deal, just be yourself and don't waste a lot of money on oneday of celebration.
     
  6. Jessi

    Jessi<a href="http://www.quirkycookery.com">QuirkyCooke

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2012
    Threads:
    126
    Messages:
    2,256
    Likes Received:
    78
    I don't really buy costumes any more. When I do, it's because inspiration hits me and THEN I go look for it. I used to make all my costumes, so it's actually somewhat weird for me to buy them now.
     
  7. writer811

    writer811Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2012
    Threads:
    24
    Messages:
    104
    Likes Received:
    0
    Shopping is my favorite part of Halloween, I have to be involved in person. I check each product I buy for superiority and I even prefer to try on costumes before buying them, if possible. Halloween is my favorite holiday!
     
  8. Cornholio

    CornholioActive Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2012
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    202
    Likes Received:
    0
    We shop based on our budget and what we like. I like more gory and my wife likes more traditional, but she has a bit of a twisted side too so it is a pretty good mix.
     
  9. couponaholic

    couponaholicBanned

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2012
    Threads:
    10
    Messages:
    24
    Likes Received:
    0
    We have to get 4 Halloween costumes for kids. Our boy is easy to shop for, but the girls are very picky. We look for

    Log In

    ahead of time. That way they can get an idea of what they want to be. Last year we were really low on funds so we got costumes at the Salvation Army. This year we may be able to afford something from Ebay. 4 costumes at regular retail usually costs us at least $80. Gotta think of the accessories and makeup too. For decorating the house we just head to the dollar store. There is some amazing stuff there. I did some price comparisons with Walmart and I was shocked. Nearly the same quality, but I got the items for a buck each.
     
  10. bridawn

    bridawnNew Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2012
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    I do a lot of my Halloween shopping ahead of time online. It's cheaper and I know I can get the good stuff before it sells out. That, and I make a lot of it. This year I'm going as a dark angel... I found a plain black dress online for $15 and I'm going to find some cheap feather boa's to sew on it to make a feather skirt. I'll also be making a feather headband and have already bought coloured contacts for the occasion a couple months ago! I found mini dark angel wings online for $12 too. All in all, I'll probably spend about $100 on the whole outfit.
     
  11. difrancprod

    difrancprodBanned

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2012
    Threads:
    76
    Messages:
    547
    Likes Received:
    2
    Not really a big fan of this season but we do shop for candies for the kids in our block. As for costumes, we don't really do that as well in our family. it's kind of boring in our house in this time of the year actually. We go big on Christmas and Hanukkah though. :)
     
  12. Kaybee517

    Kaybee517Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2012
    Threads:
    55
    Messages:
    324
    Likes Received:
    3
    I don't really celebrate Halloween but I will buy pumpkin scented candles and sometimes buy candy to give the little kids in my building. Other than that I don't do much shopping since I don't celebrate the occasion too much.
     
  13. cassien

    cassienNew Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2012
    Threads:
    1
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    I really enjoy halloween! I try my hardest to find the most original ideas for my costume, and shopping for it is half the fun! Once I find what I want to be for halloween, I make a list of the things I need for the costume. I usually try to give myself at least a month to get everything together, because I like to go to many different places for my items.

    The best type of stores to shop for costumes are second hand stores! They are great because you can find costume pieces for super cheap! Around Halloween, they even come out with stock specifically for the occasion! Second hand wigs, costume pieces, and even accessories can be found here! For the little trinkets and pieces I can't find at the second hand shops, I end up usually going to the dollar store. Sometimes I can make little crafts and create what I need from items I get at the dollar store, and sometimes they just have what I need! The kids section is great for getting pirate or cop gear, and they even have hats, mittens, socks, etc! The makeup section is great for makeshift face-paint.. cheap lipsticks and eyeliners can sometimes be a great substitute, and they also usually sell clown paint sets!

    I try to shop discount and piece things together myself. Even borrowing from friends can help! I just find that the costumes you can buy from these costume shops tend to be very cheaply made, and cost way too much for what you get. Most of the costumes don't even come with all the stuff that you need... for example, they might be missing the pirate hat-- which is kind of essential.

    Another great way to get an awesome costume is to rent it from a local theatre or theatre shop. Just make sure it is a theatre shop, and not a costume shop. Theatre costumes tend to be made very well, and they don't cost too much to rent. It's a great way to get an awesome costume without buying everything!
     
  14. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2012
    Threads:
    52
    Messages:
    3,093
    Likes Received:
    240
    I don't really buy costumes. I'm mostly into Halloween at home, so I buy decorations for the inside of the apartment, and scary movies, and my daughter and I have a horror movie marathon and eat all the candy we want. When I used to buy costumes, I would buy part of the costume and make part of it, like when my daughter was a fairy, I made the tutu but bought the wings and other stuff.
     
  15. dissn_it

    dissn_itActive Member

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2012
    Threads:
    29
    Messages:
    985
    Likes Received:
    8
    When my kids were little, I used to just make their costumes. Halloween can be pretty cold where we live so the store bought ones were not good at keeping them warm. They seemed to like the fact that their costumes were very unique and always got lots of compliments on them. I liked the fact that they could be reused and handed down to the younger siblings as the kids grew out of them.
     
  16. tommymac

    tommymacActive Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2012
    Threads:
    15
    Messages:
    233
    Likes Received:
    0
    I'm not real big on decorating for Halloween, but I'll certainly buy candy for the trick-or-treaters and get a costume for my kids and myself. I usually wait until the first week of October for all of that. Pumpkins are the sticking points, though. I think it's best to get them in mid-October in order to minimize rot.
     
  17. classicnyer

    classicnyerActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2012
    Threads:
    19
    Messages:
    918
    Likes Received:
    2
    I'm not big on Halloween in general because I missed it as a kid due to growing up uber-religious, and I don't have kids now. Last year was the first year I ever bought a Halloween costume because I had a show to perform and I thought it would be cute. I ended up getting a headband with cat ears, a half-mask and a tail. That's it. I don't know what I'm going to do this year, if anything.
     
  18. weddingbands12

    weddingbands12Banned

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2012
    Threads:
    9
    Messages:
    36
    Likes Received:
    0
    Shopping is my favorite part of Halloween .
     
  19. FlanneryCam

    FlanneryCamActive Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2012
    Threads:
    20
    Messages:
    204
    Likes Received:
    1
    1) I bring my crafty abilities out to play. I make a habit of thinking of costumes I can put together for a few dollars. A sewing machine helps me save money. But I don't have very good skills. :) Still it makes Halloween fun!
    2) I thrift shop. I'm lucky to have several thrift stores in the area who purposely stock Halloween costumes and gives ideas for thrifted costumes. It helps keep the prices low.
     
  20. liquidfuzzy

    liquidfuzzyMember

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    15
    Messages:
    53
    Likes Received:
    1
    My goal for decorating and for costumes is always homemade! Imagination doesn't cost a dime! The supplies are so much cheaper than ready-made stuff and it is a good family activity. Usually I spend 10 or 20 bucks on a killer costume and the same to decorate my entire house! Thank you, Goodwill!