Now that Halloween is over, what to do with your costume
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In the aftermath of Halloween, many revelers find themselves buried in candy, a slew of unprintable photos and grinning pumpkins that are doomed to the backyard compost heap. Over the years, many folks also build up a stockpile of old costumes that take up attic space and collect dust and moth holes. So, what to do with the Iron Man suit that was the glory of your Halloween party but isn’t suitable for the office, even on casual Fridays?
Assuming your Halloween activities didn’t leave your costume in tatters, there’s always EBay. You also may be able to make some spare change off your outfit at a vintage or consignment store, but call ahead. Some stores, such as Wasteland, will only accept current styles, and maybe the odd pair of overalls from a scarecrow costume.
If you want top dollar, put your outfit into storage until at least August. In late summer, college sororities and fraternities start their rush events and party season heats up, fueling a mad dash for costumes, said Michelle Livingston, marketing director of the resale chain Buffalo Exchange. In October, the stores start setting out racks of Halloween pieces.
“There’s no demand for costumes for us after Nov. 1, but it’s a big madhouse beforehand,” she said. “It’s always so frenetic that we’re breathing a collective sigh of relief now.”
Others, though, recommend holding on to your outfits ...
For kids’ costumes, there’s an easy solution, says Karen van Ert, director of marketing for BuyCostumes.com (which, by the way, is currently advertising Thanksgiving costumes for adults and kids). Children’s dress-up closets have become increasingly sophisticated, so keep your kids prepared to take on any alter-ego by ensuring that their play-acting wardrobes are well-stocked with old Halloween costumes. Or try swapping costumes with other parents or selling the outfits at children’s resale shops.
Van Ert says adults shouldn’t be so quick to toss their French maid and hunky Santa outfits -– themed parties seem to be the rage year-round. Your costume could probably double as a Mardi Gras get-up. Or wear that Roman general helmet and breastplate when slogging through the Los Angeles Marathon or the Bay to Breakers route in San Francisco.
Will Ramirez Bravo, 24, a gas station service and repair project coordinator from Long Beach, made a costume based on Bender, the ne’er-do-well robot from the animated TV show “Futurama,” using a plastic trash can, dome plastics and hoses that he first wore in San Diego to the Comic-Con convention in July.
He recycled the Bender look when he went bar-hopping in Hollywood on Halloween and plans to hang on to it for at least one more outing.
‘It was a really big hit,’ he said. ‘Plus, next Comic-Con, I’m going to try to get my friends to go as the whole ‘Futurama’ cast.’
-- Tiffany Hsu
