I'll be selling my entire haunt this year.

**SouthernBelle** · 05-26-2009,05:46 PM

Nah, it's not because of the economy, it's because it is just soooo much work. (As I'm sure all of you home haunters already know.)

If I could leave it up for more than just one night, I'd never part with it. But we plan and build for about 2-3 months prior and then spend 2 days putting everything up and building the haunt rooms, only to have it run for about 5 hours on the big night. I've never been rained out but I think if it happened, I'd kill myself! lol! (I'm just kidding about that part.)

So many people volunteer to be actors in our haunt but as soon as the TOT'rs are gone, so are the actors. Then we spend the next 3 hours bringing everything into the garage and the house and then I (yes, just me, by myself), spend the next 2 weeks sorting everything and labeling boxes.

See what I mean? I'm almost 42 and feel every minute of it ... and then some. lol!

**sambone** · 05-26-2009,07:13 PM

Hey SB, I usually just linger on this site and check out the posts because it puts me in a positive mood looking forward to Halloween. There is a lot of negative crap happening in this world.... gas was 2. 70 today.... wth!
Anyway, I have been looking at your stash and kind of feel guilty because I want some of it! This may be out of line... but what about the people who look forward to what you do and the feeling you get for doing it? I am the local "Halloween guy" and if I didnt do my haunt, nobody would have any where to go, and nobody could replace my haunt and the work that goes into it. My wife and I just had our third child and I will be 40 October 16, I know how you feel! As I linger on this site I see more and more people dropping off!
I just want you to know, I am guessing people really appreciate what you do and I hope you reconsider your choice.
I know it is extremely hard work, and you probably cant think of anyone who would be crazy enough to take your place.
You have been on the site for a long time, it would be a shame to lose you!

**ZombieRaider** · 05-26-2009,07:58 PM

Yeah, I definitely hear that!....I decided a couple months ago that it makes sense to dedicate my one building as the walk through and just leaving everything up year round for many reasons including exactly what you describe....I've got everything scattered in several places in storage so it would actually free all that up if it was set up already in that one location.....I could then see exactly what I have and could get rid of all the stuff that just sits around that isn't going to be used....The building is dark even in the day time with the doors shut so I could see how things are coming along as I work on it anytime of day simply by shutting the doors.....I'm going to do blacklights throughout mounted to the ceiling and just mist everything with flourescent paint that I want to show up classic darkride style....I've got enough pneumatic stuff to do 6 scare zones so I'll be able to mount all that stuff permanent too....At first I couldn't justify dedicating a whole building for 1 night but it dawned on me one day that it's so much more to me than just one night...It's 1 night for EVERYONE ELSE.....To me though, I'm constantly building props, trying new things like a fog chiller 2 weeks ago, basically LIVING Halloween all year and I ENJOY CREATING THIS STUFF which is a whole different reason completely when you think about it....I don't think alot of people put the liesure value they get out of building this stuff which is something no one but us Halloweenies can understand....Creating Halloween props is a whole hobby in itself that can be enjoyed WHENEVER ANYTIME OF YEAR....Having a building already set up where all you do is flip on some switches, turn the sound effects on and put some ice in the bucket leaving you to concentrate on the party itself and the end of the night consists of turning everything off and locking the door seemed like the right solution to me....It will sure help enjoy the big night instead of thinking about the dread of tear down in the back of my mind all evening....ZR

**SouthernBelle** · 05-27-2009,11:20 AM

Originally Posted by sambone

.... but what about the people who look forward to what you do and the feeling you get for doing it? I am the local "Halloween guy" and if I didnt do my haunt, nobody would have any where to go, and nobody could replace my haunt and the work that goes into it. My wife and I just had our third child and I will be 40 October 16, I know how you feel! As I linger on this site I see more and more people dropping off!
I just want you to know, I am guessing people really appreciate what you do and I hope you reconsider your choice.
I know it is extremely hard work, and you probably cant think of anyone who would be crazy enough to take your place.
You have been on the site for a long time, it would be a shame to lose you!

Yep, I'm that "crazy Halloween lady" on 62nd Street! lol I was at a kid's b-day party about 2 months ago and some moms were talking about Halloween costumes and then they started talking about this one house they went to last year in my area and after they started describing it, it hit me ... that's MY house! They couldn't believe it was me; thought for sure it had to belong to some old crazy man or something. Heard alot of compliments that day and some of the kids were asking about this upcoming Halloween so of course, I do feel guilty.

But hey, they will be old and tired someday, too. lol!

**halloween71** · 05-28-2009,10:47 AM

I am very sad about you retiring from the haunt.But I know you have some wonderful peices to sell.Wish you would stay!
And for the record 42 is not old I am 38 so I am protesting that statement LOL.

**yardhauntjunkie** · 05-28-2009,10:01 PM

I have heard of a couple people doing what you are intending to do. I just hope that you have a minor change of heart and try to do a scaled down version. I think this kind of stuff means a lot to people.

**yardhauntjunkie** · 05-28-2009,10:17 PM

Oh and if you quit completely prepare yourself for Halloween night. We stopped doing our haunt after we had done it of 6 years. The first Halloween we didn't have it so many people came to the door and were really bummed, some of the kids were actually kind of sad. Then five years later when we resumed doing a haunt and people still remembered specific things we had done five or more years ago. Hopefully your stuff will find a new home in your area so that it can still be apart of the community.