[ChangedReality]

I've been going through Ebay the last several days (since I can't find anything on craigslist nearby) and I'm frustrated... everything is either something too cheap/cute looking for me or is too expensive or just... I dunno...weird. Honestly, there's nothing really in the stores nearby, there's nothing that I see on ebay as of the moment... it's enough to drive me up the walls! I have all this energy channeled towards Halloween and nothing to do with it. ...I even called the local park commission to volunteer to help out and they told me to call back mid October... MID October???? /end rant

 

[Madame Leota]

Do you have a Dollar Tree near by? I stopped in today and picked up a few tombstones, some decent sized skulls, and some tiny skeletons. Of course, everything was a dollar a piece! That helped my mood tremendously! And they are all basic pieces that can be made into lots of different things when the mood strikes. Last year, I took a bunch of those skulls along with some plastic bones and orange lights, and made it look like I was burning them in my fireplace. It turned out to be my favorite thing last year and I didn't even plan it.

If all else fails, turn down the a/c real low, grab a quilt and some hot cider, snuggle up and watch your favorite Halloween movie - guaranteed to get you in the spirit!

 

[Ghost of Spookie]

ChangedReality you need to find some props you want to build. Until your stores have stuff to your liking, find something you'd like to create. If you're thinking about a prop, look for a good head mask to start off with. Maybe you'd like a butler or a vampire maid to greet your company when they come over but don't want to spend the big bucks even if you find one you like. If you look at most of the stuff it's pretty inexpensively constructed. Sometimes PVC pipe and foam tubing. Once you have the frame constructed all you need to do is outfit it with a costume and some hands and feet. If you really get into doing this you can take it from a static prop to one with some animation, like glowing eyes or more.

When things are slow I find it's a good time to do some planning or building or researching. Have you thought about music or sound tracks you want to use. Carve some Funkin foam pumpkins you can use in your apartment or balcony looking in on you (I remember you said there wasn't anything really to look out at).

You can always turn your funkin into a scarecrow or Pumpkinrot (underscored text is a link you can click on BTW if you didn't know this) later. BTW paper maché is inexpensive to do, you can turn out some fantastic creations, as evidenced by many halloween sites like Pumpkinrot's, Dead Spider's, Stolloween's to name a few.

Maybe you can see if there are any haunts planned for your area and you could help with some of the construction of it. Great way to learn some new skills and they probably can use more help.

September is almost here and I'm sure you'll see more stuff out on the shelves real soon.

 

[TK421]

I don't know what kind f store you have in your area, but I am seeing more and more Halloween merchandise on the shelves. Party City has updated their web site and they're putting up all of their Halloween stuff in the stores. Oriental Trading Company is also putting up a lot of their Halloween stuff on their web site (and you can usually get a deal with online coupons like free shipping, or 20% off your order).

After Labor Day, more of the "big box" stores will be putting their stuff out. In fact, I was just at Target yesterday and they are starting to put their Halloween stuff out, too!!

Long post/short: Check online stores like OTC, Terry's Village, and Rhode Island Novelty for fun Halloween stuff, and rest assured the big stores will be putting their stuff out soon.

 

[runswithvampires]

i havent seen much halloween stuff at the stores over here.. and i'm on the same boat have all these things i want to make and cant even find the most basic of things.

 

[FirstSpartan]

I hear you rant and feel your pain mate. I think Ghost has a great point, channel that frustration into creating something just to your liking!