When do you do your Halloween shopping?

I'm with Deadview, I shop all year round. Typically during the "off' season, I scour estate sales and tag sales. The holiday decor is usually pretty cheap and I can get it even cheaper if I just ask and throw a price I'm willing to pay. The people running the sale are looking to 1. get rid of as much as possible and 2. they focus on selling the big ticket items, since they usually take a 20%-30% cut. They really don't care too much about the holiday decor, they just want it out. I start stalking the stores in September. I go into Spirit once, on November 1st and buy the half off stuff that is left. I also hit just about every other store in the first week of November to see what is on clearance.
I really have to say that estate sales are my favorite though. I have found amazing items at a lot of them.

I've picked up things all year round since I also like to set the scene. Some years the money runs out to do much day after shopping and sometimes even month of shopping but that's OK. Unless it's a big item or something I wanted all season and held off buying because of other priorities, I don't care much. Early on I found that I would be enticed to buy a lot of small things on great clearance that I really never used so kind of a waste of money and sucker of storage space. Probably end up donating some of these things down the road.

I will go and check out SH the first day I can get there and come up with a wishlist, usually a few items, sometimes big, sometimes small (loved the attic lights and fire and ice spot lights last year for example). I'll use my coupon thanks to signing up to their site and promos mentioned on here. I have gotten some nice items day after but it really depends on what I need now. Passed up some nice things that just didn't fit my themes. But doesn't hurt to look and it's kind of my way of saying goodbye to another year.

I guess I also tend to check out GR's offerings starting what, June or July timeframe, and beyond. Pick out anything that i think will sell out early if I really like it. Sometimes you can get lucky holding out for a good sale or free shipping offer but other times you miss out...thinking the lady in black for example. One year prop that sold and out and didn't return. Win some and lose some. Never found e bay to be a deal on stuff afterwards.

I like to wait for the annual rummage sales held as fundraisers by local high schools and churches. There is so much to choose from, like a hundred yard sales all in one spot. And I always find stuff to make into props. Like my $4 clown car, clothes for my skellies, actual Halloween décor, and a whole lot of luau party decorations that I am using this year for our Forbidden Tiki Island theme.

I hit up Spirit and Big Lots after Halloween last year and found some cool additions. A skull stack that attaches to the fog machine and a haunted candelabra from Spirit, and from Big Lots some skulls and six large snakes.

Home Goods usually has some great items for indoor decorating, so I check them out in July/Aug. After that, it is almost too late; the good stuff is all sold out.

Dollar Tree all year round for projects, but I will check there in July too. And CVS carried some fun props last August? as well, so they may be worth checking again.

Trying to scale way back on the purchasing this year, so July and August will be tough - trying to resist all the new offerings! But like someone else said, it is fun just seeing all the Halloween out in the stores.

So much of our stuff is DYI so I guess I never stop shopping. I will look at what's in the stores when the new stuff comes in to borrow their ideas, maybe if it's priced right or is special in some way I might buy but otherwise I'd do it at home or hope it's still around for the after sales. Michael's, usually with a coupon, JoAnn fabric again usually with a coupon, Dollar Tree, Home Depot/Lowe's, sometimes Big Lots, even the wrecking yard (nice place to find wiper motors and door latch activators) are my go to places. Freecycle.org and Craigslist are great places to make free or almost free finds - pallets, foam, old wood, paint, stains. I've noticed that the thrift/second hand stores like Value Village and Goodwill at getting a little pricey with their stuff but some good finds can still be made. Yard/garage sales, heck a couple of my best finds were at a church sale, got to love the end of the day sales when it's what ever you can fit into a bag for a $1. No one wants Halloween stuff in the middle of July.... well I do.