Thread: Do-ahead vs. Last Minute

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I have always put up and taken down my Halloween display within 24 of TOTing. However, THIS year, while I'll be home for TOT night, I will have to work on the days before and after. I am not sure about what to put out...what might walk away ...and what doesn't stand up well to the elements.

So for you folks that put your displays up early in October, what advice do you have for this first time early-bird decorator?

i usually put out grave yard/fence, power cables and audio cables, lighting, standard display stuff. then the day of i put out the props, signal cable, foggers, hi end lighting. etc

i wouldn't put out anything that cant get wet or anything that could be sold in a pawn shop

Basics out early (fence, tombstones, lights) and the actual full display (animatronics and such) go out day of, and come in with me when we're done for the night.

I don't leave anything out that I would be heartbroken to lose.

I have wondered the same thing!I am in a new house and there have been some break-ins over the past couple of weeks in the surrounding neighbhood. Would it be strange to put a sign to the effect that there is 24 hour video surveillance on the property? I dont want to sound nuts, but am worried things will be taken-and I want to have things out all the month of Oct. On a side note, DH owns a seciruty company, so its not altogether strange for us to put a sign like that up.

Like the others, we generally put up the things that you wouldn't expect to sprout legs early (late September). We add a little more to it every week because we've been told over and over by people that they purposely come by our house every few days just to see what we've added. We get a ton of foot and car traffic during October with people stopping to point, smile and take photos.

But we always have everything, and I mean EVERYTHING gone by sunup November 1. We feel that it adds to the magic of Halloween. By Halloween day, every inch of our yard is in full haunt. The next day, it's like it never happened.

My best advise as far as setting up early is to buy one of those faux security cameras. They're really cheap and even have the little flashing LED to make it look real. That along with a security sign makes for a good deterrent to thieves and vandals. I'm even thinking of adding a motion detector light this year. Those aren't expensive at all.

I'm thinking of setting up the basic setup on Oct. 1. Maybe near Mid september i will start displaying the animatronics. Maybe we will either chain them up, or move them inside every night. I don't know if all that moving will damage them though. I want to be sure to display the animatronics not only on Halloween day because they are the crowd hoarders.

I chain things down, that way it is at least hard for items to walk off. Plus it helps keep stuff in the yard if there is a lot of wind.

I guess with all the horror stories you here about props disaperings it kinda worries me tp out anything early. I don't think I should have to go out and spend a ton of money on chains,locks,fencing and all that other stuff. Plus where I live, the weather could change at litterley ANY minute from a cool day to a blizard. So I'll map it out where I want everything on a nice day and do a quick set up, then for the big night, I'll just start putting my display up.

It really just depends on comfort level of where you live. We've always put up the full graveyard early October. We've never had anything taken - but each year I think, "this is the year". We don't put anything out that is expensive, although any of our graveyard stuff taken would be heart breaking since we've made it all.

Halloweenrocks08 - I'm in Colorado too. We've had years where you could barely see the headstones because of the snow The biggest thing here is making sure everything is secure because of the wind.

Our graveyard is just too much work to wait until last minute to put up. The mausoleum alone takes up quite a bit of time. The neighbors like to see what we are going to add, etc.
And like Cassie, the next day it is gone!

I put out a small display early in October, then the week of halloween, tear it all down, mow the lawn, and start setting up for real. Too much stuff to do it in a day.