A few years back I got an idea from here about some trophies. You get a wooden candle stick from joanns (they are around 2-3$), those small plastic pumpkin that look like smaller versions of the large ones for candy, gold spray paint and letter stickers. You glue the pumpkins to the candlestick and spray paint it gold. then you put the stickers on to read "best costume" or whatever you want. They ended up looking really cool and it was cheap to make.

Last year we got a medium sized bottle of vodka for the grand prize of best costume and for worst costume we bought some nasty candy and odd things from dollar tree (tampons, mary janes, a spaghetti strainer, etc.)

My guests were being a little unfair though and voted one of the hostesses best costume or putting people's names down who werent even there. Its hard to get them to take it somewhat seriously!

Sorry, I don't have a pic as of yet, but I bought mummy trophies from Ross' Dress for Less yesterday for $2.99 each. They are about 10" tall and they look like mummies only the face shows and it is a "glow in the dark" skull head. They are on a stand and look just like a mummy trophy. There is a place on the front of the base to write or label make a name. Really cool!

Hey, Selz! If you like I would be willing to donate a murder mystery game gift certificate for the game of the winner's choice to your prize basket! If you're interested send me an email at mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com

I LOVE your prize baskets. I especially love the Vampire wine... I'm going to keep an eye out for that this year for my own prize baskets!


Leigh Clements
The Mystery Maiden
Shot In The Dark Mysteries.com

I also am doing prize baskets after having seen Selz's. Does that offer of gift certificates extend to everyone?

-handy_haunter

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~I'm going to eat your brains and steal your knowledge.

Wow, thats a really cool offer, thanks only downside is I'm in the UK, so might be a bit awkward, but thanks so much for the offer!



I have just put all of the prizes out on the table, and the baskets are in the garage in the process of being sprayed black. It's looking good

Word is out about the date of our party, and that there are prizes for the best costumes, so I'm expecting a good show this year

Thanks everyone for the ideas!

How do you determine who should win the awards? Do you have a box and let your guests write in their favorites?

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O.K I am sure lots of you have thought of this but I had a 'AhHa' moment.

I have been looking for Cheap baskets to Spray paint black for the Prize baskets and have not found any good sized ones for under $4.

In stead I bought Halloween Bowls...Duh, Found some cool ones for $1 and picked up the big clear plastic bags 2 for $1.

Like I said I Know most of you have already thought of this, but just in case there is someone out there like me who gets an idea in their head (Baskets gotta find Baskets) sometimes there is some other item that might work just as well if not better.

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Man cannot live on bread alone.... (unless he is in a cage and that is all you feed him.)

Bbshop, that is exactly how I do the voting. I print up ballots on parchment paper with the different categories and set them out beside the ballot box. At midnight I announce that it's time to start the voting and that votes will be counted at 12:30.

I finally got my prize baskets together for this year. There's one for the Best Overall Costume winner and one for the Best Pumpkin. They consist of a book (Field Guide to Monsters in one, Pocket Book of Death in the other), a movie (holographic cover Carrie and Misery), a spiderweb pillar candle, a spiderweb candle holder, a bag of Monster Mash Jelly Bellies, and a bag of black and white striped candy sticks (blackberry flavor).

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Brains for every single meal....why can't we have some guts?!

http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r124/rikkialittle/

I'm in kind of a rut when it comes to prizes, I'm a movie nut as well as a Halloween nut, so I usually go with movies for prizes. They always have something to do with the theme, like this year they will be 80's movies.

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Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

We're doing a contest for the first time this year. I'm planning to do gift baskets too. I'm planning to do a mix of halloween sweets and some great seasonal Lakefront Brewery beers. I was going to get some vampire wine and black cat reisling, but I realized Pumpkin Lager and Oktoberfest would give me more bang for the buck and be more popular besides.

I still have to buy the booze and pick up baskets from the local goodwill which I will spray, time depending. I'll throw in some fake mice, bugs, vampire fangs, etc. that I've picked up as I did the halloween shopping this year. Horror movies and glow sticks are a great idea! I may have to make another stop at Wal-mart and the dollar store.

Our party is in less than a week. I better get my butt in gear!