Halloween Items in Thrift Stores

OK, so the countdown begins today, though I already have some early Halloween-related entries from July and August (see my archives widget).

After reading this blogpost from last year I was compelled to look for unusual items in 

the Halloween section of different thrift stores and to see just how depressing the selection was and what unusual items were thrown in with the Halloween stuff.  Read this entry of mine from August.  This store was one of the first I visited that Halloween items out as early as June.  Other thrift stores began having their out later, mostly toward the end of September.  

One I visit frequently is the Salvation Army Store in Gilroy, California. It's near where I work and I often go after I get off.  One day I saw this rather funny display of  one of those "Computer for Dummies" books placed on a table with Halloween stuff, which oddly included one or two of those purple felt-covered cowgirl hats from the Dollar Tree.  The selection in this area also seemed to mainly include those large plastic pumpkin-shaped treat holders for gathering candy, and those large plastic bowls for storing candy as you wait for kids to knock on the door and beg. I'm sure that placing the computer guidebook among the Halloween stuff was just done by one of those customers who don't like or don't try to put  things back where they found them, but it was rather funny to see!

 

Also at the same store was this display of party supplies and unused mini makeup kits.  Hardly, IMHO, seems like thrift store display; looks more like a messed-up display at a party store.  And some of the items in this display look like ones I used to see sold at Dollar Tree when I was employed there, including the witch makeup kits and a flashlight with a skull head on top. 

The Goodwill store in my hometown Hollister, California has a rather scary display with a larger monster in the store.  I wonder how many kids have been scared by this thing?  

A display of halloween lights and other decorations was strangely cluttered with fake hair extensions and some odd items with the "High School Musical" logo-I'm not sure what those were and why they were among the Halloween crap--just one of those odd things that gets thrown in with Halloween 

stuff.   Several racks of used costumes, used Target brand costumes (most with the Target tag still on and showing the original price--a $39.99 costume being sold for only $5.99 at Goodwill!) used clothing that could be passed off as a cheap costume were around the store.  On one rack  hung a French maid costume with the apron missing, not unusual since used costumes tend to be missing essential pieces, sometimes to the point that you don't know what the costume is supposed to be.  

And  I to laugh at the DKNY tank top placed on the rack alongside the French maid costume.  

And the blue and white dress (In the photo below) looks like it could be passed off as a cheap Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" costume. And just what is that supposed costume to the right of the blue dress?  

A trip to the Gilroy Goodwill store led me to several headless mannequins displaying costumes put together from thrift-store clothing and accessories. These were in the front windows of the store.

 Inside the store were racks of used costumes (similar to those at the Hollister store) as well as more than one display of Target brand pet costumes.  Everything from bumblebees to pumpkins for pets was available.  

This is as many  thrift stores as I have been to as of yet.  I'm hoping to get to a few others before the month is over.   I want to get to the thrift store called Savers, the nearest of which to me is in Salinas, California.  Those of you in Canada and the Pacific Northwest know this chain as Value Village (also called Village des Valeurs in the French-speaking area of Canada).  They always have plenty of Halloween items both new and used.