Hello fiends and ghouls,
Yes. Yes, I am pumpkin obsessed. From a very young age all things pumpkin have interested, inspired and amazed me. The story of Jack O' Lantern and the powers of a lighted pumpkin have formed the way I decorate for Halloween.
The haunt (haunted house) I hope to run one day is based on a pumpkin theme and I have amassed a stupid amount of pumpkin things to fill a place up.
Every year I search the internet and stores for new Halloween props and I mostly focus on pumpkin related props and items.
I am extremely particular though and I don't think what I seek is something I can explain to anyone. I've tried. Aesthetically there's a look I go for and if it doesn't fit into that particular look it doesn't fly. Take the items I saw last year at Spirit (left). They've added more pumpkin props to their line up, but I'd never want any of them. The two guys on swings require hanging and that's infrastructure I don't want to have to figure out at home or anywhere else. The other guy who is a "lurcher" type has such a small head to body ratio that I don't know what the designers were thinking. Realism is so important when trying to create a world - a place that transports your visitor to the land you create.
Last year I bought a great pumpkin man prop and this year I see that Spirit has decided to carry one much, if not exactly like it. I really like the one I bought last year and I got a MUCH better deal on it.
I have a few more Halloween stores to hit before I call it quits for this year (in terms of pre-Halloween shopping). Each year I do plenty of post-Halloween shopping to pick up anything I can live without, but would be happy to get on discount.
This year I did decide (based on a pre-Halloween sale and free shipping) to pick up Jack the Giant Pumpkin Man Animated Figure from Grandin Road. If you haven't visited their website (
here) you should. They have great props, decorations and decor at good prices. If you can hold off they usually have a great sale days before Halloween so if you like something, don't need it for this year and are willing to let it possibly slip through your hands check them out.
Happy Haunting!
Mark Harvey
