[Corpsesnight]

I will not be doing a haunt this year do to I am moving pretty far away. Not a bad thing tho. Moving to the country side to a nice farm house with a good bit of land. Tho I have spoken to some of the neighbors and they say they dont get many tots out that way. It sucks so bad I put so much time into my props this year and was so excited to set up my display and now I wont gwt to set it up do to we will be moving the week of Halloween. Pretty bumbed out about all this. I dont know if I will continue to set up a haunt. Very depressed but its a move that has to happen. I dont know what im going to do.

 

[The Auditor]

Sucks about this year. But don't give up on ToTs just because you're in the country. Set up your haunt. Just set aside a parking area, and get the word out to the schools and churches and other gathering spots. If you build it, they'll come.

 

[ALKONOST]

That's a great idea! The first year might be slow but, I bet after a couple of years you'd get quite a few

 

[Forum User]

I'd set up anyway! At least you can enjoy it.

 

[wilbret]

Set it up. Have a party.

We lived in the sticks forever and really never had any trick or treaters. I did it for "ME" and to have a party. We now live in a city with tons of TOTers, but I barely set up due to having 3 kids and no time.

 

[ALKONOST]

you could also put up a sign at the busiest intersection saying "first 20 ToT's get awesome treat bags"

 

[Lil Spook]

we don't get a single tot.... but we throw one hell of a party

we love it. our friends appreciate it - don't give up!

 

[Ghost of Spookie]

Sucks about this year. But don't give up on ToTs just because you're in the country. Set up your haunt. Just set aside a parking area, and get the word out to the schools and churches and other gathering spots. If you build it, they'll come.

Totally agree with this approach. With houses so far apart, I bet the kids would LOVE a place to all congregate, especially if they don't have pumpkin patchs or other events to attend. Great way to meet the neighbors as well. To heck with the unpacking after your move, set up the halloween display and work on the rest afterwards. Put a sign up near the road to "advertise" your Welcome to our Home & Haunt., 10/31 6 pm to 8pm or something like that. If you want to be real neighborly have something like hot cider, coffee and donut holes available for the adults and treats for the kids. Let people mingle and let the kids walk around the cemetary or whatever you do to set up. Everyone will understand you just moved but I'll bet most will appreciate getting to know the new neighbors. It would give you a chance to meet your neighbors and explain that you enjoyed doing this for the kids where you last lived and see how they respond.

I'd also think about making up ahead of time, while you have a bit of time still, a few fliers you could post in a few business around town or in your general neighborhood where parents with kids might see them.

 

[boo who?]

I'd definitely set up some sort of display... certainly not your full collection, but maybe one easy-up/down prop. Whatever it is, it will probably be one of the best things in your area. OR- you can simply do some sort of lighting effect- even if it is a single strobe placed somewhere clever.

If I were only doing ONE thing, one of the easiest and cheapest bang-for-your buck effects would be to simply buy a roll of red plastic sheeting from The Party Store and tack it across EVERY window in your house. Then, leave all the lights on. In a classic farm house set away from other light sources, I can tell you that the effect is quite impressive. Since you'll just be moving in, it would be easy to do.

While I absolutely would never advertise or promise awesome treats, I WOULD go the extra mile with the treats... especially if you aren't expecting many TOTs.

But let me share this cautionary tale with you...

<lights flashlight under chin>

<cue scary music>

I live in a big house at the end of a dead end street out in the country. We would only get 17-25 TOTs at best. So I figured I would provide killer treats to those who bothered to ring my doorbell. Luckily, there was a Big Lots store doing some remodeling- and so they priced their entire toy dept. at 90% off. SCORE! I bought nearly everything they had left and handed out dolls, remote control cars, razor scooters, games, and other cool toys on Halloween. I did this, along with a great big display. The kids participated in a "Fish Pond" game played with Halloween duckies swimming in a huge swirling dry ice caldron.

Well, our house instantly became "THAT" house. The TOT numbers grew so fast that I could no longer afford the lavish treats. Within 3 years, we went from 17 TOTs to 280+... including becoming a stop on a neighborhood hay ride! The local high school only graduates 145 kids- so to have 280+ TOTs is pretty darned impressive out my way.

So be careful what you wish for! But I can attest to the fact that:

If you haunt it, they will come.

 

[Gym Whourlfeld]

My haunt is the world's worst location according to any pro-haunter. In a rural county with only one stop light and maybe 15,000 pop. of mostly retired people, a mile off the main highway, hidden behind the old store front, un-seeable at all until you walk or drive right up next to it, covered by over-grown trees and their limbs and a massive vine twists all over everything to fill in any space left by the trees ,located in a small town of only 1,700 people.
Once they find it and go through, they never forget it. (I see to that!) Ravens Grin Inn-Mount Carroll, Illinois see hauntedravensgrin.com There it is!
Don't get discouraged.

 

[Ghost of Spookie]

Loved your history there Boo Who? Good example of the Build it and they will come.

Corpsesnight, since Halloween is on a Thursday, if you pack a few priority boxes for cooking, clothes, tolieteries, and a few boxes of 1st year halloween items, you can make it thru the first week. Then after halloween you'd have that weekend to work on the rest of the unpacking. I love the sound of your farm house and some property. I sure wish we had more of a lot than we do and glad we moved further from the congestion of the suburb we were in before. Congrats on the new house! Hope you have a fun halloween and meet some nice neighbors. Check back with us.

 

[GobbyGruesome]

Hang in there! Give yourself a bit to digest and I'm sure you'll feel better about it. I think there's lots of good advice here - don't write things off just yet. Could end up being a huge plus in the long run.

 

[xxScorpion64xx]

I hope you figure something out of course well after you settle in maybe next year or later down the road

 

[HarleyQuinn07]

Please please please just do your haunt as you would any other year! Lots of great suggestions for getting the neighborhood to come by, flyers, coffee, donuts, etc! Love the cool toy / good candy, etc idea if you can afford it. I get about 20 ToT max... could even be closer to a dozen but the reality is... I do it for me... and love it! I really hope you pull it off after all the energy it takes to move... we will be "haunting" for you ;-)

 

[SonofJoker]

Don't worry about living in the country man. The past three years, I've barely gotten any tots at all, but I still set up all my stuff because Halloween is my passion. Not decorating would be like not eating a favorite food for a year. It's in your blood man. Like all the great advice already said in this post, you've got a nice bit of land and more room to expand your haunt. Once word gets out the people will come and in time we will all be wowing over your spectacular, creepy haunt much like people going crazy over Haunted Overload. Wish you tons of luck with the move and remember, before you know it Halloween 2014 will be right around the corner.

 

[Living Dead Girl 1031]

we don't get a single tot.... but we throw one hell of a party

we love it. our friends appreciate it - don't give up!

Same with us! We don't get a single TOT but when we have our party our hard work is appreciated and well worth all the time and effort you have put into it! If you love the holiday and it's something you enjoy, do it for yourself

Great ideas from everyone, they are also giving me great ideas once I expand my haunt a little more!!

 

[Corpsesnight]

Thank you all so much for the support. Found out we will close the house October 25th so halloween will happen this year! Ive made flyers and will put them up the day we move in. It wont be the full haunt but it will be the best that area has ever seen! Next year is the year im going to wait for tho. Cuz more land means more props! Plus there are tons of trees and structures around the property and lots of farmers witch means hay bails and corn stocks! May have to make some of the famous pumpkin rots stencils! And another scarecrow is a must! Heck why not 4 or 5 lol sorry very excited about this!

 

[Corpsesnight]

Well found out today we wont be moving! So mt haunt will happen the way I planned!