Halloween Decoration Thrift Haul: Blow Molds, Lights, Ghosts, and Pumpkins Galore

Yuko screens her green side-eye from the radioactive glow of the ominous pumpkin blow mold. The orange light illuminates the sidewalk below. It makes me rapturously gleeful. 

After my year of purging I had only one Halloween decoration left! Save for the semi-creepy (severity depends on the viewer) local art that adorns my walls year-round. Procuring a collection of retro Halloween goods was a priority, and I was able to indulge it and stock-up now that thrift stores are taking their Halloween goods out of hiding!

I believe we owned the exact huge pumpkin blow mold above, we had a couple of them and a lot of other old decorations but they disappeared mysteriously. I remember the pumpkin string lights (still have one set from childhood), the pumpkin blow molds and a black wicker witch we'd hang by the door being my favorite decorations. Taking out Halloween decorations each year still fills me with childish glee. I'm like a denizen of Halloween Town, I countdown the days until the next Halloween season.

This ghost cloth game with me at fifty scents. And this matching ghost pillow door hanger thing at the same price had to come along as well. I shall call him Minnie the Moocher. Animation and jazz nerds chime in if you get the reference. Hedi Hedi Hedi Ho...

This black cat pumpkin reminded me of an owl I once had and sold. I think that's why I'm so excited for Halloween decor this year, now I get to keep it, not sell it!

This adorable ghosts with flickering candle-light mimicking lights were given to me at the flea market.

It had a matching stacked skull variety. I've had them plugged in since late September, the first bits of Halloween to slowly creep into this apartment.

And why not bring home a fifty scent pumpkin basket? I'll think of something to fill it with. Napkins for Halloween party guests? Organic homemade chapsticks at a local art market? The souls of the undead? Extra buckshot to combat the zombie apocalypse hoards? 

These eyeball string light lanterns were free along with the "candles".

I especially like the kitschy lights made of that brittle easily-cracked plastic.

So rare to find these specimens enact, it's the Halloween decor collector's equivalent of unearthing a chest of gold doubloons at the beach with a child's plastic toy shovel. *

I use these mini hay stacks and the fake pumpkin to decorate my table at local markets. They're actually from the dollar store, the hay make a mess every time. When it comes to Halloween I abandon practicality, like a mom enduring an all-day theme park excursion in 5 inch stilettos. Besides, tiny things, I'm powerless - to - resist - them.

I'm going to use these adorable 90s bags to bag the goodies for a class.

 I'm teaching on making all-natural mouthwash, deodorant, toothpaste and dry shampoo. I haven't really marketed that but if you're local and want to attend e-mail me for more info :)

I'll be using these adorable ghost treats bags to bag purchases at local markets and probably mail orders from the online shop too. Although I want to keep each one for myself, because when it comes to Halloween I want to hoard every scrap of it so I can keep its magic nostalgia powers and live forever. That's how it works, right? The tears of all the children upset when the season ends acclimate in every Halloween item infusing it with immortality, so the legend goes.

I'll follow-up with some decorations I've been making too, and at my rate of lucky finding these kitschy creations, maybe with another haul of decorations before the season's up. Although I almost want to lock myself indoors before I buy many decorations that I can start charging admission to my haunted house apartment. Make yourself a vegan pumpkin spice latte, pull up your favorite profanity-laced odes to the season, and start watching those horror movies non-stop. It's Halloween time! Bitches.

*may be hyperbole

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