Thread: First Halloween sighting in stores...

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Originally Posted by Baron Samedi

You guys have Aisles full of halloween stuff?....In June?
We're lucky if we've got one shelf full of cheap plastic kiddie crap before mid October.

I'm sorry to hear that! Some of the stores here have multiple aisles, not until after the 4th though. And a lot of them don't start putting stuff out until school starts back and they can get rid of the school suppies. But you can always count on Michael's, Garden Ridge, and the Dollar Tree to start early!

I remember that last year I went to Michael's on 4th of July weekend and bought all the new Spooky Town pieces I was wanting with 50% off coupons.

I keep wondering just how many Halloween items the stores will actually stock this year.
Seems like the past two seasons (maybe even longer) the retail stores have been stuck with quite a bit of merchandise after the Holiday has passed. Good for ME, bad for THEM.
Then add the current condition of the economy, it just makes me wonder.
Hopefully, I'm wrong!

Originally Posted by Pumpkin Torture Guy

Does anyone know if there are any Nichael's in Indiana and if so, where. I need some crows.

There was always one in the northern part of Greenwood right off US31 but I have no idea if it is still in business. We only get ads from them at xmas time.

Originally Posted by DaveintheGrave

I keep wondering just how many Halloween items the stores will actually stock this year.
Seems like the past two seasons (maybe even longer) the retail stores have been stuck with quite a bit of merchandise after the Holiday has passed. Good for ME, bad for THEM.
Then add the current condition of the economy, it just makes me wonder.
Hopefully, I'm wrong!

I have to agree with Dave. I don't think there will be quite the amount of stuff this year! I think all the retail stores will be a bit pessimistic this year with their ordering. I also think Christmas (sorry for that word) will be "not so good" this year as well.

Thank God for Thrift stores! They have it up all year round!

Originally Posted by DaveintheGrave

I keep wondering just how many Halloween items the stores will actually stock this year.
Seems like the past two seasons (maybe even longer) the retail stores have been stuck with quite a bit of merchandise after the Holiday has passed. Good for ME, bad for THEM.
Then add the current condition of the economy, it just makes me wonder.
Hopefully, I'm wrong!

It's a good point, Dave. And one which makes me wonder if we're going to see anything at all this year in the way of commercially available props in the few stores that do occasionally stock them on this side of the pond.
As Halloween is a very niche market over here, with very very few home haunts, obviously the stores do not import large quantities of anything, which makes what they do import, mega-expensive.
Given the current economic climate, I have the feeling that retailers are going to be reluctant to import high cost items that they are not confident of selling, or may have to sell at a reduced profit margin or even at a loss, post-event.

Nice... I'll have to start poking around the Michaels by work soon!

(in a bad yoda voice)
The last day of school leads to the first day of school
The first day of school leads to Halloween merchandice

So wait.....I am not the only freak out there who is obsessed with Spooky Town. I have around 90 percent of the whole collection minus pirate and mummy themed pieces. I was starting to think I was normal. Glad to see there are other abnormal people out there. The only thing I don't like about Michael's putting their stuff out so early is that by mid-october they start taking it down. It just makes me angry to see that.

Hey Rikki I do the same thing. My friend owns a convinient store so I rob all the Michael's coupons from his papers and purchase all the new Spooky Town in one day. I keep walking out to my car, going back in to a different register.

If I have any pessimism regarding Halloween 2009 merchandise at mass market outlets, it has far less to do with fears that the recession will suddenly put a halt to it, and far more to do with the lack of interesting ideas in Halloween merchandising that I've seen these past couple of years. I have nothing against the airblown inflatables, and in fact I always make it a point to visit the house in my neighborhood that displays at least 30 such pieces during October. These objects are more expensive than other decorations, but they are simple, clean, easy to set up, and huge. If that ease of use and bang for the buck get more people decorating their yards, then that's great. What has always interested me, however, are either new cool ideas or well made basic items. These are what I am concerned we are not seeing enough of. For example, I'd like to go into a Super Target and be able to buy a life-size, realistic plastic skeleton for a reasonable price, or a realistic, battery-operated motion-activated, striking cobra with glowing eyes. SpiritHalloween and Halloween Express have been great, but even they have been recently lacking in the well-made basics and cool new ideas. They need a product line, at one of these larger outlets, that supports the idea of a naughty 12 year old who wants to set up stuff to scare people. Call it Jimmy Hauntsville or something. The packaging would have the flavor of the old aurora Monster Scenes artwork , "Hey kids, get the new JH life size goblin, new for 2009!"

That reminds me, has there been a thread here about what cool new Halloween products have been released each year? What was the NEW thing that everyone had each year? That'd be cool to see. A chronology of Halloween product innovations. What was the year that we first saw the battery-operated fortune teller head, or the silk flame fan cauldron. Etc.

Excitment!!!



Almost time to put my countdown clock outside..as soon as we get to 99 days the countdown will commence...