# Haunted Carnival



## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

We decided that our theme this year would be a haunted carnival with twisted gamed and freaks in cages, but we are having no luck at coming up with an appropriate name for the haunt. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Also, taking a tip from Devil's Chariot, we are planning on having a "bowl the skull" game and also a "pull the shrunken head" game. Any other ideas for fun, but distorted carnival games?


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

I have a carnival theme in the planning stages as well. I like giving the carnival haunt a name too instead of using something like CarnEvil which is a great name but used a lot. Two names I'm tossing around are Carnival of Souls and SpiritWorld. Won't decide until I have to make up the signage. Settling on the perfect name is the hardest part IMO. Try imaging a carnival barker calling out "Step right up and be prepared to be amazed and terrified. Welcome to (fill in the blank)! Where your most terrifying nightmare is our playground!" and see what sticks for you.

Not distorted but maybe you can improvise on it--I just picked up some decent sized rubber duckies from the DOLLAR TREE that I'm thinking of using in a carnival area called NightGames (set up in a garage most likely where it can be good and dark inside). They float and I'm thinking of painting them with GID or flourescent paint and having them in a water trough of some sort and carnival goers can win a prize or get tickets to "buy" a prize by tossing a GID bracelet around a duck's head. The TARGET GID bracelets I bought the other year work pretty well. It's doable but not real easy either. Might turn the ducks into skellie ducks and call the game "DeadRinger". Suppose you could gross it up a bit by using prop heads instead of the ducks and tossing GID necklaces instead of the bracelets as long as they will fall over the heads.

I also picked up a few of the DOLLAR TREE foam baseballs to possibly use in a baseball game toss (think of the carnival game with stacked bottles knocked down with a baseball). I'd like to paint the baseball stitching with GID paint and instead of bottles might use GID light-weight plastic skulls stacked on top of each other in a pyramid. Haven't tried this out yet so it's just conceptual at this point. Might call this one "Numb Skull" figuring the skull would be pretty numb after getting hit in the head with baseballs. The DT baseballs are white cloth and should glow nicely under blacklight and if they don't a soaking in GID laundry detergent should do the trick.

One last game idea. I have a few masks that have open mouths as part of their design, like they are screaming. Had this idea to use the masks mounted on a horizontal bar with beakers located underneath and behind the mask to catch fluid, and carnival goers would compete to fill their beaker first by using water guns. It would have to be set up so that only water that went through the open mouth would end up in the beaker. To go gory you could try coloring the water with a non-staining washable blood color if using human masks or maybe green "blood" if shooting at Alien faces. What color is zombie blood BTW? Or do zombies have blood?

There's a thread started a few years ago in the Props section called Circus Props that may have some ideas for you. I seem to recall someone posting a video (still up?) of a really nicely done carnival game area based on a body part toss (severed body parts like from DOLLAR TREE). Carnival goers stood at a line and had body parts to toss into the appropriate game board hole (the vertical target area was painted like a body with holes for the brain, heart, hand, etc. to pass through). If they missed the hole, the body part would fall down on a slanted board and tumble forward to be scooped up by the carnival assistant. The video was impressive and it looked like a lot of fun.

Good luck on choosing a haunt name.


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## naberhoodhaunts (Mar 13, 2008)

Circus of the damned was our name when we did it. this is what our canival barker was in. just think of the guy dressed in a stripped suit.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=550353660397&set=t.1773265377&type=3&theater


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Naborhoodhaunts, your Facebook picture must be marked private because it won't show when I clicked on Your link. Message about not having permission. Can you add The photo to your HF album so everyone here can see it?


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Spookie,
As usual, you come up with unique and totally spectacular ideas. LOVE the Dead Ringer idea, but I think I am going to tweak it and using body parts (hand, heart, foot, etc) all glued to a board instead of the ducks. Just an FYI, last year Oriental trading had some yellow ducks that had a Halloween theme, like a vampire duck, a Frankenstien duck, a skeleton duck, etc. that might work for your "pond".

I was also giving some thought to having the kiddos shoot those stretchy rubber chicken into the witch's cauldron. Call it something like "Pot Luck"

Still having a hard time with a name, but I'm sure something will come eventually. If you think of anything else, please let me know!


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

WOW! Thanks for the great ideas! I love the "numb skull" game and will probably use it, if you don't mind. Also read all of the postings in the Circus Props theme, and go some really good ideas to build on, although some were definitely out of my league. I can dream, though. We're setting up under our carport and ordered some red nd white striped plastic sheeting for create "tent" walls and bunting. Still playing around with name ideas, but I have some time yet to decide. I just want to make sure that I allow myself enough time to make the signage. Not doing any black lighting this year, but I definitely will be using neon paint everywhere I can. I'll add some circus music and balloons to the mix. I have a couple of clowns to set up, a fun house mirror, a talking clown head that I am going to set up on a pedestal to talk to the TOTs, one of those static lightening balls, and some vintage circus/side show posters to hang. Everything else will be done by live actors as side show characters (snake lady, the black widow, Pongo - the wild boy, the two headed-dog). Do you have any other suggestions that don't require an engineering background to make? I certainly game to try, but I know my limits!

Recently I found a child's bowling set at a garage sale, and think I will paint the pins to look like skeletons and have the kids use a softball sized skull to "bowl" down the pins for one of my games. 

I was also playing with the idea of filling a child's pool with sand, small toys and "critters", and calling it "The Boneyard". Each TOT would take the big scoop and get one chance to scoop out a big scoop of the sand and drop it in the sieve to see what goodies they "dig" up. Then they would get to keep whatever they found.

Might set up a shooting gallery with shrunken heads as the targets, and let the kiddos shoot nerf balls at them. Not sure about that one and haven't come up with a name yet for it either.

Love this site so much! It has really inspired me to expand my haunts. Never done a carnival/circus theme before, but I'm having a ball coming up with ideas. Keep it coming, guys!


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Thanks for kind words. I've found tons of great ideas and advice here as well. 

I saw a kids' bowling ball set while at BIG LOTS! last night ($10) so was going to come here and suggest it for your arcade area but see that you already picked a set up elsewhere! Great minds!! I was going to suggest turning the pins (8.75 in) into ghosts and painting the bowling balls like eyeballs. The set at BL was nice in that it also came with a bowling alley mat (22 in x 60 in), two bowling balls. I thought elevating the bowling lane to banquet table level would be a good thing. Add some wood along the sides of the table top so the ball and pins don't fall off. I'd probably add some spooky cloth over the alley and make some kind of haunted display signage with the game name where the pins set up. You could probably punch some holes in the sign board and add globe lights from behind to illuminate it.

Sounds like you've got some fun stuff planned. I like the idea of the boneyard a lot. The sand could get all over things and the kids and get kind of messy. Kind of like glitter! But it works so well with the theme of digging up things though. BTW I had similar thoughts about creating a mess by having the rubber duckies floating in water or the kids using water guns.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Shebear1, have you ever seen Lemax's Spookytown "Heads Will Roll" display before? Thought it might give you some ideas for your bowling alley game. It's one of my favorite pieces (I have a lot of favorites from them actually but won't let myself start collecting though because I would be poor and have no room for anything). Here's a link to a photo of it: http://lemax-spookytown.com/LargePix.asp?thisPix=../ShoppingCart/Images/94970.jpg


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## CycloneJack (Jun 30, 2011)

Just now came across this thread. Sorry for the tardiness. I posted a quick tutorial for a "Bloody Ring Toss" awhile back. Heres the link:http://www.halloweenforum.com/tutorials-step-step/106294-bloody-ring-toss.html
A very simple project and it literally cost less than ten bucks to build. The ToTs loved it and so did my party guest.
Hope it helps you out.


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

I had planned on doing a scary tales party this year but have somehow found myself lured to the evil carnival side...just wanted tosay everyone has some awesome ideas...my plan involves cyclone jacks ring toss, the fish bowl game (still need name) using eyeballs to toss into the fish bowls and plastic goldfish soaps in bags as the prize...I also planned to do the dart/balloon game aka Tempt your Fate...food will include corndogs, spiked lemonade, soft pretzels, cotton candy and funnel cakes...yummmm, I want to do kind of a cross version circus/carvival...im thinking Cirque du (blank)...and keeping everything white, black, orange, red and grungy


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Some member of the forum made a Zombie version of a bean-bag toss (or cornhole) game. I think it was called "Feed the Zombie" or something like that.
It consisted of a board with the outline of a zombie painted on it. Then it had various holes cut into it with different point values. Instead of bean-bags tossed, it was various body parts--like the cut off hands and feet you can get from the Dollar Tree.
Don't forget to make a hole for that all important "crotch shot". LOL


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Pumpkinpie,

Since my carnival is also going to have it's side show/freak show, we've decided to call it the Menagerie du Macabre.


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

I love that...I found this on pinterest but it was from a member here on halloweenforum...hope it inspires u


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## Paint It Black (Sep 15, 2011)

I am planning a "Midnight Carnival" for 2013 to include a ringmaster, clowns, rotten candy vendor, freak show, banners and lights. Still need music and a few other things.


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

I did a modified version of CycloneJacks ring toss game.....(thank you CJack!) and i have started my popcorn vendor, he needs some white pants.


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

Love your projects, Im doing cyclone jacks ring toss as well  your version is so cool just looks a little more finished (it would be awesome if it could spin too)...


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Hey, Paint It Black, what types of things are you doing for your freak show?

Pumpkin Pie, did you make your feral rat? If so, where did you find that fabulous hairy rat!


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## Paint It Black (Sep 15, 2011)

SheBear1, For my side show, I am planning at least 2 attractions and to paint some sideshow signs on canvas to go above them:
1) Gorilla Boy- part gorilla, part boy (a large boy doll with a Gorilla mask)
2) Mr. Gilley - part man, part fish (a skeleton with a fish head mask)

Other characters for the day will be clowns and a ringmaster. Found this cool ringmaster jacket at a yard sale:


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Love the jacket! It fits so perfectly with the whole theme.

For our side show, we're working on a Chupacabra, an alien two-headed creature, Imotep mummy, and a snake pit along with several smaller items like a glory hand, shrunken heads, and visual effects like a bubble machine, a Jacob's ladder and a static ball. I wish I could find a couple of strings of those round Christmas lights that I could hang inside the tent, but I haven't had any luck locating them. Maybe closer to September. I'm even attempting to turn my border collie into Cerebus the 3-headed dog that guards the gates of hell by building a harness with two styrofoam heads made to look like my Shelby that will hang on either side of her own. Don't know if I'll be able to get it to work though, but we'll see. Of course, there will be warped carnival music playing and several life-sized crazed sideshow clowns standing/swinging around.

I won a deck of cards with side show freaks several months ago on Ebay, and I plan on having 5 or 6 of the pictures blown up to poster size just to hang around inside and outside the "tent". My husband is going to be dressed as a strongman and I am going to be the bearded lady.

We're also going to have three midway games. My husband has taken an old wooden pallet and used the wood to fashion a coffin-shaped box which I plan on filling with sand, small rocks, and dirt, planting small plastic toys in it (along with roaches, spiders, small bones, etc) all through it. The TOTs will get to dig one shovelful of dirt and they can keep whatever toys they "dig" up. We're calling it The Boneyard. Another game is going to be where we've taken a child's plastic bowling set and painted the pins with glow-in-the-dark paint to look like Day of the Dead skeletons. The kids will use a large styrofoam skull to try to knock down as many pins as they can. This one we're thinking about calling either Heads Up or Numb Skull. The last game will be our version of CycloneJacks ring toss game - the standard! 

As the kids leave "the tent", they will each get one of those red & white striped paper popcorn bags filled with their treats. Gosh, I LOVE Halloween!!!


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

I just came across this






they also have a duck/goose and a dog...he was around $30...heres a link http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/w...tem_Baby-Skel-E-Dragon_CJ4633_ps_cti-1BD.html


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## Paint It Black (Sep 15, 2011)

SheBear1,

Do you have a Big Lots store? They have those strands of round colored lights for your circus tent at $10 a box in their garden section right now.

I also found some at Target's after-Christmas sale last year. 

All of your ideas sound fantastic, by the way.


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

No, Ihaven't tried Big Lots. Was afraid it was too early in the year, but I will definitely go by there on my way home from work. Thanks for the suggestion.


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Pumpkin Pie,

I bought the skele-dog from What on Earth last year, but I didn't see your find. He's awesome and would certainly be a great oddity for my side show. What is he called?


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

baby skel-e-dragon


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## Spooky_Girl1980 (Jul 12, 2010)

If anyone is interested in those cardboard popcorn boxes that are white with red stripes for creepy fake food like eyes or severed fingers you can get a 6 pack of them for a $1 in the party section at Dollar General.


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Got my baby skel-e-dragon yesterday from What on Earth. It is much better than I thought - heavy and well constructed. I've decided to use it in my side show menagerie as the skeleton of the Jersey Devil. The skeletal wings, long snout and long teeth will work perfectly for it. I also bought a hairless latex vampire dog that I am going to add stiff spikes along its backbone and turn it into a chupacabra-type creature. For my snake pit, my husband attached a revolving rotisserie motor to a wire that we inserted into my 6ft rubber python, and when its turned on the head and about 8 inches of the neck move up and down. Looks ver realistic, and once it is surrounded by all of the other snakes I have been collecting, it really ought to look like it's moving under the pile. I also have 2 spitting snakes, and a rattle snake whose tail really rattles when someone comes close enough. Very cool.


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

Shebear1 said:


> Got my baby skel-e-dragon yesterday from What on Earth. It is much better than I thought - heavy and well constructed. I've decided to use it in my side show menagerie as the skeleton of the Jersey Devil. The skeletal wings, long snout and long teeth will work perfectly for it. I also bought a hairless latex vampire dog that I am going to add stiff spikes along its backbone and turn it into a chupacabra-type creature. For my snake pit, my husband attached a revolving rotisserie motor to a wire that we inserted into my 6ft rubber python, and when its turned on the head and about 8 inches of the neck move up and down. Looks ver realistic, and once it is surrounded by all of the other snakes I have been collecting, it really ought to look like it's moving under the pile. I also have 2 spitting snakes, and a rattle snake whose tail really rattles when someone comes close enough. Very cool.


I am so jealous...I want him so bad....please post pics so I can see how he really looks  Where did you find your vampire dog and for how much...I would love to see him as well Thanks


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Pumpkinpie,

Here's a picture of the Zombie Dog I got (http://www.amazon.com/Seasons-18688...LR32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339102093&sr=8-1) that I'm going to to turn into the chupacabra creature. Hopefully you can look at the URL, because I am photo attachment handicapped!


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

He is amazing....I should get one, here where I live people swear that they're is strange dog creature running the streets. They actually have a website...they call him the Nixa Hell Hound, hilarious...


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

oh I like him alot! He will make a great chupacabra.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Love the "hand and foot" toss. Making the base spin would be a cool addition to it and add more challenge for those older kids. Maybe a good use for an old turntable?

As for the globe lights, I also saw them at Big Lots, in their summer area. Saw colored globes in Party City as well but more expensive (used small mini lights inside I believe, not LEDs) but then not sure how many globes were on the strand. Target online has the colored globes in stock right now (the preceeding text is a clickable link but not showing up well with the new forum setup BTW--looks slightly bold but that's it). You get 25 globes for $11.99. I have both the Big Lots and Target LED strands and prefer the Target Sylvania the best for overall color, more globes on the BL strands however.. The Target/Sylvania globes are a thicker plastic, overall solid color and produce a more vivid colored light IMO. In fact the Target price right now online is below what it was regularly during xmas season when I think it was priced more like $14, sale price might have been more like current price. I noticed that the Target website says their globes are sold online only. Not sure if that will change when they get closer to Christmas, but guess there's the possibility that they won't be restocking them in the store this year and Instead featuring another brand or style.

Here's a link to Big Lots 40 globe strand (clickable link).


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## Shebear1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Thanks, Spookie. I'll have to go and check out Target's site. I really want the globes to be as vivid as possible so we get more of a midway effect going. I also love your idea about the spinning turntable, and it should be really easy to set up. 

Thanks for the "thumbs up" on my zombie dog, Off My Meds. He is really so cool in person (so to speak). I am really excited about him.

I'm really psyched this weekend, because a friend of mine is going to clear out all of her junk from her attic, and she tells me she will give me all of her halloween stuff, because she is just not into the spirit of decorating anymore. Sad for her, but really excited for me! I've seen what she has decorated with in past years, and some of it is exceptional! I don't know how much I will be able to utilize in my carnival idea, but I know I will use it all eventually! Maybe it will give me ideas for Halloween 2013!!!!!!


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## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

I have top second GOS on the Target globe lights. I bought them for my carnival/circus scene and they were great. I only wish that I could have the same brilliant lighting with the LED versions (as these do get hot and am working with fabric and plastic). But the LED ones have a mold seam on the globe that I dont like.

Loving all the ideas that are being shared here, called my mom up and shes giving me her walmart skeleton vendor that we dressed up like the guy in this thread and I also wanted to offer an idea  Something that I need to buy for this year is the invisible walking dog prop, might be neat with a clown holding the leash. 

Also, am thinking about getting the cymbols clapping monkey somehow into my scene, the scary one like from the Shining. I am unsure how to keep it going all night without bonking its head to start him up. So when I saw the new for 2012 costume of the cymbol monkey I knew this would be an awesome costume to freak people out with. Blend in with the scene and clap then lunge, . http://www.buycostumes.com/Clash-The-Musical-Monkey-Adult-Costume/802794/ProductDetail.aspx


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## talkingcatblues (Jan 30, 2009)

Okay, that monkey costume is an effin' freak-out - picturing edging the cymbals into mini spinning Skilsaw blades, complete with sound...

The zombie dog is great!  Nice find.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

kittyvibe said:


> I have top second GOS on the Target globe lights. I bought them for my carnival/circus scene and they were great. I only wish that I could have the same brilliant lighting with the LED versions (as these do get hot and am working with fabric and plastic). But the LED ones have a mold seam on the globe that I dont like.
> 
> Loving all the ideas that are being shared here, called my mom up and shes giving me her walmart skeleton vendor that we dressed up like the guy in this thread and I also wanted to offer an idea  Something that I need to buy for this year is the invisible walking dog prop, might be neat with a clown holding the leash.
> 
> Also, am thinking about getting the cymbols clapping monkey somehow into my scene, the scary one like from the Shining. I am unsure how to keep it going all night without bonking its head to start him up. So when I saw the new for 2012 costume of the cymbol monkey I knew this would be an awesome costume to freak people out with. Blend in with the scene and clap then lunge, . http://www.buycostumes.com/Clash-The-Musical-Monkey-Adult-Costume/802794/ProductDetail.aspx



Kittyvibe, Great costume find there on the monkey with cymbals! If you needed a backstory for the costumed monkey you could always tell the kids that the carnival magician changed the little monkey into a giant and to watch out for him because the monkey isn't happy being so big now. As for the animated toy monkeys, I have one of those annoying and somewhat freaky monkey toys that screeches and hits his cymbals (a la Toy Story 3 I think it was with the school room). I thought maybe it was sound activated but not sure any more. 

BTW a bit confused reading your first paragraph. Did you buy the regular glass version globes instead of the LEDs? I know the seam is there for any of the plastic globe colored lights that I've seen since they seem to be molded that way. I've been going LED whenever I can, not only because of the electrical cost but as you mentioned the heat of the regular bulbs if you need to put them next to foamboard or fabric. Plus I hate looking for replacement bulbs at the last minute when the regular ones burn out right at halloween time when the xmas bulbs haven't hit the shelves yet at your local stores.


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## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

Ghost of Spookie said:


> BTW a bit confused reading your first paragraph. Did you buy the regular glass version globes instead of the LEDs? I know the seam is there for any of the plastic globe colored lights that I've seen since they seem to be molded that way. I've been going LED whenever I can, not only because of the electrical cost but as you mentioned the heat of the regular bulbs if you need to put them next to foamboard or fabric. Plus I hate looking for replacement bulbs at the last minute when the regular ones burn out right at halloween time when the xmas bulbs haven't hit the shelves yet at your local stores.


sorry, hehe I forgot to say I have the glass target ones.  I love the color and light they give off but am scared about how hot they get. (since I work with plastic and fabric close by). I Would like LED versions but done like the mold seam on the color outer ball. So I stuck with the glass.


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