[Deadview]

I start this post by saying, I have enjoyed this group and the so many comments that I have read, and the many post that I have been a part of. I have been a haunter for over 35 years and a member here for just a few. The help I have gotten has made "Deadview" a very nice success and it has been be cause of all of you. I just retired from my job and now plan on moving to relax and enjoy I'm getting old. It has been a very difficult last year and a half because of personal health issues and a loss very close to me.
Now I will keep watch over the coming posts from all these great members and might comment once in a while but I'm writing this only to ask a question as to what I should. Over all these many years I have accumulated an absolute garage full of props that I have bought and made through these years. My family will not carry on from here so what should I do with everything I have ? There are static props, animated props, tombstones an so many more.
Any of you have suggestions as to how this should be handled ? Do I have the big blow out after Halloween sale, do I just give all the stuff away ? I just don't know what to do after October 31st.
I will post my haunt setup as we put it together this year and I will do my best to video this whole thing because I start the 1st and it will take the whole month to prepare, so thoughts.
My "Deadview Cemetery" best to you all.

 

[Frankie's Girl]

Awww. I hate to hear you're hanging up the keys to the graveyard. I am so sorry for your personal losses and hardships. But you do have to take care of yourself and do what is best, and if that means retiring as an active haunter, then I wish you much rest and happiness with a strong hope you'll still continue to hang out here to comment and joke and share ideas.

As far as your haunt display and props? Oh goodness... I'd likely take some decent pictures and details for the stuff that is really unique and cool and then post that you'll be holding a haunt sale on here and HauntForum (our sister site) maybe the weekend after Halloween this year. I know at least in my area there have been a few haunters that also retired and cleared out their stash of goodies by posting it like a yard sale for the locals, and as you're in a rather large city where I'm pretty sure there are some active haunters in your area, you may be lucky and get a small payback while knowing your stuff is going to folks that REALLY will love what you have.

In the least, you could post on Craigslist, OfferUp, or NextDoor, ask neighbors that decorate in your neighborhood if they'd like a few more decorations (good opportunity to drive around and check out the displays too!). But you'll need to decide if you want to ship things or just hold a local sale.

And finally you could contact local charity that runs a haunt and ask if they would like your display/props and donate them to a worthy cause. Might even be decent enough to get a write off on your taxes depending, but it would be easy if they came to you to pick up.

But I would suggest you hang on to a few of your favorites just in case you want to throw a few things out on your new home's porch or set it up in a corner of a living room... because you'll always be a haunter even if you don't have a formal haunt any more!

 

[Wolfman]

I am approaching the end of the road as well. Next birthday, 67 big ones. Our youngest daughter finishes High School in 4 years. We plan on returning to the South Pacific for my "Golden Years". We have land there, but it is remote. The island, Savai'i, in Samoa, has no Trick or Treat anyway.
I have my eyes on 2 other haunts near us who are eager to "inherit" my props, lights and foggers...So I know they'll be in good hands. But you know what they say about All Good Things.....

All the Best

 

[jdubbya]

Your thread hits home Deadview. Seems a lot of us long time haunters are working on an end game, myself included. Figure I have a few good yeas left before a major scale back and we've kicked around some ideas for what to do with a lot of the stuff. We'll keep enough to do a respectable yard display. It's a small front yard so a dozen tombstones and some static props will work. Likely sell off a bunch of smaller things on Craigslist or on the Facebook haunt pages. I have a few haunter friends who will likely take some of our stuff. If you have a local charity haunt, consider donating some things to them, sell some and make some change, but I agree with keeping a couple nice things "just in case", and you can always find a spot to make even a small display or scene to welcome TOT's on Halloween night. Sorry to hear of your losses and health issues. It's a given however that yours will be "that house" that kids talk about for years and hopefully you've inspired someone else to carry on as a home haunter.

 

[dane82]

as the rest have said, my condolences for your hardships of late. i agree with FG, definitely keep a few things to use at your new place, even if the scale is much smaller. (or who knows, maybe it would be more fun to get rid of it all, and remake anything you want to use in your new digs, ha.)

one suggestion, if your schedule allows it i would consider waiting to decide for sure what you want to do with everything until at least november 1. enjoy the last big one, then figure it all out.

 

[Deadview]

I'm not sure, at this time, what to do with all the props I have. Many in my neighborhood have enjoyed the haunt since I've been here and some know that I will be leaving next year. A couple have said that they want some of my props once this Halloween passes so I'll see what I will do. Thanks FG for your thoughts and I'll be keeping you up to date on everything.

 

[Deadview]

Wolfman, now that is one place I would love to move to. It has been one of my dreams but being able to make the move and affording what it would cost to do so is way out of my price range.

 

[Deadview]

You and I have had some good discussions over the years about our haunts, it's been a joy. I'm posting pictures as I go as to what I've got as they come out of the garage, it's going to be fun and I'm going to make this year my best. Thanks for your kind thoughts and yeah I will probably keep a few pieces.

 

[Deadview]

Thank you dane82, I'm going to have fun this year. It might be the last big haunt and I will be keeping some props. But many have definitely got to go.

 

[Deadview]

This morning I got up, opened the garage door, looked inside and said "wow". Took these pictures. The fence you see is what goes up first every year. Let's the neighborhood know what's coming. As for the fence, there are 30 pieces. 15 fence sections and 15 post. Each fence section is 8 feet long and 3 feet 8 inches high. There is a finial on top of each poll in the sections of fence. The posts I use are 3 feet 2 inches high and I use a piece of 1/2 inch rebar which is 1 foot long that is driven into the ground for support. And so it begins. Now if the weather would just cool off a little.

 

[Jerseyscare]

As different as we Forum Members all are, we are also very much alike and all face that last Haunt.
Through e-bay and craig's list I've bought "normies" Halloween collections, but always ask and suggest they save one or two pieces, just in case.
Some people want to sell all in one lot, but anything over a $2,000 lot needs to be very special and its tough to find a single buyer.
Others have taken over their basement and tagged all items and set up appointments to view and buy.
The third has been single day or weekend yard sales.
Members here have donated to non-profit haunts and or friends and family

I would suggest, posting signage - "THE LAST HAUNT" and collect e-mail lists or post website they can enter contact info, if they are interested in buying or know of others, for a sale at a later date.

If my last Halloween was on a Friday, I'd keep everything out and do a real yard sale the following day. Posting the info weeks in advance.
My downside to that only 1/3 to 1/2 is every outside on any given Halloween. Yes I'm a rotator. (LOL)

Decide what is your goal and follow that, maximize the money, recycle in the community, spread across the country or just get it gone, less to worry about.
No matter what, enjoy 2018!!!

Jeseyscare


I've told my nieces and nephews it's all going to be left to them (all non-haunters).

 

[Deadview]

I'm working on my daughter to take some of the props once I wrap up Halloween this year. She says she will take few things but has no place to put most of it. I will have a sale just got to figure out how to do it since there is so much, as you will see in the coming pictures when I begin my set up. There is an awful lot.

 

[DEADicated]

I wish you all the best in retirement and in health.
While not yet ready to retire, I have had similar difficulties and have thought a lot about my yard haunts future. This Halloween will be my last one with any of my kids home. My youngest will be heading off to college next year so my horde will have flown the coop and my ready supply of help with them. I will not be closing down my haunt for a long while but I will be slowing the pace.
One thought I have had is to payback the members of this site, who have helped me grow and many times I have outright copied, by passing on items I have gathered but at this time know I will not use. Best intentions and all that. My thought was to start a post not to sell items but to give them away, over time,and only charge for shipping. An example would be a half dozen or so blucky skeletons I bought many years ago but have not used since changing over to the now readily available pose-able skeletons. It is amazing what you collect over the decades with the thought " I could use that for Halloween".
Sell, donate or give away, it's all good and I wish you the best.

 

[Deadview]

The fence which surrounds the cemetery came out of the garage and went up today. There are a lot of pieces, but I numbered them all so I know the order in which they go to make it a quick process . Now if the rain would just stop I can decide where the tombstones will go, so I'll start putting stuff up inside the house.

 

[halloweenscreamqueen]

Sorry for your loss Deadview, but congrats on retirement! Hubby and I retired and moved from the Washington, DC area to VERY rural Southern Ohio. I decided to get rid of most of my collection of props as I know that we won't get any TOTers way out here where the owls screw the chickens. Hubby did convince me to keep some of the larger props, including the casket, my skels, and some decorative props we will leave up all year. I ended up selling over $9K worth of great props. And, of course, now I regret selling some things. I also donated a LOT of props, decor, and assorted "Halloween-ey" stuff to Purple Heart.

My best advice is to go through your collection piece by piece and make a list of all of the things that you can't replace (e.g., all those props that never show up on eBay or CL); all of the stuff you made and can make again if you want; all of the stuff you know you can replace (e.g., Dollar Store stuff, skeletons, tombstones, etc.); all of the stuff you can donate or just throw away after Halloween; and all of the stuff that you want to give to someone because you know they will love it as much as you have. All of the stuff you can re-make or replace you should put up on CL or eBay or FB Marketplace or here before Halloween. All of the throw-away stuff should go out into the display and then out with the trash on the 1st or to TOTers on the 31st. All of the give-away stuff should go whenever you see that person. All of the "keepers" should be enjoyed this year, then carefully packed for the move.

Not sure where you're moving to or what your situation might be when you get there, but don't do what I did. I felt like I had to get rid of props I loved because it "shouldn't" be moved (too expensive, too much of a pita to pack, or whatever) and then regretted it. I also felt like, since I wasn't going to have any TOTers, that my haunting days were over. Wrong again! My neighbor has a camper that gets decorated for Halloween parties and TOTing! And, our local Sheriff's Department has a Halloween party for all the kids in the area! Also, hubby encouraged me to set stuff up in the house because he knows how much I love our high unholy holiday. (Can't do the outside this year because we just built the house, so no yard yet.)

Keep what you love, share the rest. And don't despair, I have a feeling you might share your joy again - maybe just in a different way.

 

[halloweenscreamqueen]

LOL, I was just telling hubby about my post and he said that his best advice is to keep some of the "big" things that are not easy to replace and are those "wow factor" props that everyone loves. That way, no matter where you end up, you'll always have something for in the yard or in the house!

 

[Deadview]

Some inside decorations that I might keep. Setting up inside since it's raining outside.

 

[Deadview]

Some of the big stuff I could possibly keep but again it's finding a place to put it later would be the issue.

Now why I'm Punpkin Creep is sideways is new to me since each time I try to correct it to right side up just doesn't work.

 

[Ghost of Spookie]

First off sorry to see you leaving the active haunter fold. Have enjoyed the photos you have shared but understand completely. The thought of taking this year off and enjoying some haunts on halloween night has been a real strong feeling for me this year. Talked to hubby about it last night and he's fine with it (knew he would be) and thought it was funny when he asked "if we're not home to hand out candy this year how will the kids know not to come up to the house?" LOL. I'm surprised he didn't ask instead about all the things I have bought and have in the wings for what would be this year's theme not getting used. No longer in our early years the thing that bothers me the most is knowing that as each year passes, it will get harder physically to set up. I'm not at your point yet but know at some point in the next 5 years most likely that I will be. I have at least 5 themes I really want to do still. Between a painful achilles heel that came out of nowhere and some other issues I experienced, that 5-year timeframe could even get shorter. Wish I was in my 30s again, but with our current house and all my props, so I could plan for decades of future haunting fun.

I like the idea of posting a sign about Last Haunt Year and taking names of interested parties. Have to keep that in mind. I'd much rather see someone locally make use of some of my favorite items and it would be fun to maybe drive by their house and see the props in use. My haunt friend and I have sometimes joked about being buried with our props, kind of like what happened with King Tut LOL.

The fencing looks great. Hope you have a good turnout and lots of fun this year. BTW how do you get the fence to stay fixed in place? Not obvious. Do you have rebar in the rectangular posts? All I can say is someone is going to love the fencing.

 

[Deadview]

Spookie, the fence is held in place with 1/2" rebar. Six inches is up inside the post and 12 inches in the ground. That was the hardest thing to do years ago. Having to buy the rebar and then cut it to the length I wanted, but it works great and stays in place no matter what kind of weather.
As for the kids in your neighborhood, yep you know they will miss your place this year but I think they'll figure it out next year when you're back up and running. I have tons to put out and will post as I set up, there is so much to do and I will take frequent breaks as needed to not exhaust myself. Those who know me on my street know this will be the best "Deadview Cemetery" I've had and I'm exited.