Thread: How do you get the big crowds?

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I know the best thing for us Halloween nuts is word of mouth but I noticed a big decline this year. I know a lot was the weather and economy but when I do my ride around the neighborhoods there's tons of kids 3 blocks away that never come to my street. My "competition" ( even though i never told him in all the years im the guy down the street )is on a more traveled road and gets tons of kids. and we are about equal in our displays. i am more hand made hes more store bought but we both love what we do. He has a nice layout though double wide drive way and a big display at the top more like a stage , mine more of a walk through with struff to look at on both sides. we both have smoke lights sounds. So location is a bit of an issue.

Whats some of your scare tactics to get the big crowds.

Three blocks seems to be a long way to walk for kids and such but you could try venting a lot of smoke higher in the sky and lighting it up with strobe lights, this should create some notification that there is something in your direction to come check out.

Maybe i will amp up the sounds, smoke and lights a bit.

Light it up early....lots of orange lights a couple weeks before Halloween will attract folks. Full size candy bars. Lots of ToTs have cell phones, so there's a lot of texting going on about where good houses are.

Keep adding throughout the month, this encourages folks who driveby to keep coming back to see what you've added.

Get to know you competition and send folks his way and have him send folks your way.

Interestingly, thats a problem where we live too. Seems like people just follow each other. Our street doesn't see too much, yet we are almost in the middle of a block between two really busy streets. Im thinking a giant neon sign. Something like "CANDY".. flashes off and on..

How few TOTers do you get now?

I live in a very rural area- and used to get 20-30 TOTers. Then, I combined a great display with super-good treats. The first year i did this, I lucked out and bought out (at 90% off!) a Big Lots toy dept. in a store that was remodeling.

Needless to say, word got OUT. The next few years, I gave out large carnival plush animals, King sized- candy bars, and dollar store toys.

Next thing I knew, hayrides were stopping at my house and the numbers climbed over 250.

Now I can't afford big treats for so many TOTers, but I still get lots of kids. They actually line up down the road at the start of TOT.

So I'd suggest- if you could afford it... and you don't have many TOTers... give away something that all the kids will be talking about at school the next day. Or maybe you could have a fish pond or similar game of chance and give away one or two really cool things.

I usually go through about 4 big bags of candy. i never counted really but it was a lite year like 2 bags worth.

Get to know you competition and send folks his way and have him send folks your way.

That's an effective way- networking. Your not even competition at three blocks away and honestly, I'm not sure anyone really gets too wrapped up in a competition. I bet if you introduced yourself and got to talking you'd have a great time of it. And if they pointed their tots in your direction- home run. All of a sudden kids have good houses- action. I also put notes in my tot candy bags letting them know we're growing, spread the word, and come back next year! Networking and word of mouth. And good candy bags too. The hit this year by me- glow sticks! Cheap at Michaels. Good luck.

No I only call him my competition. I really think he never saw any of my stuff we both set up and take down most stuff Halloween day. I love the stuff he does Im a fan of any Halloween decorations. I only call him that because that's how its presented to me from TOT saying "hey you see the competition you have down the street"

Setting up on Halloween is your biggest problem. Nobody knows what you got until the day of, whereas your competition is on a busy street and more people see him setting up.