# STORAGE....Where does it all go??



## Paint It Black (Sep 15, 2011)

Unfortunately...nope. Storage is my biggest problem when it comes to this hobby. I think people who scrap everything and start over every year may be the only ones who don't have this issue.


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

A lot of my stuff is stored at my wife's uncles home a little more than 2 hours away. He is kind enough to store our cemetery and a lot of my underworld for us. Without his generosity there is no way I could do what I do.


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## Abunai (Jan 28, 2008)

I had a shed built a couple of years ago, too.
Didn't help a whole lot.
My garage is too full to work on any new props.
I'm trying to arrange to have a workshop built, but I'm running into issues with my Home Owner's Association.
If I ever move again....top of my checklist will be NO HOA!!!
Second on my list is gobs of storage.


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## NOWHINING (Jul 25, 2009)

I don't have problem yet........ key word here "YET"


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## Passi (Jan 31, 2013)

I have a storage issue as well. Our 3rd bedroom upstairs is literally packed with stuff. It's overgrown just a tad into the basement.

My husband I are making a mask stand at the moment so hopefully we can clean up the spare room and make a little bit of floor space.


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## Wolfbeard (Sep 22, 2008)

I have posted these photos before, but will post them again, as there are some ideas that might be helpful to the OP and some newer members. 

Clear storage totes have been a huge help in organizing, storing and most importantly finding the many props and supplies I have. They stack nicely and there is no need to label everything. Open shelving also works well as seen below.





































This simple skeleton rack has also come in handy.










Eric


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

Wolfbeard said:


> Clear storage totes have been a huge help in organizing, storing and most importantly finding the many props and supplies I have. They stack nicely and there is no need to label everything. Open shelving also works well as seen below.


I agree, though most of us do not have a warehouse to work with The only downside with the clear totes is that they are smaller than the solid-colored ones the majority of the time.


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## Wolfbeard (Sep 22, 2008)

I wish I had a warehouse! Halloween storage is the reason we don't have a finished basement.  Most of our neighbors have nice, finished entertaining areas, bars, pool tables, and home theaters in the basement. I have skeletons, bones, caskets and totes. It is a trade off. 

Eric


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## scareme (Jan 18, 2009)

What is this word "basement" you all keep using? lol I would love to have a basement. After the F5 tornado that hit 10 miles south of us last May, we are finally getting a storm hole built. I tried to talk hubby into letting me store some buckies down there, but it was a no go. When we first moved into the house we live in now, it had a flat roof. So that meant not only no basement, but also no attic. But we've since built on a pitched roof, so that does give us some attic room. Most of the props are either in the garage on shelves, or in the storage shed. The ones the heat would destroy are in closets. But I have every inch in use, so if someone does come up with another storage idea, I'm all ears. I agree with Wolfbeard on a warehouse, but it would have to be temp controlled. I imagine that would be expensive.


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## Kardec251985 (Jul 25, 2012)

Wolfbeard, that is the most organized basement I've ever seen--especially with the skeletons on a wire like the flat corpse on a wire in Beetlejuice!


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## Spooky McWho (Jul 25, 2013)

I have things stored in the attic, the garage and the walk through in the back room of the basement is still about 80 percent set up. We recently had a to have some plumbing work done, the look on that mans face when he emerged from the basement was priceless!


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

Wolfbeard said:


> I have posted these photos before, but will post them again, as there are some ideas that might be helpful to the OP and some newer members.
> 
> Clear storage totes have been a huge help in organizing, storing and most importantly finding the many props and supplies I have. They stack nicely and there is no need to label everything. Open shelving also works well as seen below.
> 
> ...


No way I could use clear containers.....my wife would be able to see all the purchases I make throughout the year and hide until Halloween.


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## Abunai (Jan 28, 2008)

Wow, Wolfbeard!
Those are awesome pictures.
Sadly, for me, you are far more organized and meticulous than I will ever be.


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## Saki.Girl (Aug 22, 2012)

Storage is a huge issue for me my house dose not have a garage and we just have one shed. I want to build a 2 shed that looks like a mosuleam in my back yard use it as a prop then store my stuff in it


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## Wolfbeard (Sep 22, 2008)

Saki.Girl said:


> Storage is a huge issue for me my house dose not have a garage and we just have one shed. I want to build a 2 shed that looks like a mosuleam in my back yard use it as a prop then store my stuff in it


That would be a cool idea, if you could do it. 

DOTO: As for the clear bins, well, they make new purchases easy to hide in plain sight. That way they don't draw attention when the "appear" in October. 

Eric


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Wolf beard, If I had those boney guys racked up like that, i would display then like that where people could see them next October. When people see them explain:"I still have to get these guys off the rack and display them."
Then as people are just gawking have all the boney arms begin to swing in unison and a sound track says:"Get us off of here NOW!"
Not only scary/entertaining, but then you could leave them on the rack year round!


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## Saki.Girl (Aug 22, 2012)

Wolfbeard said:


> That would be a cool idea, if you could do it.
> 
> DOTO: As for the clear bins, well, they make new purchases easy to hide in plain sight. That way they don't draw attention when the "appear" in October.
> 
> Eric


ya take this kind of concept to build shed but of course add columns and other goodies.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

A few years ago my Mother gave me my Dad's garage (Yeah!") It needed a whole new roof ("Boo!") My Wife and I working together got this done("Yeah!") Storage space!!
All Summer long the grass around this place has to be mowed (Boo!") I Do have Other things to do! This lawn takes about 3 hours.
The building is maybe 1,400sq ft.? Property taxes too! $$$$.
Now this building is packed full of crap! I can barely walk through it! GRRR!"
Pieces, parts,some tools, Haunted house stuff, mostly wood scraps and steel pieces,ladders,mystery boxes (which so many of them have become.)
I have re-wired most of the garage in steel conduit, I was going to move my stick-welder there then the power Co, started a new policy of charging $1.200 for them to plant a new pole for these wires, which means no welding for me there.." two steps forward, one step back."
What originally seemed like a very good thing has pretty much soured,sucking up too much time and money to keep a huge assortment of old, odd wood scraps dry.. but I sure also don't like buying new wood when I only need a few feet or inches of something...
I almost forget to mention my Dead-beat renters who have chewed their way into the building and my on-going battle to hammer sheet metal over their secret passages! Squirrel guys they are!


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## Wolfbeard (Sep 22, 2008)

Gym Whourlfeld said:


> I almost forget to mention my Dead-beat renters who have chewed their way into the building and my on-going battle to hammer sheet metal over their secret passages! Squirrel guys they are!











I'm sure this is the reaction you get from your renters when they see the new sheet metal.

Eric


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

Not only where to store 2013 stuff that I wanted to keep, but where to put all the stuff I am getting- from goodwill,thrift stores and such. I sold some stuff, but still have more "radiation stuff" , Getting rid of some Christmas themes to make room. 

Hubby gets super irritated with all the stuff (or "junk" as he calls it..hmph!!!)

Its usually a mission impossible, defcon1 mission to sneak stuff in without him noticing.....


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## crazy xmas (Dec 30, 2008)

Lol... I had to rent a 15 by 30 foot storage unit I just can't seem to let go of my props. Now I have more room to build


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## Passi (Jan 31, 2013)

My husband and I just finished up our mask stand earlier. So I took it upon myself to re-organize the Halloween room (spare room upstairs; about 9x9).


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

you are lucky Passi - I want a halloween room!


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

In my last place, I had a room in the basement that I called "The Halloween Room" b/c that's all it contained. The collection eventually spilled out into the main part of the basement. Most of it belonged to my ex so it was taken away when I moved. The next Halloween I virtually started from scratch but it didn't take long before my own collection rivaled the one at my old place. 

The workshop at the back of the garage was enough to contain it at first. My new "Halloween Room". Then it expanded out into the main garage (especially the costumes which I find the most bulky and awkward to store efficiently).I have a small storage shed where I keep things that won't freeze over the winter (the winters here are brutal with temps of -40 C for weeks). I have a basement but I haven't used it for Halloween storage (yet). Too much trouble to haul everything up and back down the stairs. However I may have to bite the bullet soon because this next Halloween threatens to send the collection over the top.

The warehouse idea is great except for the trouble of hauling everything back and forth from an offsite facility. I don't have a truck or SUV so it would be a BIG job. Of course, if I had a warehouse, I would quickly fill that to capacity, too. It's like a woman's purse. The bigger it is, the more you put in it.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Easy, just keep it out all year! You know, like the neighbor who still has his/her Christmas lights up in July... 


Just kidding. It is a problem for me too! I try to make things that break down and can be stored flat. I too have containers and have also slowed down my prop making for that same reason. What a shame...


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## Bethany (Apr 3, 2013)

We just bought a house in November & I am in the process of organizing my Halloween storage area in the bonus room wich will be my cake decorating supplies, crafts & Halloween storage. Some will also be in guest bedrooms in the closets. My cabinets of curiosities will stay that way all year round as it is too much of a hassle to pack them away as does my butler & reaper.


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

I plan on hanging the rest up when I build another shed this spring.


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## ZombieRaider (May 18, 2008)

I'm currently in limbo as to what I want to do in the future...I think we all dream of having a collection comparable to the haunted mansion and while I'm in that fantasy world, I don't realistically think about how much room that ultra cool prop is going to take up....Build it first and worry where to store it later....I've done an incredible amount of purging this past year and now I have room again....I decided whatever I do next is going to be considerably smaller but still cool....One thing I still have tons of is camo netting/creepy cloth/burlap/erosion cloth....Like I said, I'm currently in limbo without a real plan but one thing I keep thinking about is how can I implement those fabrics/netting with cabling instead of boards so storage is very minimal....I've came up with other ideas too like instead of building a toe pincher, just throw one together laying on the ground using pieces of whatever to give it it's shape and then throwing erosion cloth over it to make it look creepy....I've also just used a cardboard box with a piece of burlap over it for a table and worked great.....Fencing could be stakes in the ground with a cable running from stake to stake with camo netting drapped on it to give it a creepiness and also some bulk....Instead of having a ton of tombstones, bones, birds, owl, etc....Just have a few tombstones and maybe a skull or 2......ZR


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## GhostTown (Jul 6, 2011)

Garthgoyle said:


> I agree, though most of us do not have a warehouse to work with.


^ +1 Friggin' storage room is huge. I'd kill for a basement like that.


My old standby is to design a disposable scene, but honestly I've only been able to pull off harvest/forest themes with that method so far.

The rest I haul over to my mothers and store in the attic of her large, detached garage.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

doto said:


> No way I could use clear containers.....my wife would be able to see all the purchases I make throughout the year and hide until Halloween.


You know, I was considering switching all those opaque blue & green Rubbermaids out to clear ones but I have now changed my mind!!

I really do need to sift through the debris now from Halloween AND Christmas, make some room & organize. We got some heavy wire metal shelving from Home Depot & it's in one big room of the basement that we just never knew what to do with anyway so now it's storage. 

It's just the 2 of us, we weren't going to turn it into a BR or anything so why not move all the stuff in one place that's easy to get to instead of the attic where it's subject to the weather & in a cramped space? We have regular stairs up to our attic but even at 5'2" I can't stand up there. I'd always kept my masks & other Christmas stuff that shouldn't be super hot or cold in the basement in another room & I'd already outgrown that so we bought about 6-8 shelves, the husband put them together & now all that's left is for me to spend a weekend in there getting it all straightened out.


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## Tconahaunter (Jun 20, 2012)

So far no grave storage issues for my self. My parents have a large house and acerage and I keep all my Halloween props there. I have no garage, and little indoor storage at my house. Halloween currently occupies close to 1000 sqft of space including a 10x10 storage shead, half a crawl space and a section of their garage (and growing). I am fortunate that my folks enjoy Halloween as well and let me store all the stuff there as I would have no space at my house.


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

Hmm, let's see. I'm fortunate that all my stones are just plywood, so they're flat and easily store in the shed with the lawnmower & grill. The skellies are hanging from the rafters in the garage. There are totes of stuff stacked along the wall near them. Some things on shelves. I have to mention that no car has ever been inside our 2 car garage - our house is only 850 sq feet so it's our only storage! There is also a 6 foot deep shed built onto the back of the garage - the entire width of it. Greatest thing ever!! All my blowmolds are in there, along with the coffin that serves as storage all the small items.


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## Bradleys Nightmare (Nov 4, 2014)

A large amount of our items are stored in our home made hearse. We have a dedicated 10x12 room in the basement that full of items & the garage attic is full.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

2010, I had a storage disaster when a storm wiped out our Halloween shed, and took a lot of my stuff with it. Since, I really tried to cut back, sell things as I built them or have them built to withstand year-round use.

But then, I look at my storage, still, and I could probably dump a lot of it. 

Garage: 3 totes of skulls make sense (though I need to replace some). The 3 totes of assorted animal bones could be cut back to one of rib bones and smaller items, a lot of the bones just aren't good prop material and are heavy/annoying. The 4 totes of various costume pieces REALLY needs to be gone through, and the kids stuff donated. One tote of lighting makes sense. Several totes of assorted cloth need to be sorted. Then the random crap I haven't used in 7 years needs to just be tossed. 

Storage room: SOOO many items I have "just in case" I need them...and I never have. Dozens of molds/forms I don't need anymore. 

Shed: 40 tiki torches AS SPARES on top of the 20 we use in the yard. THE NEIGHBORS GAZEBO, picked up years ago because it had rounded glass covered corners that look like cryo pod doors and SOME day I'm doing aliens. 2 fire pits I've never used (though I do have mostly-finished pillars for them now, so maybe this year)


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## cmerli (Nov 27, 2009)

We just moved into a new house. The wife insisted that it have enough room to store all the Halloween stuff so there is now a Halloween room so I can get my stuff out of her plane hangar. The house also has a huge heated workshop so I should be good for a couple of years.


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## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

lol, every time I see Tconahaunters avatar I think its me who posted something and realize it was not me after reading the post. 

Anyway, I found some nice storage bins from Walmart that have squared edges and are cheaper than the largest rounded corner bin they sell. Previously , they were found locally but have since made it to online only and in a set of 3, so thats annoying if you need them right away. 

Planning ahead, you can get them at a fair price for the size and you can fit alot of the full size props inside if you wanted to (pushed down to about 4ft long). They also fit some of the irregular shaped things, but mostly I really like the squared edges. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-50-Gal-Storage-Box-Set-of-3/34317108
I found them also in grey at my store from time to time.

Heres a link to it, I use them in FL because cardboard attracts critters and the cheapy breathable fabric disintegrates in the heat. The large garment bags are also good and have so far held up against pests and weather. I liked the idea that the fabric could allow the prop to breath if it had electronics as I found quite a few props from yardsales had sweated inside the things ruining them from use.

I dont see the one I usually buy from walmarts site, but it looks like this in shape and is white mesh fabric all over with a zipper front, and a small clear window at the top front to see whats inside. I Tape over the hook holes but if you have a place to hang the prop that would be ideal as it would be off the floor then.I put my life sizes in these if they dont fit a bin and are about $10.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-White-Jumbo-Garment-Bag/37389024


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## Bethany (Apr 3, 2013)

cmerli said:


> We just moved into a new house. The wife insisted that it have enough room to store all the Halloween stuff so there is now a Halloween room so I can get my stuff out of her plane hangar. The house also has a huge heated workshop so I should be good for a couple of years.


Sounds like me!! Husband was having broker look for a 3 bedroom house for the 2 of us. I said we need at least 4 bedrooms, plus bonus & a 3 car garage. Got it & are running out of room (we kept 2 bedrooms as guestbedroom being we're in central FL).


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## Stinkerbell n Frog Prince (Sep 4, 2009)

I'm lucky in that we have acreage. I have our stuff all over the place... we're empty nesters, the kids are gone and mom has passed so with 3 unneeded bedrooms I have some indoor space to work with... one is my crafty room, one is a guest bedroom that has my year round spooky town display and mom's old space is completely dedicated to normal visitors and guests. Most of my storage is unheated, outdoor space, The original property owner had a 2 story "little" house build on the property to live in while building the main house so I have a 900 SQ FT unheated "building". So while normal stuff is in it like the freezer, hubby's fishing gear and the camping stuff the rest of the space is loaded with totes filled with holiday decor, shelves of holiday lights, skellys hanging from the ceiling, shelves of scene setters, and several over sized fake plants. Some of the weather resistant things ( read that as the cemetery) went into a couple of those metal sheds I nabbed free from Craigslist. The Monster Mud guys and a couple of other props are hanging out in the old hay storage shed. I've known several pro and home haunters who were giving up the life and so when they started to liquidate things we had to add a couple of tarp buildings to store our new treasures... How can you say no to free 8'x4' haunt walls or a cheap full sized spaceship or 3 full sized elephant butts. 

The bad part of having all this space to spread out is I forget what I have and where it might be, like I KNOW there is a carton of DT rats out there for a project but exactly where is the question.


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## Eblore (Sep 18, 2013)

Storage Storage Storage! Its always a pain. I'm very lucky that I have access to warehouse, however, its over an hour away and in another state. With out it there's no way I could do what I do. I have a problem getting rid of things that I have spent so much time and effort making. It would be very discouraging to have to make something I know I would have to trash after Halloween. 

Even with the warehouse, I am running out of space. My original intent was to make 3 or 4 big themes and rotate them over the years. However, I enjoy the build just as much as Halloween night. I spend months collecting and building. I usually have 3-4 years of themes in mind so that as I find things at thrift sores I can go ahead and buy them. For example - I want to do a Day of the Dead theme in the next 3 years. I will reuse much of my Graveyard but I will also add several new big props. While in the Goodwill recently I found a huge sombrero. Perfect! Just stick it in storage and hope I remember it when Halloween roles around.

This past year was my biggest ever! Pirates. I now have a 27 foot long ship that comes apart into 5 pieces, the tallest of which is about 7 foot. There's also a entire graveyard, life size horse & hearse, life size Toe Pincher coffin, life size Dracula Crypt, 10' x 10' Gypsy fortune teller tent and furnishings. 19' tall modular Mayan Pyramid, 10' tall x 8' wide carousel, multiple booths, 10' x 10' Pirate bar called Black Bart's, 32' of board walk & town of Tortuga, Lemax Halloween village & display tables, as well as all my interior decorations and party supplies.

Eventually I will have one HELL of a yard sale! 

Good Luck All & Keeping Haunting!


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## killerhaunts (Jan 6, 2010)

I do pay for a storage unit. It is a 48' semi trailer container on a storage lot. It is expensive but at least 1/3 of it is our household items so I don't feel TOO bad  We use clear storage containers and shelves for storing the smaller items, have clothes hanging racks for costumes and the larger props are put/folded/rearranged so we can fir them all in there. Right now my sister is storing all of the wood panels for the haunt in her garage, but after this Halloween am not sure where they are going to go :/


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

OK, I've avoided this thread for a while now because...well storage is probably the biggest challenge I have (liking to have items for many themes) and like most struggle with staying organized; and it's not fun to be reminded of your shortcomings. And of course there are those of you who excel at it and put me to shame! 

Well, made it through reading the thread. Pretty much already trying the things mentioned, bought the big tubs, have the storage shelving, extra bedroom and closets being used for halloween. Hubby doesn't want me to put hooks/holes into our walls and ceilings so limited in that respect. We don't have a van to conveniently transport stuff back and forth to a storage locker and I can't get behind paying for one...and hubby would say toss before paying for extra space. 

I have enjoyed the tour of your basements, garages and such and saw lots of stuff i'd love to have....no wait...that kind of thinking works against being more organized....LOL...still thanks for sharing...and I'm very envious of you for showing me up!


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## tamster (Jul 27, 2009)

Found my solution by building a halloween shed a year ago. We stationed it in the middle of our lot side and co ordinate it with our halloween display! Win-win, and hubby can have some room in his garage haha!!


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Tamster that is one fantastic setup! That must be one heck of a big shed to fit all that!


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## Skeletoncrew (Oct 10, 2013)

Right now the skellies are on a sailing trip ... Looks like the castaways gone wrong. ?
Summer is coming and I'll want my hobie back soon though. ?


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## McBernes (Mar 10, 2015)

Man, I am nauseated with envy over some of the spaces you guys have and the cool stuff in them! Before reading this thread I was actually wondering what other Halloween Heads do with their stuff. I was also getting the feeling that I was headed towards a storage problem. Since our daughter was born a couple of years ago my wife and I have been really getting into Halloween. In 2013 I made a Hitcher costume ( from the show The Mighty Boosh). I made prosthetic chin, nose, and huge thumb. My wife didn't drees that year, but did buy a great top hat for me to go with my outfit. A trip to a few Goodwills, some face paint completed the set. It is stored in a cardboard box. Last year we went as Alice in wonderland characters. We were Alice (daughter), The March Hare (wife), and The Mad Hatter with a tiny Doormouse perched on top of the hat I made. The hatter suit is in another box, my wife's ears are around here somewhere lol. My daughter's dress is hanging in her room. This year we are going as Batman (daughter), Harley Quinn (wife), and Cesar Romeroesque Joker. So, my collection is growing and I see storage issues in the future lol. Here are some pics:


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## Bethany (Apr 3, 2013)

McBernes, once the Halloween bug bites, there's no turning back!!


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

How true, bethany! McBernes, your things will multiply quicky especially when you start having parties or decorating outside. Welcome to the Forum! Nice costumes.


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## McBernes (Mar 10, 2015)

lol thakns Bethany and printersdevil.


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## AussieBoo (Jul 2, 2014)

Ok I am sooo jealous of everyone's decorations and props…amazing stuff!

With storage, my family own a business and the factory has a large storage room that i store all my Halloween stuff in. It's only 10mins from home and 1min from my work (I don't work in the family business) so it's easily accessed at any time. I'm planning to go through it and organise my stuff from my family's stuff that is also in there. If I didn't have this storage there's no way hubby would allow me to continuously purchase Halloween stuff. He's not happy that our garage isn't big enough for his liking, last thing he would want is "my junk" in there too. haha.


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