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I admit it, I'm an inflatable junkie!

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#21 ·
Scatterbrains said:
How much money do you want to spend on electricity? That's how I would look at it.
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Good point.

That's one good thing about inflatables, they still look good in the daytime, more or less.I don't know if the pumpkin I'm getting would since it's got a projection involved, same for the ones with the special lights like the fire & ice spots, but for the most part, they work day or night.
 
#23 ·
Scatterbrains said:
Confession: I have had a 4-ft inflatable on my roof for years riding in his sleigh. I plug him in the day after Thanksgiving and only turn him off if the wind or snow has dislodged him from his perch.
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haha Now we are seeing a whole other side of you Scatterbrains. :)
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
Love the Santa in the sleigh.

I don't leave mine plugged in all the time, just early morning & during the evening. It does look tacky with them laying flat during the day but most of the people stopping by come in the evening. If you don't want the grass to yellow, remove them during the daytime or not set them up until a couple weeks beforehand. Plus if you have other decorations set up around the inflatables, it gives people something else to look at while they are unplugged. Yes, they need to be dry before packing away & I don't run them during rain. If you have a yard without much grass, high winds all the time, or get lots of rain I can see where they would be kind of bad to set up. Never have noticed that much of a difference in the electric bill, but then after paying for A/C for 3 months of temperatures in the 90s to over 100, it isn't so bad. They will get dirty even if you are careful. The biggest trouble I've found is if the fans aren't strong enough to fill them up if they are older. Seams are easy to repair with thread & needle. I also stay away from any of them that are over 9 feet tall & skinny.
 
#25 ·
Hilda said:
The manufacturer suggests they not be run 24 hours a day.
I will be honest, and say that I can't stand how dirty and twisted and sometimes ripped they get from inflating and deflating (at least on my rugged terrain, I don't have a manicured lawn I am placing them on). So I wait until two weeks prior to Halloween. They are the very last decorations to go up and then I plug them in and let them run 24/7 for 14 days. Then they are the first things to get unplugged, dried out and packed away.
It's funny how 'loud' it is out there during those two weeks. LOL :D
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I had mine on outdoor timers along with all the lights and anything else that ran on electricity. True, when they are deflated they look lame but with the wind and the rain, they stay nicer. Of course we have to tether them down and it looks like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade when they are going up but it works.
 
#27 ·
CHEFJULI said:
I had mine on outdoor timers along with all the lights and anything else that ran on electricity. True, when they are deflated they look lame but with the wind and the rain, they stay nicer. Of course we have to tether them down and it looks like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade when they are going up but it works.
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I think a lot of it depends on location too. Up here in the northeast. I find letting them lay on the ground, especially on leaves (if they are at all damp) can really stain the fabric too.
 
#29 ·
You all have some fabulous inflatables! I guess I am an inflatable junkie too.
I think they have their place in every haunt. Just an idea...we had several air walkers made. (inflatable costumes where you look just like an inflatable) mixed them in with the regular ones and they will produce quite a scare when they follow a person.
 
Discussion starter · #30 ·
Saki.Girl --- That dragon is huge! Glad you are happy with it. I wish I had bought the smaller one to go with my larger like yours, but maybe Gemmy will come out with another smaller version.

Hilda --- Good to know I need to keep the falling leaves cleaned up otherwise they'll stain my inflatables. I usually don't have that problem, but will have the leaf blower handy just in case.
 
Discussion starter · #32 ·
Unless you can find one at a garage sale or on Craigslist, the only option I know about would be eBay (& top dollar price most of the time). Keep in mind if the inflatable has had a lot of use, the extra large haunted houses/castles may need an additional fan added or use PVC pipe cut to size to support the corners from the inside. Fairly windy where I am & having the PVC pipe added much needed stability. It is also best if you've got another person or two to help you set it up as it is was difficult to do by myself. Good luck finding the one you want.
 
#33 ·
Our spider has been around years and years .. He hangs out on the cottage roof. His head rotates back and fourth and his eyes glow at night. Everyone loves him .. He looks like he's stalking unsuspecting joggers to hop on for a quick meal.






This year these guys are going on the big house .. Click on pic for video.

 
#34 ·
I recently bought an entire collection of Halloween inflatables. The kids love them and really they are a fantastic addition to a "non scary" Halloween display. I think my favorite has to be this M&M store display promotional inflatable that was not sold to the public. I will clean him up a bit this week and he will take his stage for the year

Image
 
#37 ·
My 4 yr old is corrupting me! ;) He loves inflatables, and wants to buy most that he sees. He also loves Snoopy, so when he saw this older Snoopy inflatable at Goodwill, I didn't have the heart to say no. So now we own two Halloween inflatables. I am considering amassing a small collection of them in case I'm ever not able to put out my regular decorations. I believe that someone here suggested that--thank you!

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(somehow, I managed to name this file "blowmolds" instead of inflatables...oops!)
 

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#40 ·
I think there has always been a stigma on inflatables that they are "less" Halloween but I cant see why. I am a blow mold decorator primarily and occasionally use inflatables. I think they accent displays nicely and add a larger than life presence. In fact I now use a giant pumpkin man as a beacon to call in TOTs from far away. For many people who decorate to scare or spook inflatables would not work for them but for those who want to light up their spooky fun displays they are perfect. I have to say I am really wanting those Dragons now that I have been seeing them.
 
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Bard A Madsen
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