Thread: How do you haunt in the days leading up to the big day???

Tweet

I was just taking a look through A Witch From Canada's photobucket and all I can say is WOW! Her house looks AWESOME! And I've seen many of our other members displays and they're all outstanding. I live in a nice area, but I'd just be petrified that much of that stuff would get stolen if I put it out. My street is rather narrow and there's no parking on my side of the street, so for my annual adult costume party I put out a "Witch Parking Only, All others will be TOAD" sign. I took a picture of it after everyone left, but forgot to bring it in and in the morning it was gone. I was really disappointed, not because of the cost of the sign, but because it made me scared to put anything out for Halloween night. That one person really ruined things for me.

So my question to our Canadian Witch, and all the rest of you for that matter is how much of that do you leave up in the days approaching Halloween? I assume that most of it is stored inside until Halloween, but you can't set up all of that in one morning... can you??? I decorate the inside of my house for my party, but little of that actually gets put outside for Halloween night. I'm just curious what everyone does. I imagine that you put out your graveyards and other less expensive things, but then do you take Halloween day off from work and set up the more expensive props all morning?

If someone was willing to steal a simple sign near the street, what would they do to my beloved tombstones in the front yard? I'm really in a quandry because looking through Witch's photobucket got me excited to haunt the front of my house this year.

In memoraim:

I live out in the country and have never had a problem with theft. I would think I would have more of a problem, with my things disappearing, vs living in a subdivision.

I put out a simple countdown sign. Just a couple numbers lit up, no explaination.

Every year I get folks ask what the heck it's for. I was toying with the idea of setting it out sporradically through the year. Make them wonder what 265 meant, or something.

Along with it I typically have one or two things, and a bunch of crap I collected over the years that no longer fits in my theme. I then tear it ALL down, prep the lawn, and set up the few days prior.

I did have some stuff stolen last year. We found out who, and rectified the situation by having the kid work it off building some stuff for me, but at the same time learning how to do it for his own yard.



I also put the yard up 4 days early this year, and had it specially lit for a contest. We have a good number of haunters on the block, and we all keep an eye out on each others stuff.

We live in a small town, and maybe I'm spoiled (and maybe I shouldn't jinx myself by saying this) but I've bever had one thing stolen. We put out the cemetery anywhere from a few days to a week before the 31st. I usually take the week before Halloween until Nov 1st as one of my vacation weeks for the year, and prep for TOT and the grownup party the weekend closest to the 31st.

Incidentally Haunted Host, I have a bumper sticker on my car (orange VW bug with black rag top) that says the same thing as your (late) sign. I actually bought the sticker before I bought the car, and saved it 'til I found my orange VW.

I live on the outskirts of a large college campus and am always paranoid a drunken student will decide to have some late night fun with my props so I usually put the majority of my stuff up a couple nights before. I'll keep a few of my smaller items up all month, however, but very close to the house.

I live in a smallish town in Canada and I haven't had any issues with stolen stuff so far. I will put stuff out a week or so in advance. I think store bought props are a little more tempting, but for some reason i feel my home made grave yard stuff is safer as everyone will know where it came from...

When I lived in Clearwater, I had a fog machine stolen from my back porch. I was in the kitchen at the time, winding down for the night. I happened to see a shadow go across the wall and saw a kid unplugging it. He tucked it under his arm and attempted his escape. I quickly ran to the sliding glass door and yelled at him. It had been drizzling off and on the entire day, and I had a pool in the backyard and it's concrete foundation and rim got very slick after a rainfall. As the kid tried to book it out of there he slipped up and hit the ground very hard. My fog machine was fine, but the kid (who turned out to be the next door neighbor's grandson visiting from Wisconsin) broke his wrist. Needless to say, I didn't press charges or anything and knew he was getting shipped back home the following week in a cast. Ever since then I've been pretty paranoid about my stuff, but thankfully haven't had anything damaged or stolen since.

I live in a large suburb of Philadelphia. I start at the beginning of October with the cemetary fence. The next weekend, I add the tombstones and the hanging props. Two weeks before the big day, I put out the animations. The night before the big night, I spend putting out the final touches-disposable spider webs, splashes of fake blood, etc... Motion sensing lights and a 110 pound dog deter vandalism and theft.

i live in a part of the town that is quiet in fact my street is almost all retired people but last year i put things that were not to expensive for 3 days before the 31 and the only thief i saw trying to steal my tombstones was the wind heavy wind each time i was looking outside i was missing one who had end up at the end of the street on the front lawn of some neigbour that i don't know but this year i will not put my expensive one away from the porch .

I live a small/medium subdivision about 80% kids are around 1-7 years old.........So I wasn't to concern about stealing. I set up Halloween stuff (tombstones, lights, grimreaper, hay, and cornstalks) about week before Halloween and the animations/expensive decorate on the 31st. Last year was alittle different because my sister was sick and had surgery in mid-October. I had to set up my stuff early.........Like 3 weeks early. I got home 2 days before Halloween and nothing was stolen just the wind took some of the tombstone which I found.