I always give the in-store used props a free pass because they're on 8-10 hours a day, 7 days a week for over a month, their buttons being punched over & over again by everyone that passes. Those props aren't meant for that kind of usage.

I use several props that are "indoor only" but I only put that stuff out on just Halloween night.

I don't dig the whole Zombie Baby thing either, I don't own any (though I almost bought a werewolf baby last year because he was too kewt!) but they have their uses & appeal.

 

while i like going into spirit to see what tney have, I really have been let down over the last few years. I really am not into the zombie babies and that seems to be all they've had the last few years. last year I was excited to see more than just zombie babies but it was all cheap looking, and very clearly plastic. I mean, the display of the graveyard angel (which i was first excited to see) was so bad that the display was falling apart in the store.

Not only that, but basically all of their props (or at least any I like) aren't safe for outdoor use sooooo that nixes them right away for me.

 

They should have year-round holiday stores where you can buy everything for every major holiday. With Halloween having the largest selection of course!

 

Growing up in the 1990s, I don't remember any Halloween specialty shop. Then one opened in the mall around Halloween (though, it was mostly costumes) and it was down right amazing. Spencer's then started stocking Halloween stuff in the early 00s (before they went all out on Spirit stores) and it's grown exponentially since. Now, every Halloween, there's a handful of Halloween stores (Halloween City, Spirit and a couple others) that operate in my city. So, the market has certainy grown the last ten or so years and I hope it only keeps growing.

As for Spirit directly, I'm digging their props this year.

 

As someone who was maybe in 2nd grade when I went to Disneyland, I was disappointed in how fake a lot of it seemed. I was old enough to know it wasn't real, the western area didn't look like real rock to me, that was not a real submarine, and well Space Mountain was all hollow inside! I enjoyed Haunted Mansion and liked a number of things in it but knew things weren't real either. Didn't know how they did it (Peppers Ghost for example) but knew there was some visual trick going on. Not scared in the slightest. So even back decades ago I guess I was jaded. Now just think of how kids today live and how they perceive things. And thanks to a lot of computer generated visuals, vacuform molding etc. , things look a lot more realistic than they did when i was a kid, and as others have pointed out so do the decorations and props (which was all of a jack o lantern and skeleton). BTW I thought the store bought costumes looked fake too so preferred to dress up and use makeup...one year remembering dressing up as a hobo. No little princess for me.

I love making my pilgrimage to Spirit Halloween, scoping out the new props in action, and formulating purchasing plans from my wishlist. I tend to buy a few things every year from SH. I don't think I have ever bought anything above $150 propwise and quite honestly for our set up never would. Love to look at the higher end professional haunt props but look is as far as it will ever get. Being heavy duty as well they don't exactly store as well either. When it comes down to it, it is still a night of make believe to me! And just as much fun if not more on this end of the trick or treating I might add.

 

Interestingly, around here my experience was the opposite. The Spirit store had the better selection, plus they go to more trouble with setting up the store. Going in a Spirit store was more of an experience, I love the displays. Like CaliforniaMelanie, I go into these stores as much for getting in the mood as I do to shop. The other stores just don't seem to go to as much trouble with set-ups.

 

Christmas two weeks ago, heck - there was a Christmas in July special on QVC or one of those channels (don't remember which one, I was just flipping past).

H'ween does indeed have a very short (mass) selling season.

 

I agree with what everyone is saying about Spirit's biggest asset being that it's part of the Halloween experience for us. I watch their site like a hawk waiting for the stores to open and go into them several times each year, but only because it's part of "the ritual" for me. I only buy things when I have a coupon or on the occasion they actually have a good deal on something.

Also, Spirit stores used to be WAY worse as far as the cost/quality ratio. Their stuff used to be insanely overpriced garbage but they've raised the bar in the past 10 years, so now it's only kind of overpriced, slightly sub-par merchandise hahaha.

 

Also, Spirit stores used to be WAY worse as far as the cost/quality ratio. .

Everything did! Oh gracious. Remember the vinyl "apron" style costumes with hideous painted cheap-o masks? We used to think those (which are actually classics now, naturally!), a cool bucket (or more usually, a plastic ToT bag decorated in an H'ween theme) and Brach's Mellocremes equated to a good holiday selection.

We really are looking at the season from our own expectations and our own creativity, not seeing some new decline...IMO. If anything, the pickings are amazingly huge and quite detailed - and yeah, less flimsy - compared to yesteryear, even in Walmart, forget about superstores with thousands of selections like Spirit. And yes, decor has improved in quality, drastically. We today see a pole with a little material flying around and two LED lights that we don't feel look realistic enough, I see something pretty darned sweet-looking compared to cardboard cutouts or an unnatural-looking $2.50 devil mask propped up on the porch.

And yes, even comparing just a few years ago to the latest selections, Spirit does seem to have some really fun new releases. (Again, can't speak for the other stores as I haven't checked online and don't usually have them around me to scout out.)

I'm not trying to completely negate your observations, OP, of course critiques will always make a difference to haunters. ETA: and, oh yeah, I'm not trying to lecture. I was lectured recently (not on here) on my lecturing! Not my intent. Just pointing out that the overwhelming majority of H'ween shoppers are not looking for props that will last them the next 5-10 years. They're just glad if their stuff lasts out the night, then it pretty much goes in the trash or gets stuffed in the back of the garage with the vague thought of taking them out next year. For an animatronic, as long as it moves and is scary in darkness which covers any unrealism and gets a few good scares (or at least yelps of surprise) is generally the goal. We are just...different from the norm.

 

RCIAG - you are so right about Christmas starting two weeks ago. I went into the local Hobby Lobby to look for some paint to make some lanterns with, and they were already putting up Christmas stuff. Say what???!!!!!! Yes...Christmas trees and stockings. Blugh.

 

Why not just keep it on the shelves year-round and solve the dilemma of where to store it for all of two months (or so it seems)?

Bit of an aside, based on the name - My mother knew someone who had a spider monkey that was either picking at or playing with itself. If Spirit decides to do a zombie one, the latter is probably a feature best avoided

 

So, besides fulfilling that in store experience, Spirit is also a feeder or dare I say Minor League to the Home Haunters here (HF) and else where!
I'll visit 5-6 different Spirit stores every year, to see what is being carried, buying with coupons and preshopping for the 11/1.
I think Spirit fills the spot between Mass Merchandisers (pumpkin, tombstone and orange lights) and DIY Halloweeners (many here at HF).
I think their Store layouts/themes are getting better and better each year, their displaying of props. Some are almost mini haunts.
I've got to say I am a Spirit customer and not afraid to admit it.

 

It kinda reminds me of the Metlife commercial where the guy tells Lucy "Everything can't be five cents." They're definitely not going to mark down popular or more expensive props down 50%. If people want it bad enough they will pay full price.

These pop-up Halloween stores won't always have the types of props we diehard home haunters are looking for because we're not their target audience. And I have to say I'm fine with that. I like to go there and check out what they have and gain some inspiration. Just going in with the fog going and creepy music playing is enough for me to get in the spirit!

Are a lot of their props cheaply made and over priced? Absolutely. I'm not planning on shelling out over $200 for a mass produced store-bought prop so that doesn't bother me. But that's just my opinion.

 

These pop-up Halloween stores won't always have the types of props we diehard home haunters are looking for because we're not their target audience.

This is something we forget since we're so into the holiday, this store isn't really for us die-hards. It's for the people looking for a costume & accessories for themselves or the kids, the people having that party that want something to use one night & then store or sell & that's just not us.

Like Rockstar said, I enjoy going in & seeing so much Halloween in general, especially since these days that's the closest you can get to an old school store experience. Nowadays our beloved holiday is pushed aside for Christmas starting 2 weeks ago & by the actual day of Halloween the stuff has all but been relegated to the clearance bin.

So while I may not buy big ticket stuff at Spirit, I like knowing they're out there & they're keeping the "spirit" alive in general.

 

About the 50% off thing: except for freaks like us, LOL, Halloween-specific stores aren't seeing a lot of traffic except for that one isolated time period during the year. I would imagine they have to make their bucks fast, or not at all (or practically not at all) for the rest of the year. Sure, in dribs or drabs (online) but nothing like the Halloween season itself, when people who really aren't into making props and perhaps are just buying for that one H'ween party or the one night need something quick.

People like to mis-quote and mis-quote again a rumor that Halloween is the second largest holiday retail season (in the U.S.), but this is false. Actually, last I checked, Halloween was well down the list, below Mother's Day and even Valentine's Day (believe it or not). I'd have to re-check those stats but I do know the last I checked was only last year. Giant retailers are going to go for cheap, quick, and saleable "generalized" items if they want to move their H'ween items (and many years don't even then, as evidenced by products coming back the next year). At least if they want to stay in business. I'm not defending markups, but once again...these are businesses we're talking about here. They have to make a profit, or they're gone.

I'm glad that you found better offerings at HA and HA, but I wonder how long that will last. They too need to stay in business and generally (not always, I know) that means going for the cheapest manufacturing methods possible while attaching a markup. That's just the evolution (de-volution?) of many big chains. As their size begins to approach Spirit's (or if), you may start to see lesser quality...or, as is my case, you may simply start to get dissatisfied as you will see them rolling out the same old things in ensuing years and because you are focusing so intensively on quality and on the holiday itself, unlike the average consumer who is just looking for a little fun and maybe a scare or two on one day a year.

I'd like everything I love to be 50% off. But honestly, if the world were that way then everything would just start out being marked up 50% in addition to the standard markup. Honestly, these ARE businesses and in order to stay in business they have to make money. So I get that not everything can be had at a steal. For the average person who is just looking for basic H'ween decor, and not looking to deck out the entire yard and inside of the house, that's much more easy to swallow - and that IS the average person (v., again, obsessed individuals like ourselves, LOL). For the rest of us, well, as you say, that's why we build our own props and/or "spook up" standard/general offerings. But that's just us. We are not the majority. (And don't you like it that way? I love being different.)

That said, thank you for the review and the recommendations. Those we can always use around here.

 

Hmmm...well, I never know whether the stores are getting more "bland," or whether it's just because I concentrate so intensively on Halloween that I'm always trying to raise the bar.

I think any store of pretty much any type will have lots of leftovers from previous years, a lot of items that are more across-the-board "appropriate" to the holiday (in order to reach the widest audience for potential sales) and will not necessarily be able to raise that bar in the way that someone who is seriously into a specific theme or holiday will do on a personal level.

Personally, I just love visiting the H'ween stores because doing so gets me in the mood for H'ween. I think Spirit does offer tons of stuff so I'm not going to knock it. I just love getting into the "H'ween mood" by stepping into a store that's all about H'ween. I don't necessarily buy when I go in (though I sometimes do), but I definitely am glad these stores exist.

As for HA and HE, once in a blue moon we'll get an HE set up around here but not often. Most years, I don't see one at all. If you're referring to online purchases, again, my favorite part is being IN the store so I just don't generally shop those places.

 

this year they seem to be better I love some of their new props I guess they listen to their customers afterall.

 

Sychoclown, I saw that rocking granny at Halloween Express I wasn't impressed either. They had it at 400.00 and it was available for 200.00 the day after halloween. I went back at 8 at night and they were still open I should have offerered a hundred for it lol.
Yours must look awesome though! It def ain't the good ole days I guess we are gonna have to rely on ourselves more and more unless we want to pay for real high quality animatronic and detailed stuff

 

Well technically I think I was promoting the good things about Halloween Annex and Halloween express while comparing them to Spirit so i think I got that at least somewhat covered. And all three are relevant in this discussion.
I also think that props are obviously marked up to begin with so if Spirit wants to make money maybe they should lower their prices on their subpar props and maybe the knowledgeable public would be more willing to fork over some money. Or offer a better product. If they did I wouldnt mind paying full price for some things before Halloween. I just feel like they are becoming too generic but then again, we arent their target demographic. Im sure alot of us wait for the 50 percent off to come into play because the economy isnt what it used to be has well. And honestly looking at the majority of spirits props, I say to myself "ehh it isnt worth it I can wait to see it at 50 percent off"

 

i agree with you 100 percent

 

I couldn't tell whether the store sucks or I've just outgrown the cheap props . Could be a combination of both . I've made Stolloween type pumpkins that blow away anything you can find in a store , I made a rocking granny for under 100 bucks. I don't get a thrill from walking into any Halloween store anymore. I remember a few years ago Spencers would have some really cool stuff that you could get for 75% off after Halloween. Those were the good ole days.

 

If you're so disappointed in Spirit, why have a thread about them....wouldn't it be better to have a thread promoting the good things at Halloween Annex and Halloween Express.

And what's the deal with everyone thinking we're entitled to buy props at 50% off? Maybe they have the same stuff because the logistics are already in place, whereas they're not making enough profit to invest in new products because so many people feel they're entitled to buy it at 50% off.