# Our Halloween "Mortality"



## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

The majority of my interests are tied into Halloween/horror in some capacity, so I cannot see that happening. Scaling back is one thing, but I would never truly quit decorating for Halloween, even if it were just a small setup; I would never want to be one of _those_ people (plus, giving up on the holiday would be very hypocritical).


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Since I'm someone that only puts out things in the yard ON Halloween & only has the husband for help (though he's a great help), let's just say the older one gets, the harder it is to drag everything out for one night, same goes for Christmas too so it's not just a Halloween thing.

I had to take some years off because we were in a basement apartment & that helped a lot with burnout. I'm still young enough to enjoy it but as I said, I can't see myself doing it all up when I'm 80.

BUT, we have a giant yard & before I shuffle off this mortal coil I will have something on the whole damn thing even it takes me until 80, it will happen.


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## Dr. Phibes (Nov 10, 2010)

I'll never be the person with a JoAnn Fabrics scarecrow on my lawn and nothing else, but I am slowly debating smaller and smaller displays. Mostly because I am a city dwellar and nobody else out of the 100 to 150 homes in my general vicinity do anything for Halloween at all. Starting to feel unappreciated and taken advantage of. I have described in other threads how most of my TOT are kids/teens from low income housing and they show up with no costumes, don't appreciate my efforts, and quite frankly I am pretty tired of it. When half my TOT are 13 or older, put on no costume, and grab as much candy as they can out of my container until I pretty much have to tell each of them 'thats enough'....it has just wore me down to the point that I don't really care so am on the verge of a very small display and driving my own daughter off to some neighborhood where the people actually care to do the TOT. Not sure how much sense it makes to miss seeing my own kid TOT on Halloween so I can stay home and hand out candy to unappreciative rude people.


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## SCVShan (Jul 10, 2013)

Hmmm, good question! I don't usually decorate for the TOTs, I have a private party with a different theme each year for which I build large scale props; so I don't have a real "Haunt" for people to enjoy in the front yard. However, I enjoy building all year long even though the stress level is high the closer we get to October...and to be honest, I love making people get excited about Halloween. My neighbors and friends can't wait each year to see what we have come up with...so maybe my "run" will end when I run out of theme ideas or the people stop coming to see it.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

I've been haunting since I was 8 in some form or another. So, 29 years now. 

I started with a simple porch haunt at my parents. It wasn't much, but word got around enough. When I moved out, we tried to throw parties for friends. It was it's own set of issues, and had varying success. When we got our first house, I did a driveway haunt for a couple years, and the average of 2 trick or treaters each year wore down on me, but I did it. Then we had our first child. I took him around and haunted up at my parents or in-laws having great fun. Another child later, we moved into our present house, and thus began the yard haunt. The neighborhood was the perfect age. Now we've been here 9 years, and the neighborhood is growing up, will it be the same in another 5 years? 10? I don't know. There are things it would be hard to see changing. The pumpkin carve, for instance. I mean, some of the kids that have grown and moved, and married now bring THEIR kids back for that. Right now I'm trying to step back and decide where I draw the line as being TOO big. 

I've taken most of this year off, actually, and it's been nice. Yeah, I have one new thing built, and we'll still be doing the pumpkins and stuff, but I'm happy to stand pat, take that vacation in October, and enjoy the season a little more this year, recharge for a new theme next year...or not. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. 29 years now...I'm fairly certain I'll always be doing SOMETHING, however.


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## Dr. Phibes (Nov 10, 2010)

You bring up some good points SCVShan, that lessen my festive spirits. I mention above that my neighborhood pretty much blows when it comes to any Halloween spirit, but it seems that most of my friends aren't into it either. I have hosted 3 parties over the past 5 or 6 years for a smaller group of adults that we hang out with. I have tried to make them costume parties where the people could wear whatever they want. Some of the people I invite don't show, and then of the ones that do they don't wear a costume. 

Overall I am near the point where I am going to decorate the interior of my home, some of the exterior away from the street in the back yard that I can sit on my porch and enjoy, and not hand out candy since none of the other 150 homes do. Would rather take my kid to a neighborhood that hands out candy then miss seeing her grow up and have fun on Halloween and me be the only source of candy for the projects.


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## Jerseyscare (Oct 2, 2012)

IMHO, I think there is an average life to a yard haunter. I've been waiting for this thread
I lurked here for several years (4ish), before signing in and during that time I've seen active haunters retire and new come grow.
We start small, grow larger, add fencing, add animatronics, add lighting, more TOTers come......and then something happens.
Down sizing, job changes, lifestyle changes, demographics in neighborhood, kids grow up, destruction (weather/people) and it takes more storage and more time and then the WHY am I doing this happens.
With nothing to support it I would guess 8 being average life, start to stop or down size haunt.
interested in hearing more thoughts


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## Dr. Phibes (Nov 10, 2010)

Quick question for everyone...in your mind...is there a difference between being a 'haunter' and being someone that puts up a 'lot of decorations' but TOT come by and you hand out candy like most people should on Halloween? In essence, is a 'haunter' someone that decorates the hell out of their house, or is a 'haunter' considered someone that actually makes like a walk through 'haunted house' type situation?


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## Guest (Aug 8, 2013)

Dr. Phibes said:


> I'll never be the person with a JoAnn Fabrics scarecrow on my lawn and nothing else, but I am slowly debating smaller and smaller displays. Mostly because I am a city dwellar and nobody else out of the 100 to 150 homes in my general vicinity do anything for Halloween at all. Starting to feel unappreciated and taken advantage of. I have described in other threads how most of my TOT are kids/teens from low income housing and they show up with no costumes, don't appreciate my efforts, and quite frankly I am pretty tired of it. When half my TOT are 13 or older, put on no costume, and grab as much candy as they can out of my container until I pretty much have to tell each of them 'thats enough'....it has just wore me down to the point that I don't really care so am on the verge of a very small display and driving my own daughter off to some neighborhood where the people actually care to do the TOT. Not sure how much sense it makes to miss seeing my own kid TOT on Halloween so I can stay home and hand out candy to unappreciative rude people.


That is a rough go, Dr. Phibes. I can say I truly feel for your situation. 

Although nobody is perfect and we all have our issues, I have met, lived with, etc, kids and adults who fit perfectly your description. They ravage everything in life the way they are ravaging your halloween.

When we lived in NC, we had tons of ToTers who came from God or the devil knows where. No costumes, no bags- not even plastic walmart bags- no "Trick or Treat," no thank you. Nothing. Not to be rude (my husband is part Native American, doesn't look white, etc) but they didn't even say thank you in espanol, english, whatever. At some point I'd even take a "thanks, beyotch!" One lady even took a mask out of the yard and walked briskly away with it. She was an adult, nowhere near a teenager btw. It's like halloween was a night to just take stuff and not even pretend to care. That is a personal choice, but when your heart and soul is put into halloween, it is beyond sad.

I hate the fact that your halloweens are treated like that. I even thought about putting up my yard display and not giving out candy, but that is just wrong and I am sure my stuff would have been vandalized.

Anyway, I physically can't store more stuff. I have to sell some this year. Even if my husband wasn't cool about it, I have to face facts that I have too many boxes and too m any large or lifesize props I have never even used. 

Truthfully, a haunt- mine, at least, could be way smaller and still be awesome. Even though bigger is better, sometimes too big seems overwhelming and maybe people quit out of that overwhelming feeling.

Right now I am still 100% but I can see getting older, having a chronic disease or health condition,and giving up. 

I want my kids to get more involved, but they work, have school and bookoo activities and aren't there for the hard put up take down. The flit around the edges.

At this point I don't have a paying job, but my husband will retire soon and we will buy the first home of our 23 year marriage and finally put down roots. I will work then, and I have no idea how I will work an outside job, do my house and kid stuff, and do a huge yard display. Some people here take time off work to haunt, and I think I would be impossible to do a display and work full time...unless I have lots of help.


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## Dr. Phibes (Nov 10, 2010)

hollow said:


> That is a rough go, Dr. Phibes. I can say I truly feel for your situation.
> I have met, lived with, etc, kids and adults who fit perfectly your description. They ravage everything in life the way they are ravaging your halloween.
> ...It's like halloween was a night to just take stuff and not even pretend to care.
> 
> ...


I am going to do my normal thing this one last year. I'm hoping last year was so dreadful due to the hurricane ruining things. But if everything sucks this year I am done. Like you, I don't feel it would be right to decorate my house, then not hand out candy, so if this year blows and its the same old same old of 15 year olds coming up in their hooded sweatshirts and jeans and not even saying thanks or that my display is nice or anything, then I am done. I am going to decorate behind my house where only me and my family can enjoy it and then leave the lights off Halloween night. Maybe take my daughter out TOT in a better neighborhood then come home and make a fire in the back yard or something along those lines.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

I think those of us that have been doing something for many years can't always see ourselves giving it up totally, even if it's just putting up the Beistle cut outs on the window & putting out some pumpkins (real or fake) & handing out candy. 

I also helps that I live in a place (& have always lived in a place) where we're pretty safe from vandalism (even though my stuff only goes out one night) & we have always had ToTers. Some years it's 20, some years it was 10, if it's a Friday or Saturday Halloween then it's over 50 but we haven't had 80+ since the early 80s but we always have some. The days of people filling the car up with kids & driving them out to our neck of the woods went away in the 70s, but while we've had some lean ToTer years, we've always had them & they're pretty good.

I wish you could have that too Dr. Phibes, I'm so very sorry you don't. I hope you get back to the good stuff at some point.

The great thing about decorating nowadays is it's getting easier. You can buy a cheap projector, toss up an old sheet over the window & BOOM! you've got instant ghosts or zombies or whatever, either from Hallowindow or AtmosfearFX or your own creations. Don't wanna invest in a projector or wanna figure out how to hook it up? Any number of sites sell what's basically a plastic sheet with stuff on it, from mummies to zombies to eyeballs, all you need to provide is the stuff to stick 'em up & leave a light on behind them. You can buy a couple inflatables. set 'em up, plug 'em in & once again, you're decorated.

I already do the window sheets & projector because it's easier. I haven't gotten into inflatables yet but I'm not completely ruling them out. 

And who knows what the future of Halloween decorating will be? It may get even easier. And because of that I just don't see myself giving it up totally. 

I've said many times, sometimes you just need a break from it all & there's nothing wrong with that. Have a party instead, go on a vacation, go out to dinner or someone else's party, take the kids to the better neighborhood, whatever, sometimes it just gets to you & you feel overwhelmed with being "the Halloween house." Just take that break if you need to.


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## SCVShan (Jul 10, 2013)

Well, I have always invisioned a Haunter being someone who sets up a walk through and gets involved by being a scare actor. But now that you have asked, I am not sure that is fair. I mean, by looking at some poeple's yard displays on this forum, I would say hands down their displays beat many walk throughs I have seen. So maybe a Haunter is someone who's displays, sets or walk through invoke an emotion (hopefully one of fear! LOL)


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## SCVShan (Jul 10, 2013)

Oh and as for unappreciative TOTers....If they don't have a costume on, they don't get any candy! I explain to them that I go through the trouble of buying candy, staying up past my bedtime and sitting out front just for them...the LEAST they can do is wear a damn costume and say thank you. (The wine I consume while sitting outside helps with this!). Though I must admit, this is rare...most trick or treaters in my area show their Halloween spirit and dress up.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

To me Home Haunting encompasses everyone from the people who do a great big display (homemade or otherwise) to the person that just has a few tombstones & Bluckies.

If you decorate anywhere above, below or in the middle of that, you'd fit the Home Haunter definition in my book. You do it because you love it. Some will do it for charity, some get paid, but we wouldn't do any of it if we weren't Halloween fans.


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

Dr. Phibes, I really love to do my display, and I cherish the time I get with my children. My wife and I split the TOT duties on halloween so I can have the best of both worlds. I take the kids out early and do a small cresent off of our Cresent with them. On the way back we usually blend in with other TOT's. I have found that blending in with them gives me the opportunity to hear the TOT's and their parents anticipation and appreciation for my display before they reach the front door. The walking time is when the kids and parents talk. You hear the excitement, nervousenss and sometimes fear. I do get a lot of polite compliments, at the door but the kids are often excited to move on. The real appreciation is on the walk on the street coming to and leaving the house. 
If this is an option for you, you may consider it....you could get some precious time with your children and hear the appreciation that is forgotten at the door.


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

Dr. Phibes said:


> Quick question for everyone...in your mind...is there a difference between being a 'haunter' and being someone that puts up a 'lot of decorations' but TOT come by and you hand out candy like most people should on Halloween? In essence, is a 'haunter' someone that decorates the hell out of their house, or is a 'haunter' considered someone that actually makes like a walk through 'haunted house' type situation?


For me, this has always been a rather broad interpretation, as there are so many values of grey to this scale, and most of them are intrinsically subjective.
I think it all depends on how one views oneself.


Lifespan on this forum is certainly not the lifespan of a haunter - if that was the case, I'd say 95-99% of haunters do so for one season, two at most, and give up.

I've been doing "something" for halloween for 40 years or so - started when I was a young child trying to scare people on halloween with a ghost on a string and a loud "Booo!!", faded for a few years when I was in my early 20's (dressed up and went to parties instead of handing out candy), picked up again in my late 20's when kids came on the scene, and peaked 5 or 6 years ago. The last 3 or 4 years have found me less interested in trying to outdo when I had done the previous year. But I'm still interested in getting the front yard done up, and seeing all the enjoyment and wonder on the faces of people as they stop and stare and possibly get a bit of a scare.


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## xxScorpion64xx (Oct 15, 2011)

All great reads everyone, , very interesting.

My concern is this, let's face it, we are a minority, when one one of us drops out, its almost like that person is irreplaceable because we come so far to bring Halloween to the forefront that we can't afford to lose people. Hopefullly we keep doing our thing and inspire another generation to carry the torch, lest Halloween starts fading and become just a Ho hum holiday


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

I agree with RCIAG's definition of a haunter and like RCIAG, I only decorate on The Day for the TOTs.

As I get older, the physical effort to put everything out as I'd like is getting a little harder each year. Right now, I am recovering from one hip replacement surgery and am less than a month away from my second. Needless to say, there will be a minimum amount of decorations happening this year... but there will be _something._

I think I love being "that house" too much to ever stop haunting completely.


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

Here is a thread I started last year revolving around this very topic.


http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/115848-eerie-manor-final-bow.html?highlight= 

We've been "haunting" for over 20 years, and have accumulated a LOT of stuff, both store bought and home made. Our haunt has maxed out in terms of space, growth potential and even creative potential. In a nut shell, the work involved has begun to overshadow the enjoyment we derive from doing it. We had planned to make last year the final one for the walk through but since we got crapped on by the weather gods, we opted to give it one more try this year. After that, it will be cut in half for all the reasons listed in the original thread. I'm 55 and in good health and relatively good shape but it takes a toll on me that I feel more and more every year. At the end of TOT hours, I'm glad it's over. We'll always do "something" as far as a haunt. The front yard display is a must, and a scene in the driveway will take place of the walk through next year. I think after doing it for so many years, we have reached our threshold of enjoyment, and can now scale back and still have a lot of fun with a lot less work! As boo hoo said perfectly, I love being "that house" too!


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## booswife02 (Apr 2, 2013)

Unfortunately I think there is a lifespan for Haunters. I think the older we get the worse we feel it may still be in our hearts to decorate but our bodies won't cooperate. I remember when I first got married my mother in law had boxes of Halloween decorations but would never put them out. I was young and selfish and always wondered why she wouldn't just give them to me. I wanted so badly to have a bunch of beautiful things but we were broke newlywed a with very few items in our little house. We barely had money for food. I would go out on trash days and find things to fix up paint etc.. 
I finally asked my mother in law. Why don't you just give me your Halloween stuff ill put it out. She seemed upset. She said that she had worked a long time to collect her things and that eventually she wanted to put it all out. She wasn't done with it yet. So I get it. I have a huge collection about 20 times bigger than the couple of boxes she had but when the time comes that I can't drag it out I will hold out hope that one day I will feel better. However,if (fingers crossed) any of my kids get the Halloween bug as I have I will give them most of my stuff. Maybe ill do small things flowers hand soaps etc... That way I still have the feeling.


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## osenator (Nov 3, 2009)

Funny, me and my wife, we talked about this last night, after scoring a huge great haul, that she even said herself, it was a really amazing haul! Our mind got into Halloween mode right away! (L).

Well.. we have been haunting now for 7 years around. We.. are surprised at ourselves how we evolved so quickly, and I know many can/are somewhat jealous of our accomplishment, but we do it for the love of it, the kids, and scaring the bejesus out of people. If my bragging upset you, I am truly sorry, but look at my collection, pics and such, can't say it's impressive. Like I mentionned many times, if you come to my haunt, you will be amazed. 

First, We moved to a neighborhood from getting 2 kids on Halloween to more than 500 kids. We were shocked by it, and it really ingnite my love for Halloween that I had in my youth. (being a big horror fan helps too!) My wife, from Brazil, had never experiences such vibes for Halloween since she's been in Canada, and she loved scaring the kids and everything related to Halloween (in Brazil, they celebrate many things, but Halloween is kinda a new thing there and not really celebrated there).

After 2 years, we got a bit more props, learning slowly how to build our own stuff, and more kids and parents complimited us on our haunt. in year 3, people suggest we send pics of our haunt to newspapers and tv channels. Thinking nothing of it, I did for fun. Next thing we know, we won SCARIEST HOUSE in Ottawa and won 1000$ for Sprit. Then, we realised maybe we are not just regular Halloween foks. 

After this, we became real haunters, I think. I started scoring my first great scores and then, I discovered this place. 

After year 4, we made newspapers and tv channels ever since. Our haunt grew, multiplied in size every year since too. 

Last year, we had to take into another level. going PRO. It was hell, but we learned a lot, we also made guest appearances on the biggest morning show in Ottawa, Canada's Capital, on Halloween morning. (it's all on my youtube channel).

This year... well, I might go even bigger, going PRO again, but totally different way, and much much bigger this time. We will probebly be on TV again, this time, I want to be on CBC (national!!) if we can (L). I always go BIG, or don't bother! 

But we might also just concentrate on our home haunt yet... We will decide in the next few weeks. 

JM 

JM


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

When I joined this forum, I thought it was for "serious" haunters. But as I have learned here, a haunter is simply one who loves halloween and decorates- be it with a simple wreath or pumpkin carvings, maybe a simple party, to all decked out with the likes of ghosttown,spiderrider or darkrosemanor to name a few. (sorry if I did not include your name in the "decked out" section of this sentence- but you know who you are  ) 
Lifespan? I think we will all be haunters the rest of our lives. Be it big decor, or maybe just some great scented autumn candles.


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## Spooky McWho (Jul 25, 2013)

Dr. Phibes, you may want to consider having a party or open house and invite your daughters classmates and their parents. You will still be able to operate your haunt, only for what should be a more appreciative audience. This is how we starting doing it several years ago, and we have so much fun. We now have a big party for our nearest and dearest and an open house later and invite anyone from the school who would like to come for a walk through. Theft and damage is not an issue and anytime we are in the school you can hear the chatter. We have children we haven't met asking if they can come over. Very motivating.


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## moony_1 (Sep 25, 2009)

I'd like to say I'll do it forever, but I know things change as we get older. My grandmother was a huge fan of Halloween and christmas, but when my grandad passed, she just gave it all up. She's now planning to move into a home, so I know she won't ever go back to the decorating. Breaks my heart. 
I plan to do it as long as I have the desire, and the body that will allow me to do it. I know at some point it will evolve into just a jack I lantern and a few hanging props, but I hope I can do as much as I can until I literally can't any longer.


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

I can't see myself ever losing interest in Halloween or decorating, but then again, my setup is nowhere near as elaborate as some of the ones on here. I also don't officially do a "walkthrough" or anything that's really draining.

I am sure I'll still be putting something or other out until I die. And after that I have asked my husband to take me to a taxidermist to be stuffed and then put me out on the porch every year as a Halloween decoration.


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## TheMonsterMasher (Jul 28, 2012)

I don't think I'll ever move on from Halloween to be honest. Even if I get tired of decorating and being creative with props, I still like to do other things like listen to Halloween music, watch movies and etc...I've always just had that Halloween bug in me for as long as I can remember.


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## Paul Melniczek (Jun 5, 2009)

On the broader definition, then all of us who make that extra effort would be Home Haunters, although I never considered myself one as we only decorate the interior of our house and the front porch. Our last home sat on several acres on a mountain, and we got maybe 2 TOTers in over 15 years until we moved here, so there was never a reason as people really wouldn't see it. That didn't bother me, as we do it for ourselves, and whoever comes to the Halloween parties. If they appreciate it, fine. If not, I won't stop regardless. I never went the next step in doing the yard up big-time, and those who do, I always thought were the real haunters. You guys have a lot of natural talent at building and creation. Very cool, and even amazing. I have a great imagination being a writer, but I'm not good with the handmade stuff. I would end up having to buy everything. So I appreciate what I see, and that's why some of my threads ask for videos and pictures.

You can certainly burn yourself out. I have relatives who held a huge Halloween bash for years. Tents, bingo, new yearly theme, hayrides, outdoor games, indoor games, on several acres, maybe 50 to 100 people. Then a few years back they were done. Too much work, too much drama, etc. It's a shame, because everyone loved it, and we even helped them to set up. I really miss it. I suggested them to downscale, but they must have crossed a line where they gave up on having anything. But they were the best.


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## dbruner (Aug 23, 2012)

I've wondered myself how long I will keep decorating and having parties each year.  I've been lucky in my neighborhood - a lot of people decorate to varying degrees and the trick or treaters are all polite and for the most part wear costumes. We also have several new families with babies and small children that have moved in the past few years to make up for the ones who have grown up and left. I will eventually run out of storage space though!


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## TheMonsterSquad (Oct 8, 2012)

I'm pretty new to this, and even so I'm amazed by how fast it takes over, in terms of time, effort, money, and storage space. Even after two years now I'm already stretching the storage we have available, and thinking about how I can gear down for next year. While I'm still having fun, its a little dismaying how fast it accumulates, and there's other interests I could be spending the $$ and space on. I'm thinking that next year we'll take a break from the party and decorating indoors, and focus on the outdoor display. I can't see stopping yet, but damping down the impulse to accumulate, by developing a more focused intent, is probably a good idea.


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## Paint It Black (Sep 15, 2011)

I am right there with you MonsterSquad. It is time to plan a new approach, rather than just accumulate and not get rid of anything, LOL. I was trying to have four themes that rotate each year, so by year four, everyone would forget we had pirates already. But now, I am not sure if I will want to return to a theme we've had before. It is so much fun creating a new one! At this point, I am thinking I should keep the best of the props and have various scenes to rotate in various areas of the house and yard. A pirate scene, a medieval scene, a witch area, mummy's tomb, and so on. Still thinking on it, but really not thinking of ever not doing something. Even if I wasn't able physically someday, I would likely enlist some help to get something decorated. I would also give some props to my kids to hopefully carry on the tradition.


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## Trex (Nov 6, 2010)

I agree with Matrixmom, I applaud anyone who puts up the smallest Halloween decorations to those that go all out and everyone in between because I LOVE the season. I hope to be able to decorate for many years to come, the effort is scalable to match our time, age, energy, etc. Cycling though our props, reinventing our Haunt every few years is part of the process, we do get rid of things we no longer use, repurpose as much as possible to reduce storage constraints. It is our creative outlet, it is our "thing" we are "the Halloween people", it supports our community, our local food bank, there are so many reasons that will continue to motivate us to for years to come.


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## The Auditor (Apr 2, 2006)

In my will, I've left instructions that a lit Jack-o-lantern is to be placed on my grave every Halloween. Even death isn't going to keep me from doing something!


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## Spookywolf (Aug 4, 2012)

I went through a major burn out just a few years ago. I did take some time off for a 2 year stint, where I went to a friend's house and didn't even put a single thing in my yard. I'm sure there were some disappointed kids that came by and wondered about the dark house (word does get around in the neighborhood about where THAT house is! ) But I had just hit a wall and couldn't do it anymore. But you know what? In taking that time off I realized how much I missed doing my haunt. I guess it went from feeling like I had to, to doing it because I Chose to. The next year I went back at it, but this time I went through my basement full of props and decided I would choose only specific things to take out. (Just because you own a warehouse full doesn't mean you have to display it all.) I got rid of some old, worn out props and replaced with some newer stuff, planned a smaller scale haunt. It's way too easy to fall into that "gotta out do what I did last year" thing that ended up out-doing me! Only using some of my stuff also frees me up to change things around a little every year. The main thing, I think, is to take care of yourself as well as your haunt in this busy process. I put out small stuff on the porch etc (what I call appetizers) for the month of Oct (small build up = less work) and also helps with the vandals. The big stuff comes out on TOT night only, and for that I take Halloween off from work as well as the next 2 days for packing up, putting away and just chilling out. Again, take care of yourself. The kids don't really care if you repeat the same haunt over and over again every year anyway, they're just glad to see you there with the fun stuff and they'll look forward to seeing it again next year. As someone else on here said, you may not hear it sitting in your chair, but the kids and the parents do talk about your yard both walking to and walking away, and though not all of them think to tell you, most do appreciate and look forward to it. I do it for the kids, but also for me because Halloween is in my blood. Someday, when I'm too old to drag out the big guns, I'll probably just set out a lighted pumpkin, maybe a few small things on the porch, then I'll sit in my rocker and still hand out candy, cause that's who I am. If the day comes that I end up in a retirement home, I'll plug my little pumpkin in the window and watch a spooky movie from my Craft-matic adjustable bed! LOL! So my answer for how long is the life a haunter is...as long as you want it to be, and for some of us, that's a lifetime.


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

The Auditor said:


> In my will, I've left instructions that a lit Jack-o-lantern is to be placed on my grave every Halloween. Even death isn't going to keep me from doing something!


My wife and I were taking a walk through our local cemetery one evening last week and I said the exact same thing to her! lol!


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

I'm hoping someone will just take my ashes & incorporate them into a prop!!


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## xxScorpion64xx (Oct 15, 2011)

It's refreshing to hear that many here are in it for the long haul and it looks like Halloween is in good hands for years to come


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## LairMistress (Jul 31, 2009)

I'm one of those who has been haunting since childhood, too (30+ yrs). I was always the one to get out the Beistle decorations, and insist that they had to be put up. As I got older, I wanted to make ghosts and dummies to put on the front porch, and eventually, I'd buy spiders and things with my allowance. I even saved birthday money one year (from July) when I was around 9, so I could buy a bunch of decorations and set up a maze in my friend's basement.

There have been years that I wasn't able to decorate, so I haven't managed to get burnt out yet. There were years when my older boys were younger, when I wanted to not decorate, so I could keep them out ToTing longer (their dad stayed home to hand out candy, and called me every five minutes, complaining). I could never bring myself to do it, though. I just love it too much! I do look forward to my youngest being too old to ToT someday, so I can fully enjoy decorating and seeing everyone's reactions. He's two, so it'll be awhile. 

I usually only decorate ON Halloween, but I'm considering giving it a few more days prior this year, to see how it goes. I don't have anything really elaborate, either--just a lot of smaller pieces to set up like stones and candles. I could see being burnt out if it was more work, though. I have always decorated by myself. I'm not sure if that will be the case this year too, or not.

^^I did want to add, I feel like I lose the spirit just a little every year, when I anticipate the decorations coming to the store shelves, and then find that none of it is useful to me. I love to look at it, but even though I've talked about shopping for weeks now, I bought absolutely nothing today when I went out. It just seems like I can make better stuff, cheaper--at least for the stuff that's out there so far.


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2013)

The Auditor said:


> In my will, I've left instructions that a lit Jack-o-lantern is to be placed on my grave every Halloween. Even death isn't going to keep me from doing something!


That is so AWESOME!!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

The Auditor said:


> In my will, I've left instructions that a lit Jack-o-lantern is to be placed on my grave every Halloween. Even death isn't going to keep me from doing something!


I've asked for carving of whatever's in season instead of flowers at the funeral, gotta add this.


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## jordand3 (Jul 26, 2013)

This thread has honestly been a pleasure to read. I'm relatively new to the haunter game and still haven't accumulated much. My wife and I lived in apartments for our first four years of marriage, so when we bought our first home last year, this became a top priority. We're both really into the season and are throwing our second annual party for family and friends. One of the coolest things was the first time I saw a group of neighborhood kids nervously walk by my display last year and then run off screaming and laughing. I've been pretty much hooked since then.

One point made by Dr. Phibes and a couple others is that they get annoyed with kids who aren't from their neighborhood or who don't have costumes. I completely understand that, and actually ran into it last year. I would urge you to honestly just look past it. I can only speak from experience, but as someone who grew up in Detroit (I'll be 30 on Saturday), trick or treating in my own neighborhood as a kid was often not an option. It wasn't safe and people simply didn't participate. I know my parents took me to relatives' houses in the 'burbs where I ran around, had a ball, and never realized then why we had to go to a different neighborhood. I try to keep that experience in mind when I'm handing out candy. You don't have a costume? Maybe your family can't afford it OR you didn't have a mom or dad who looked out for you enough to make sure you made something yourself. Either way, it costs me a couple mini Snickers. No big deal. 

Halloween should be there for all kids, even if they live in low-income neighborhoods, and even if their parents aren't the best.


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## Hilda (Jul 31, 2011)

I'm with those that have been 'doing Halloween' my whole life. As a child of the 60s I loved carving pumpkins, choosing costumes, the parade and trick-or-treating. Into my teenaged years, we would all pile in a car and hit any and all haunted houses. The 20s brought parties. I lived near Shades of Death Road and Ghost Lake. For real. Those were some wild Halloween nights! LOL Getting married, had some sophisticated 'grown up' parties. (Snooze. LOL) Then my special boy was born. My husband left, and I turned to homemade costumes, baking from scratch and rediscoverd simple loving roots of the holiday. Slowly, our inside decorations took over. A wonderful second husband, a stepson and another child. Festive children's parties. Then the decorations spilled out onto the front porch. Twenty years later the display has taken over the whole front yard. At some point, the outside decor absorbs all the time, and we have not had a party in a few years. I miss that. So I have started over this year, decorating the inside, and by next year, I hope to start having family parties. 

I guess my point being. It morphs. It changes. Halloween lives inside me. I imagine being in a nursing home someday, and still having a small blowmold pumpkin lit on my night table. 

The idea about the carved pumpkin each year on the gravesite is beautiful. I think I need to revise my Will.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Halloween changes. Last October my Father-in-law gave us a life mask of Vincent Price! I am finding that nobody under the age of 40? Knows who he was!?
This strikes me as very Sad! I have it displayed in the front room of The Ravens Grin Inn, our home and Haunted House. It is well-lit, I call attention to it also using a flashlight and most of the people are no more than just 10 to as close as 3 feet away from it, and all the lights are "ON" in the room, blindingly So.
I have had this haunted,haunted house OPEN almost every night now for almost 26 years. We are forced to hire helpers in-season, of course and as many of you can imagine the "Season" is where all of the aggrievations meet us.
I can see myself doing this until I just take that last gasp, and drop dead, I'm 64 now, that moment might come sooner than I want it too! I have helped myself out by never smoking, drinking , nor doing drugs and I might be only 5 to 10 pounds overweight, many of my ancestors lived long lives, maybe I inherited something there that might help?
Yes, I am getting tired more quickly than I ever used to ... but then, TONIGHT! Six young local, Summer-Stock actors showed up for a tour of the house at 10:30, they were done and out the Exit at 12:15?
Laughing, Screaming outrageously!
My Wife and I are still remarking about the fun, funny stuff we engaged in tonight to entertain them (and ourselves at the same time!)
I LOVE the Simple things we do here that garners such rewarding results (and fond memories!)... For instance, tonight in the Kitchen ( 2nd room) I am going nutty, looking at the ceiling as I just was clutching my head pulling my hair screaming about "Mister Tuxedo!" (My deceased cat) The tall, young actor "Bit", he turned and stared for quite some time at the ceiling where I had just been staring.. I moved toward him from half-way across the room and positioned myself with my face at the back of his head. He finally, slowly turns back and THERE I AM! Half an inch away from his eyes!
A loud, genuine scream followed as he jumped away from me as best he could.
Nobody can have more fun than I do! I plan upon having three Fart machines in my coffin when I die. 
Those remote controls will be in the hands of three people who each think that "They" have the ONLY control to one machine!
So when dead-Jim begins "Farting', some people should believe I'm still ALIVE!
Happy Halloween! NEVER DIE!


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

First, as far a haunter goes...leaving your porch light on and handing out candy gets props in my book these days.

Although I've been doing something related to Halloween my whole life, I would say that I became a haunter when my first kid was born over 25 years ago. Things were pretty tame until about 2007. By tame, I mean I would put a couple of props out a week or two before Halloween and Halloween only took up time, money and the space between my ears during the month of October.. Then it started to grow exponentially. I have most of the things a haunter needs: time, money, and lots of storage. What I don't have is someone to enjoy it with. My kids pitch in when I need help moving things and on Halloween, and I have friends who are enthusiastic haunters, but for the most part this is a solitary hobby. As weird as it sounds, it seems the more I commit to Halloween, the more I commit to being alone. I'm not walking away yet, but I could. I still have a few more things I want to build in the future that will keep me going, I don't know if it'll get to the point that I just set a couple things up and sit in a chair on the porch like the old days, or if I jump on a plane and go see a football game and avoid the holiday altogether.. There's a lot of stuff around the yard and in the house that I neglect due to my focus on Halloween, so there are other avenues available for me to express my creativity and definitely chew up some time and money. Maybe it's just as simple as not expending any brain synapsis on Halloween during the year other than September and October.

This year I am all in because Mindy turns 8. Mindy lives in the cul-de-sac and has been wandering down the street for the past few years when I've been out front building props. She helps out by handing me tools and screws and spray paint when I'm building. She's the one that told me a couple of years ago that my Buckies on crosses look just like Geeeesus. Despite the fact that she helps out, she's never been allowed to go trick or treating at my house because her mom thinks it's too scary. Early in the summer when I was doing yard-work, Mindy stopped by to tell me that she'll be able to trick or treat at my house because she's turning 8 and getting baptized. I don't know if she can come because she's 8 or because she's getting baptized. Then, a week ago, on a Sunday, she was out walking her dog when I got back from getting groceries. She stopped by and said: "I thought all the stores were closed on Sunday". I said nope, and that I'd starve if they were because I didn't have time to go on other days. To which she replied: "Well that's good, because you'll need your energy to build me an AWESOME haunted house." So obviously, I'm not walking away yet.


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## Dr. Phibes (Nov 10, 2010)

jordand3 said:


> One point made by Dr. Phibes and a couple others is that they get annoyed with kids who aren't from their neighborhood or who don't have costumes. I completely understand that, and actually ran into it last year. I would urge you to honestly just look past it. I can only speak from experience, but as someone who grew up in Detroit (I'll be 30 on Saturday), trick or treating in my own neighborhood as a kid was often not an option. It wasn't safe and people simply didn't participate. I know my parents took me to relatives' houses in the 'burbs where I ran around, had a ball, and never realized then why we had to go to a different neighborhood. I try to keep that experience in mind when I'm handing out candy. You don't have a costume? Maybe your family can't afford it OR you didn't have a mom or dad who looked out for you enough to make sure you made something yourself. Either way, it costs me a couple mini Snickers. No big deal.
> 
> Halloween should be there for all kids, even if they live in low-income neighborhoods, and even if their parents aren't the best.


One thing I must point out is that it isn't just the 'no costume' or 'rude' people thing that is sort of becoming a downer. Its a culmination of things like that mixed with nobody else in my neighborhood doing anything so my own kid gets to have a crap Halloween TOT in my neighborhood so we may branch out and take her to a neighborhood that actually hands out candy and puts an effort into their decorations. Just didn't want to come off as complaining about the less fortunate kids cause that isn't the case. I plan on buying 20 or 30 dollar store masks this year to hand out to kids that don't have one just so they can go TOT real proper like (said those final 3 words in the voice of Alex from Clockwork Orange for some reason).


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## blowmoldcrazy (Jul 22, 2013)

Hilda, your story is very nice!. My story is that everyone always said "You better stop collecting, you are running out of room.", but my story began when I was a child, when my mother was small my grandmother gave her a general foam ghost with pumpkin and a ceramic pumpkin night light and those were the roots were the whole collection grew. My grandmother always had a few blowmolds for each holiday and it just took off from there.I always loved having the best decorated house on my street and running out onto the sidewalk to see how it looked, but like most kids, who didn't love going trick or treating until your legs were about to fall off. Halloween has always been part of my life, and I don't think I will ever let it go.


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

Gym Whourlfeld said:


> Last October my Father-in-law gave us a life mask of Vincent Price! I am finding that nobody under the age of 40? Knows who he was!? This strikes me as very Sad!
> 
> I plan upon having three Fart machines in my coffin when I die. Those remote controls will be in the hands of three people who each think that "They" have the ONLY control to one machine! So when dead-Jim begins "Farting', some people should believe I'm still ALIVE!


I'm in my thirties and know who he is (as do many here younger than myself, I am sure); your patrons are probably not big on older horror films, I'm guessing

The fart machine plan is hilarious



Scatterbrains said:


> First, as far a haunter goes...leaving your porch light on and handing out candy gets props in my book these days.
> 
> Early in the summer when I was doing yard-work, Mindy stopped by to tell me that she'll be able to trick or treat at my house because she's turning 8 and getting baptized. I don't know if she can come because she's 8 or because she's getting baptized. Then, a week ago, on a Sunday, she was out walking her dog when I got back from getting groceries. She stopped by and said: "I thought all the stores were closed on Sunday". I said nope, and that I'd starve if they were because I didn't have time to go on other days. To which she replied: "Well that's good, because you'll need your energy to build me an AWESOME haunted house." So obviously, I'm not walking away yet.


Unfortunately, too true.

Really? Baptism is an indoctrination into haunting? Someone must have forgotten to tell that to some of the holier-than-thou 'Born Agains' that I have had the displeasure of meeting That is really cool about the young girl being so into Halloween, Scatterbrains.


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## SCVShan (Jul 10, 2013)

I love Gym Whourlfeld's fart machine idea...wholy moly that is TOO funny! I actually keep a fart machine at work, and will hide it in someone's office (usually taped under their chair or desk) and when they have someone in their office or they are on a conference call, hit the remote control! The other office staff are only mildy amused (probably dreading the day I do it to them!), but boy do I laugh my butt off!! That IS what counts right?


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2013)

Gym Whourlfeld said:


> Halloween changes. Last October my Father-in-law gave us a life mask of Vincent Price! I am finding that nobody under the age of 40? Knows who he was!?
> This strikes me as very Sad! I have it displayed in the front room of The Ravens Grin Inn, our home and Haunted House. It is well-lit, I call attention to it also using a flashlight and most of the people are no more than just 10 to as close as 3 feet away from it, and all the lights are "ON" in the room, blindingly So.
> I have had this haunted,haunted house OPEN almost every night now for almost 26 years. We are forced to hire helpers in-season, of course and as many of you can imagine the "Season" is where all of the aggrievations meet us.
> I can see myself doing this until I just take that last gasp, and drop dead, I'm 64 now, that moment might come sooner than I want it too! I have helped myself out by never smoking, drinking , nor doing drugs and I might be only 5 to 10 pounds overweight, many of my ancestors lived long lives, maybe I inherited something there that might help?
> ...


 Love Vincent! Love! I used to watch his movies all. the . time.


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## Ophelia (Nov 3, 2009)

Aww, *Scatterbrains*! I hope we're all lucky enough to have a "Mindy" in our lives. You really can't get better motivation than that. When she's older, make sure to tell her about the forum, I want to see what she comes up with as an adult. She's got the bug, for sure!

And *Gym*, I would love to see that life mask someday. I love Vincent Price! Of course, I would guess that there are few, if any, of us here who haven't heard of him.


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## bethene (Feb 12, 2007)

very interesting thread,, l always loved Halloween as a kid in the 60's , the smell of burning leaves,, toting for the first time alone and scaring the bejeebes out of ourselves by the "scary" house! Then when my kids were young I always did the room mother thing for Halloween and dressed up in costume for it,,( my favorite year was when my daughter was in 4th grade,, mother and daughter vampiress's) and had a ghost hanging in front of the house, and pumpkins and a few other things,,, then after they were grown found the campground halloween festivals,, started with a few skellies and store bought things,, found the monster list and the forum and things grew from there,, I will say I am going to miss the campground thing this year, but at 58,loading up, hauling to the park, setting up in 2 days, tearing down and going a week later, and doing it all over again, then again at home,, is getting a bit harder on me physically, I have RA, which thankfully is doing ok, but some times it does make it hard (do it all my self) but I can not imagine not doing at least a little something,, I identify with Halloween, it is part if my persona now,,, do not wish to ever totally give it up!!

I do not have a walk thru, or do big scares,, but I guess I do consider myself a haunter, on a smallish scale of course,, but a haunter none the less!!!!


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

A note on the Vincent Price casting:My wife was sort of grossed out by one small feature of it. When they cast it they also cast his "waddle", that flap of loose skin under the chin and they have his waddle hanging crooked, as swung to the left....so his waddle is off-center!
(Maybe he was laying on his side during some of this process?)
Strange huh?


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## chinclub (Oct 6, 2011)

I only have 5 years left max (possibly only 2) of haunting and then I am done. We live out in the middle of nowhere and have no neighbors. If I decorated the yard no one would ever even see it. So, we hold a huge party for our kids friends and families and have a huge haunted house. My daughter will be going away to college in two years. She is the main Halloween lover of our two kids so our party might end with her. My son will be gone in 5 years and then the parties will certainly stop.


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

Gym Whourlfeld said:


> A note on the Vincent Price casting:My wife was sort of grossed out by one small feature of it. When they cast it they also cast his "waddle", that flap of loose skin under the chin and they have his waddle hanging crooked, as swung to the left....so his waddle is off-center!
> (Maybe he was laying on his side during some of this process?)
> Strange huh?


That is very funny, Gym.



chinclub said:


> I only have 5 years left max (possibly only 2) of haunting and then I am done. We live out in the middle of nowhere and have no neighbors. If I decorated the yard no one would ever even see it. So, we hold a huge party for our kids friends and families and have a huge haunted house. My daughter will be going away to college in two years. She is the main Halloween lover of our two kids so our party might end with her. My son will be gone in 5 years and then the parties will certainly stop.


Boooooo!!


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

RCIAG said:


> I'm hoping someone will just take my ashes & incorporate them into a prop!!


My wife has commented a number of times how she'll have to do this with my ashes.


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## Ophelia (Nov 3, 2009)

I just want to say that I've been really enjoying this thread, and it's given me a lot to think about.

*Chinclub*, your post made me very sad, although I do understand your reasons. I don't know how I'd feel knowing there was a definite expiration date on my Halloween celebrations.


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

I just wanted to add something (I already posted on this thread)...I would still decorate even if we had no trick-or-treaters at all and even if I never got a single compliment or comment. It just wouldn't feel like Halloween without decorating. I know I'd do this because I have. Many, many years I've lived in locations where we literally did not get one single knock on the door. I knew this (after the first year or two) but I decked out anyway. I'm selfish -- I do it not only for "others" but simply because it gives me that happy feeling I've had since I was a child. I don't think I'll ever just not do it.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Even though Ravens Grin is open every night (of the year) some people always question us "Will you be open?" I began saying "Yes, we are open, but if I die in the meantime, come on in, I'll be waiting for you!"
This is a "Haunted" Haunted House and my Great-grandfather worked here as a part time bartender 110 years ago. Maybe he and I could be "working" together?
This last weekend was often times hysterical!
I heard and saw new reactions from patrons, heard new stories of the reputation of this creation of mine from a now adult's 6th grade childhood, very funny!
We had many first-timers here, who have been anticipating seeing this "show" for YEARS! (And they were not disappointed!)
We met some extensive Yard-Haunters, one of which made new sounds when fear found him here! (He must have tried to escape the "Monster" by throwing his body sideways quickly into the very close walls?)
My "Monster" was a ball of fake hair that "ran" up the wall in front of him!
Yes! I am laughing right now as I type this!


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

*and I am*

Still laughing now!


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

OMG Gym that is hilarious! LOL!!


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## Chewbacca (Oct 12, 2010)

chinclub said:


> I only have 5 years left max (possibly only 2) of haunting and then I am done. We live out in the middle of nowhere and have no neighbors. If I decorated the yard no one would ever even see it. So, we hold a huge party for our kids friends and families and have a huge haunted house. My daughter will be going away to college in two years. She is the main Halloween lover of our two kids so our party might end with her. My son will be gone in 5 years and then the parties will certainly stop.


We live out in the country as well and have a good size party each year, complete with walkthrough haunt. The average age at the parties is probably 50+, mostly retired folks. Just because the kids are gone doesn't mean that Halloween is over, adults like to be scared and have fun just as much as kids do. I'll probably stop, or at least cut back, in about 20 years or so when I get too old to do the work involved.


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## tortured_serenity (Sep 17, 2012)

I live out in the boonies and don't have a real "haunt" i put on i just like to decorate my yard and do it for myself and my kids. I love coming home every night from work seeing my yard lit up with monsters and zombies lurking in it and it makes me very happy. Few things make me as happy as Halloween does so i don't ever see me not decorating for it.


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## tortured_serenity (Sep 17, 2012)

Hilda "The idea about the carved pumpkin each year on the gravesite is beautiful. I think I need to revise my Will"
I COMPLETELY LOVE this idea!!! I am going to make sure to tell my oldest daughter and husband this ASAP. We love picking the perfect pumpkins together then carve them together, i don't know why i never thought of it. Thank you.


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## chinclub (Oct 6, 2011)

Yeah, it is sad, but once its just me and the hubby we can make new traditions. Maybe we will start touring haunted houses. There are a bunch of great ones I would love to see one day.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

I am pretty sure I read that the late Vincent Price is the one who said this: "Nothing beats scaring people!"
I tell my patrons this as they are looking at the life-cast of Vincent.. then as I look away as I am saying this the small wooden box I mounted his likeness in (with a plexiglass cover ), moves slightly, turning towards me as it sits on top of the old upright piano!
Yesterday afternoon as I looked at Vincent in his box to begin talking about him I noticed the box had already done this rotating little trick, but nobody had been anywhere near the trigger for it... spooky....true too.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Maybe it's time to begin a new (but related) thread about this, called:" Where or Who did we get our Halloween inspiration from?"
My Mother and Grandmother were into dressing up for Halloween , as was my older cousin who dressed me up in 1860 little girl's dresses when I was about 3-4 yrs. old. She wore them too and so did the big tabby cat who laid in the old baby buggy as we pushed it around, we used catolfa (SP?) leaves for our hats, they are large leaves that did a good job of providing shade for our heads.
Being a child in the 1950's did the rest for me. Sci-fi, monster movies, Famous Monsters Magazine. and discovering the thrill of the scare as inflicted upon unsuspecting others!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I LOVE the idea of the lit jack-o-lantern on my grave each year!!! It's similar to what I already do for my loved ones who have left me. When I was a kid, a tradition was started for me to go to our local farms annual Pumpkin Harvest and Craft Show, pick out my pumpkins and take them home to paint. One year, when I was 13, my Grandma died. That year I felt the need to take one of my painted pumpkins to the cemetery for her grave. My Godfather was also buried there, so I took him one as well. I continued to do this each year without fail. I painted each pumpkin specifically for them, with something they would like. A few years ago, my aunt passed suddenly. I began making her a pumpkin then, too. Shortly after her, my Grandpa passed...he, as well, now gets his own pumpkin each year. (My Grandpa was the one responsible for my love of art and painting. He was so talented. He loved Halloween, too, and decorated up a storm! He gave me his paints and brushes to use each year to paint the pumpkins, and he sprayed them for me to protect the paint from the weather. When he passed, painting him his pumpkin was tremendously heartbreaking...) I have been doing this for 19 years now. At my Grandfathers funeral, the parents of my Godfather came up to me, held my hands and told me how much they loved the pumpkins I left for their son each year and how much it meant to them. That meant so much to me! I will never stop painting these pumpkins for as long as I am able...and if I can't paint anymore someday, I will still bring them pumpkins if I am able!! I can only hope that when it is my turn to go, someone will bring me a pumpkin...

Off of the sad note...I can't imagine ever giving up Halloween! My whole family (aunts, uncles, cousins, ect) is insane about Halloween, lol. We love to decorate, we love to pass out candy and we love to have parties! We are seriously a group of crazy people, and aren't afraid to say it, lol. I will do whatever I can until the day I die, no matter how little I am able to physically do. I have loved all things Halloween and spooky and witches (especially witches!!!!!!), ghosts, vampires, ect since as long as I can remember. I don't have the money for any big, fancy walk through displays, but I do as much as I can! I do it for the love of it, for myself, for others, for the spirit of it. No one on our small cul de sac really decorates except us...and we get few ToTs...including the ones without costumes, or the rude ones...but it doesn't matter. Decorations would go up even if I had zero people to see it, as we enjoy it ourselves. I grew up on a small street on the side of the woods with zero ToTs. I lived with my Grandpa, Grandma, aunts and my mom. We still decorated like crazy, inside, outside, every room. It's all for the love of it...always has been, always will be.
Please don't let other people's disinterest of the holiday ever stop you from loving it yourself. 
I can understand getting tired or worn out of the same old or the tremendous work it is to set up a large haunt...but I'd find something else to do then in the Halloween spirit!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

^^^Sorry, got carried away and wrote a book up there...oh the stories I could tell y'all from Halloweens past...lol.


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

I LOVED your post, WitchyKitty!


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

Gym Whourlfeld said:


> I am pretty sure I read that the late Vincent Price is the one who said this: "Nothing beats scaring people!"
> I tell my patrons this as they are looking at the life-cast of Vincent.. then as I look away as I am saying this the small wooden box I mounted his likeness in (with a plexiglass cover ), moves slightly, turning towards me as it sits on top of the old upright piano!
> Yesterday afternoon as I looked at Vincent in his box to begin talking about him I noticed the box had already done this rotating little trick, but nobody had been anywhere near the trigger for it... spooky....true too.


Actually, Vincent Price said “It's as much fun to scare as to be scared.”


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## diggerc (Sep 29, 2005)

I know there is a dissertation coming because I'm not sure if I'm not there myself. the past several years have taken a toll on my enthusiasm.


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

WitchyKitty said:


> ^^^Sorry, got carried away and wrote a book up there...oh the stories I could tell y'all from Halloweens past...lol.


No big deal. What you do is very sweet, WitchyKitty.



diggerc said:


> I know there is a dissertation coming because I'm not sure if I'm not there myself. the past several years have taken a toll on my enthusiasm.


Don't drop the decorating; if it feels too much like work, simply cut back to whatever level you are comfortable with.


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

Well, I seem to be partially dying this Halloween.

I just effectively cancelled my charity haunt. My volunteers, a boy scout troop, just backed out on me, after committing last February. I guess even boy scouts can't be trusted to keep their word anymore. No way I'm going to come up with 50 volunteers in the next 2 1/2 weeks.


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

Blarghity said:


> Well, I seem to be partially dying this Halloween.
> 
> I just effectively cancelled my charity haunt. My volunteers, a boy scout troop, just backed out on me, after committing last February. I guess even boy scouts can't be trusted to keep their word anymore. No way I'm going to come up with 50 volunteers in the next 2 1/2 weeks.


Pathetic little pieces of dung... Their new mantra should be, "When the going gets tough, $*)# it." That is _really_ sh!tty. I hope that you manage to wrangle some help in time, Blarghity.


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## ELH(Erin Loves Halloween) (Nov 5, 2008)

For all its worth I agree with Dr. Phibes. I started out with the saddest yard ever. It has grown over the years, added so many things, been in the paper and the newstation and then things happen in life. My mother got very ill in 2011, my cousin basically gave up her child which I took in last year. For a while...
Anyways my obsession sort of went away. WHICH I NEVER EVER EVER thought could happen.
I lost the spark or the love. I hadn't even been on here since February. But to me something just clicked
I thought girl you better get your halloween butt in gear and get ready for the 2013 SEASON! ...So I am back LOL....I guess sometimes what I mean to say is in every haunters life there are other priorities sometimes that can make your haunt run go away.
But now that my life has settled down quite considerably heck you could even call it boring... I am obsessing over halloween. Its always been there waiting for me to Love it again. ♥


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

ELH(Erin Loves Halloween) said:


> I am obsessing over halloween. Its always been there waiting for me to Love it again. ♥


Halloween is better than people; it does not judge, never turns its back on anyone, and is guaranteed to be there waiting when the storm begins to blow over.


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## TheMayor (Sep 3, 2011)

I've been doing this since 2000, I can't see an end but you never know!


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## CrystalRose (Jan 17, 2013)

My husband and I don't do a yard haunt. We do several camping trip haunts which helps keep the spirit up because the whole park joins in. We've only been doing it a few years though. I am sure at some point we will need to take a break or scale down some but right now we are having fun with it.


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## Helena Handbasket (Oct 21, 2012)

jordand3 said:


> This thread has honestly been a pleasure to read. I'm relatively new to the haunter game and still haven't accumulated much. My wife and I lived in apartments for our first four years of marriage, so when we bought our first home last year, this became a top priority. We're both really into the season and are throwing our second annual party for family and friends. One of the coolest things was the first time I saw a group of neighborhood kids nervously walk by my display last year and then run off screaming and laughing. I've been pretty much hooked since then.
> 
> One point made by Dr. Phibes and a couple others is that they get annoyed with kids who aren't from their neighborhood or who don't have costumes. I completely understand that, and actually ran into it last year. I would urge you to honestly just look past it. I can only speak from experience, but as someone who grew up in Detroit (I'll be 30 on Saturday), trick or treating in my own neighborhood as a kid was often not an option. It wasn't safe and people simply didn't participate. I know my parents took me to relatives' houses in the 'burbs where I ran around, had a ball, and never realized then why we had to go to a different neighborhood. I try to keep that experience in mind when I'm handing out candy. You don't have a costume? Maybe your family can't afford it OR you didn't have a mom or dad who looked out for you enough to make sure you made something yourself. Either way, it costs me a couple mini Snickers. No big deal.
> 
> Halloween should be there for all kids, even if they live in low-income neighborhoods, and even if their parents aren't the best.



I'm in the Detroit area too and most of the kids I get at my house are driven in from Detroit with no costumes. I go back and forth about the no costume thing only because to me, that's one of the really fun things about Halloween and it bums me out to see most of my TOTs not wearing them. I always ask them what they're dressed as and a lot of them come up with creative answers ("I'm a giant" lol). I still dress up to hand out candy, though. 

Last year, a couple kids told me my house was the spookiest they'd seen all night. I'm one of the only houses in the neighborhood that really decorates, but as long as the kids enjoy it, I'll do it. Hell, I'll do it for myself.


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## 1313 (Sep 9, 2011)

I'm really lucky as I get to do a large walk thru haunt at my kids school. I have 3 more years till she is junior high...so my mania is validated at least that long. Last year the weather really screwed me up for home, ToT was during the day, and like a week late. Nothing points out prop shortcomings like broad daylight! Plus very few people. Did get some thanks for the effort tho. All in all, I will keep going until as long as it feels right. Hoping to do the middle school too!


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## Tinaspaintedlady (Aug 7, 2008)

Life sure throws us curve balls and like others have said, Halloween is there for us every year. I am 42 and for the most part been able to celebrate in one fashion or another BUT have missed some due to deaths in the family or moving to a new state. 

Hoping to be lucky enough to live to see many more, in the meantime, I enjoy reading this forum and embracing everything that fall-October-has to offer.

It does make me sad to read some of you living in areas that have no spirit. That would be tough to see.


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## screamqueen2012 (Aug 2, 2012)

we've done an annual maze for 15 years...its gotten huge. i'm not doing it this year. past several years, getting up and down a step stool/ladder has gotten really hard with a bad knee and hip, every year harder. i change our maze every year, the pattern and do all the wall and wiring, no one else can do it, its "in my head"...lol major work and my kids are aged up now as had our neighborhood. i decided to redo alot of my house furniture, i collect and sell antiques and decided this year to put all the money i put in my maze and buying props every year into redoing alot of my house from estate and auctions sales....its been a blast. i've gotten some incredible pieces i can enjoy daily and stage the inside, we do decorate the whole downstairs gothic victorian haunted house...i almost feel like i've made a much better investment, i do resell.........then spirit comes out this year with all the good props they havent in a few years...aghhhh...but i'll incorporate alot in the house and we are doing the front yard very heavy graveyard, i always run out of time and energy to get that done just like i want it when we did the maze....i'm going to bring back a trick we made years ago this year, its a shipping box my husband will be in to scare the kids. i'm going to miss that HIGH you get running and doing a maze. omg what fun we have had but its gotten to the point of really being a very stressful thing to get up as i've gotten older now, i've never had more than one person to help me then my daughter would help me decorate.....weather here has been horrid this spring and summer and supposed to not change this fall so i'm not missing a thing with this freaking rain everyday.......i've not given up but i'm not putting it up this year.


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

1313 said:


> I'm really lucky as I get to do a large walk thru haunt at my kids school. I have 3 more years till she is junior high...so my mania is validated at least that long. Last year the weather really screwed me up for home, ToT was during the day, and like a week late. Nothing points out prop shortcomings like broad daylight! Plus very few people. Did get some thanks for the effort tho. All in all, I will keep going until as long as it feels right. Hoping to do the middle school too!


Definitely try to keep doing it until she graduates high school.

See, once she gets to high school, you can get the drama club involved as a means for them to recruit people who otherwise wouldn't join. Around here, drama clubs have been shrinking because they invariably put on a musical instead of a dramatic play. Official involvement with an in-school haunt would help boost membership by offing involvement in something that isn't a musical. And if all goes well with that involvement, it will give you justification to continue doing it after your daughter graduates as well.


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## Wifeofrankie (Apr 12, 2012)

Dr. Phibes said:


> I'll never be the person with a JoAnn Fabrics scarecrow on my lawn and nothing else, but I am slowly debating smaller and smaller displays. Mostly because I am a city dwellar and nobody else out of the 100 to 150 homes in my general vicinity do anything for Halloween at all. Starting to feel unappreciated and taken advantage of. I have described in other threads how most of my TOT are kids/teens from low income housing and they show up with no costumes, don't appreciate my efforts, and quite frankly I am pretty tired of it. When half my TOT are 13 or older, put on no costume, and grab as much candy as they can out of my container until I pretty much have to tell each of them 'thats enough'....it has just wore me down to the point that I don't really care so am on the verge of a very small display and driving my own daughter off to some neighborhood where the people actually care to do the TOT. Not sure how much sense it makes to miss seeing my own kid TOT on Halloween so I can stay home and hand out candy to unappreciative rude people.


You could always have a party a weekend before Halloween with friends and family. Do it up in your home and a little outside for it, so that you have fun, and get what you want out of it. Then, forget the neighborhood! Take your kid out to a great place to TOT. That way everyone you care about gets the Halloween they deserve and the people that couldn't careless about Halloween can go find someone else to act ungrateful towards. Our party is what helps me the most. That night is what I really do it all for. The night of Halloween is pretty boring because there aren't that many young families around us. I would not feel like it was worth it if I only did it for Halloween night.


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## dariusobells (Sep 24, 2007)

I have always been a Halloween nut. although didn't always haunt. about 7 years ago I was at a friends house who was planing his large annual Halloween Bash and I made a statement to the effect of "man I wish I could build a haunted cemetery in my yard." and was surprised to hear my DW reply, "go for it." 

Now I live on a residential feeder road that leads to a fairly high cost neighborhood just down the hill so we get lots and lots of trafic from folks inside our area and coming in from other areas. I did a few years ago think about chucking the full yard haunt and cutting back to just a small display near the door but once I started setting up and parents and kids started stopping and saying thank you and telling me how much they love our yard... well the blah mood was gone. 

we do get some without costumes but most try at least to dress up in some way even if it's just a mask so I don't complain, we get a few double dippers but my candy crew is pretty sharp and will usually let them have 1 piece on their second round (we hand it out usually every kid gets 3 or 4 pieces, but no body is allowed to reach into the cauldron.) It gets the point accross we haven't had to make a scene with any of them. Eventually I will have to scale back but not yet still going strong this year.


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