# Your jack 'o lanterns; Real or fake?



## dariusobells (Sep 24, 2007)

the jack-o-lantern heads on props are funkins but I insist on having the real thing guarding the gates every year!


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

Uncarved foam


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## oaklawn Crematory (Jun 25, 2010)

I like the real pumpkins...but I have a lot of lighted foam pumkins too.


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## mariposa0283 (Aug 15, 2012)

real, all the way. who'd have thought it'd come down to real or fake with halloween pumpkins like it is with christmas trees. ive actually never even considered carving a funkin for anything other than any future props that need pumpkin heads.


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## ecto1 (Jul 15, 2012)

Real undead Orange Gourds. I love pumpkin guts between the fingers as I cut into the thick flesh. MMMMMM makes me want to go grab one from my closet right now...


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## terri73 (Dec 7, 2009)

Our carving is on real old fashioned pumpkins. I have a lot of thestore bought foam lighted ones because we bought one every year when my daughter was growing up. 

It just wouldn't be Halloween with out smelling pumpkin guts and feeling the slime of it.


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2012)

I use a mixture of both,having my party guests try and guess which are real or not.Also I cut a hole in the BOTTOM of the pumpkin instead of the top.No more burned fingers and it makes it so much easier to clean ! I also sprinkle cinnamon on the inside of the top and the candle heats the skin and smells great !!!!


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

I have a growing collection of fake pumpkins, but we always have to carve at least 4-6 of the real ones. There is nothing that says Halloween to me more than the smell of a real candle inside a pumpkin. I also rub a little cinnamon on the lid, so it's like pumpkin pie baking all throughout the house and yard once we get all of them going.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

There's no way I could store enough fake pumpkins. Real all the way, the carve has become an event around here.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Fakekins FTW in my house!! Even as a kid I never really liked the scooping & mess. I don't miss it one bit. 

Ever since I discovered you can make something other than the standard JOL face I wanted to do TONS of pumpkins & I just don't have the hand strength or time to do that many real one & I have zero people that would be interested in helping carve outside of my husband & he's way too anal to be a good carver. One slip up & he's cursing like a sailor where I'm all "Oh well, that's what toothpicks are for."

Now with the fakekins I can carver whenever I want to, as many as I want to & he'll even do a few & if he slips up on the fakes he can crazy glue them back together!


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## Saruman of Many Colours (Sep 8, 2010)

Always enjoyed carving real pumpkins as a kid, and carved various of the Pumpkin Masters patterns on them during high school and through college in the early-to-mid-90's. Fun, but time-consuming . . . and somewhat disheartening to see an hours-long, intricately-detailed carving, shrivel and rot away within a few days.

Then -- what, maybe ten or twelve years ago? -- the artificial pumpkins became available. Don't think that I've carved a real pumpkin since. (Disclaimer: As my son gets older, I'll certainly show him how to carve a real one. He'll be 2 1/2 this Halloween, and I think still too young to do any carving for himself.  .)

Storage for the fake ones does become a bit of a hassle though, after one's accumulated so many. It's getting to the point where I'll need to rotate which ones get displayed every year.


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## Killed by Death (Sep 29, 2008)

Both. Fake pumpkins allow me to carve patterns well before Halloween without rotting. Every year I add 5 or 6 new ones to the collection, though storage is becoming an issue since I have around 25 or 30 now. That being said, nothing beats real pumpkins and I make sure to do at least 2 or 3 every year. I used to do all my patterns on real pumpkins but often they would begin to rot by Halloween and all the work would go to waste, especially if we had warm weather.


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

Neither.....haven't carved a real one in at least five years and have never bought a funkin. I do have a large collection of the the pre-carved ones that big lots and walmart carry or at least used to carry that I incorporate into my props


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## stormygirl84 (Sep 4, 2009)

Well, I own several of the lighted foam jacks, but when it comes to carving we've always gone for the real thing.

This doesn't come out of any strong opinion one way or the other - I've honestly never really given much thought to using fake ones. I'm sure that would be different if we had kids - the foam is probably much easier and safer for little ones to carve - but as it is, we've just never considered it.

I think it's a fun idea, but I personally wouldn't have the storage space for all those jacks we'd be making!


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## DayTek (Aug 20, 2005)

I've never carved a fake one, but I can see the advantage regarding prop making or lack of clean up involved.
The great thing about real pumpkins is you get to start with a fresh pallet every year! Plus it feels more connected to "the old days" when that's all people had instead of manufactured pumpkins. And don't forget that pumpkin smell


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## MissMandy (Apr 18, 2011)

I don't know how anyone can go through a single Halloween season without carving just one pumpkin. It's......it's.......just THE thing to do!  I always carve real ones and of course, roast the seeds (it would be a sin to throw those seeds away  ) I do want some Funkins though. I've wanted them for years but just never end up getting one, for one reason or another. But I would never ever stop carving real pumpkins!


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## Jules17 (Aug 31, 2010)

Love the real pumpkins but also have several fake ones as well. It's nice to have a mix.


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## witchymom (Oct 6, 2008)

i have both, but prefer the real ones


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Real.

I do, however like the fake ones for inside decor.


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## sookie (Sep 19, 2010)

I have fake ones I put out for the whole season, but the weekend before Halloween I go out and get my pumpkin and carve it Halloween morning. I love having a real one every year.


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## TheMayor (Sep 3, 2011)

I made my first fake pumpkin just a few days ago and I will probably make a few more but there is nothing like the real thing I will always carve jack-o-lanterns!


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## GhostTown (Jul 6, 2011)

Every year we buy 50+ real pumpkins, we 4 of the pre-lit foam pumpkins that get hidden in amongst the real ones, and then we have several paper mache pumpkins that are used for prop heads or anywhere weight is an issue.


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## Ween12amEternal (Apr 15, 2006)

Only ever have had real jacks out & about. Just bought six after Pumpkin Fest in Morton, IL yesterday, & might even carve a fall themed one today to go with the fall stuff I've put out.


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## HexMe (Jul 23, 2009)

Once Pumpkin Masters came along I never carved a jack o' lantern the old fashioned way (triangle eyes, triangle nose, etc). But it was always a struggle trying to carve at least 4 real PM pumpkins in time for the big day. Once the fakies came out I was stoked. All the effort it took to carve a pattern would no longer be wasted! But like many others have mentioned, they DO cause space issues because after a while you build up quite a collection. It had always been my intention to carve at least 1 real one each Halloween day but I haven't so far. This thread reminds me that I really should make a point to do it. Who knows how many more Halloweens we will each get, how many more opportunities to smell warm pumpkin flesh.


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## Danielj2705 (Jun 17, 2012)

It has to be real for me! 
Partly because I wouldn't know where to buy fake ones in the UK (XD) and also because its fun to carve the actual pumpkin and its 'guts'.


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## moony_1 (Sep 25, 2009)

We do both! I could never give up my real pumpkins but I enjoy being able to keep some of my favorites year to year in foam


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## byondbzr (Sep 9, 2012)

I simply must have the real thing on Halloween! We always carve a bunch too!


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## The Auditor (Apr 2, 2006)

All of the above, please. Funkins, real pumpkins, turnips, butternut squash, spaghetti squash (THAT was a bear) - I've made Jacks out of all of 'em, and loved everyone.



MissMandy said:


> I don't know how anyone can go through a single Halloween season without carving just one pumpkin. It's......it's.......just THE thing to do!


Several years back, time got away from me...I was finally able to carve a Jack only on November 3. And by God I carved it then! Which I should have done a few years back when again, the stress of that B Reality led to the day coming and going without a cucurbit lantern aglow on the farm. Those were dark days - and not the good kind of dark days.


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## kingcoop80 (Jul 21, 2011)

we have props of Jack o laterns all over the house, but always use real ones couple days before the 31st.


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## ter_ran (Jan 14, 2006)

*I myself have well over 100 various fake pumpkins but always prefer the traditional real deal! You cannot imitate that special stench that resonates through a real pumpkins hollowed core. That toasted JOL lid(top) that slowly bakes from the rising candle flame flickering in the wind... Ahh makes me want to go out and buy me a few right now! 
*


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

MissMandy said:


> I don't know how anyone can go through a single Halloween season without carving just one pumpkin. It's......it's.......just THE thing to do!  I


Actually, it's pretty easy. I don't have any lil kids at home anymore, nor do I have the time with everything else I have going on in October. I don't miss it at all.


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## MissMandy (Apr 18, 2011)

Scatterbrains said:


> Actually, it's pretty easy. I don't have any lil kids at home anymore, nor do I have the time with everything else I have going on in October. I don't miss it at all.


I don't have any kids either. I do it for me, myself and I. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.


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## The Real Joker (Sep 8, 2008)

Real all the way


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## dariusobells (Sep 24, 2007)

I had fun carving some new foam prop heads this weekend. finished up a papier mache jack as well. still looking forward to the real ones though. 


Jack by Don and Monica Riney, on Flickr


Jacklings by Don and Monica Riney, on Flickr


rottie by Don and Monica Riney, on Flickr


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

MissMandy said:


> I don't have any kids either. I do it for me, myself and I. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.


Exactly...me, myself and I don't see a need to carve a pumpkin with everything else going on.


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## murtisha (Aug 9, 2005)

We have both now. Only 2 Funkins so far though.


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## EvilMel (Dec 6, 2007)

I have both. I use the fake pumpkins for designs that I love love love and ended up carving every year. One year I was like "why don't I just bite the bullet and carve this into a fake one"? Now I can carve new ones each year and keep my old favorites.


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## Junit (Sep 1, 2008)

I always carve a trunkful of real Ohio pumpkins  But... I do have two funkins which I haven't carved but work them into the inside decor each year so I don't have to worry about them starting to decay.


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## MissMandy (Apr 18, 2011)

Scatterbrains said:


> Exactly...me, myself and I don't see a need to carve a pumpkin with everything else going on.


As I said, different strokes for different folks.


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## ALKONOST (Aug 27, 2012)

I enjoy having both. Each year I carve another "funkin" but, I always buy and carve the real ones too. Plus, I add in some of the warty kind just for looks.. which I don't carve. I also have a few that have already been carved that I just have to plug in (these I usually use inside). I guess I'm easy to please...


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## LurkerNDdark (Sep 9, 2010)

I voted real pumpkins. Now, I'm not addicted; if there is a crop shortage and the real thing is expensive, then I'll skip them. Okay, maybe I'll buy one.  but I like the fact that real pumpkins don't have to be stored - they just get chopped for the worm bins and buried in the vegetable garden. Plus, I get different faces each year. There are two light-up pre-carved jacks, but I've kind of lost interest in them for now.

You know, I don't think I've ever carved a funkin. Painted, yes. I have a black one with acid green stripes, and some bloody white ones. But no carving. How different are they to carve, compared to a real pumpkin? No slimy guts, I presume.


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## ondeko (Oct 14, 2008)

Both. I absolutely must have at least one real pumpkin carved and lit for The Night, but I've been considering more and more elaborate designs and I have a hard time justifying putting that much work into something that will last the season and then rot. But if i could only do one it would have to be real.


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## The Red Hallows (Sep 21, 2009)

*We have both. Fake for floating in the yard and real everywhere else. Funny how there is only four of us (2 kids and 2 adults) and I don't think we've ever come home with less than 10 pumpkins. *


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## dariusobells (Sep 24, 2007)

LurkerNDdark said:


> I You know, I don't think I've ever carved a funkin. Painted, yes. I have a black one with acid green stripes, and some bloody white ones. But no carving. How different are they to carve, compared to a real pumpkin? No slimy guts, I presume.


I use a jig saw blade on both although with the real thing I use the full jig saw, they seem to stand up to the vibration better and save the hand fatigue (watch you hands though i haven't cut myself but I have heard nasty stories) I also use a drill and paint paddle to clean out the guts of a real pumpkin. With the Funkins I don't cut a lid usually they sit down over their LED lights. Real ones i cut a jagged lid and turn it a bit so i get more light and better effect.


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## DontWorkWithDemons (Sep 10, 2011)

As someone who doesn't carve their patterns all the way through, I'm all for real pumpkins. That said, I do have a few funkins. It's just too difficult to put spiderwebs in the real thing.


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## Goog (Sep 3, 2012)

Funkins for anything with props or weight concerns. Real for everything else. My husband is terrific at pumpkin carving and has done some beauties.


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## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

I use both. I put out the carved Funkin on October 1st and it stays out all season. The real ones get carved for the party and stay out through the big night!


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## feedmelies (Oct 13, 2007)

The fake ones from Michaels. I have over 30 of them, carved and ready to go. No way I'm carving that many pumpkins every year.


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## ThedaBara (Sep 30, 2011)

It's only the hubs and I, and I'm pretty much the only person who is enthusiastic enough about the holiday to want to carve pumpkins. I only did fake pumpkins last year, but I think I'll do the real ones this year


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## TrickRTreater (Mar 24, 2011)

Both real and fake.


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## RattandRoll (Sep 6, 2007)

Real but I do have some fake foam pumpkins as well


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## OpalBeth (Jul 16, 2013)

Sorry I know this is an old thread but....I'm trying to decide whether to buy real or fake pumpkins this year. Always been a huge fan of the real, never even thought of carving a fake until now. I am having a huge party this year and really don't see having the time to carve a lot of real pumpkins. My problem I guess is the funkins are expensive. I guess maybe I should try and do a mix. I have a huge back yard to fill and I'm trying to stay on a budget.


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

I prefer the fake ones for the longevity. I have a huge 2 1/2 foot diameter one which I carved with a sign saying "candy this way." I put it on the front stoop to point people over to the driveway where I set up to give out candy. I wouldn't want to have to waste time recarving that every year.

On the downside, I always see interestingly shaped real pumpkins each year, and the foam pumpkins just don't offer much variety. If I had the means and skill, I'd actually buy those interesting pumpkins and make my own foam pumpkins based on them.


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

It can easily get to 80-85 degrees on any given day in October here, so I have a number of fakes. But I always carve some real ones...I just do it only two or three days before Halloween.


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## stormygirl84 (Sep 4, 2009)

OpalBeth said:


> Sorry I know this is an old thread but....I'm trying to decide whether to buy real or fake pumpkins this year. Always been a huge fan of the real, never even thought of carving a fake until now. I am having a huge party this year and really don't see having the time to carve a lot of real pumpkins. My problem I guess is the funkins are expensive.


This is my problem, too. I'd love to use the funkins, but good grief. Thirty dollars for one of the larger ones? (And, to be honest, I've bought larger real pumpkins.) That may not seem like a lot of money to some of you, but OUCH. To me, it hurts.


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## Pumpkin5 (May 17, 2012)

Real? Fake? Who cares as long as it is orange, and round, and you can make it glow! Pumpkins say Halloween to me.


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

stormygirl84 said:


> This is my problem, too. I'd love to use the funkins, but good grief. Thirty dollars for one of the larger ones? (And, to be honest, I've bought larger real pumpkins.) That may not seem like a lot of money to some of you, but OUCH. To me, it hurts.


Yep. None of my phony pumpkins are funkins. They're just as-realistic-as-possible-looking faux uncarved pumpkins. There's no way I could swallow that price tag either.


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## OpalBeth (Jul 16, 2013)

stormygirl84 said:


> This is my problem, too. I'd love to use the funkins, but good grief. Thirty dollars for one of the larger ones? (And, to be honest, I've bought larger real pumpkins.) That may not seem like a lot of money to some of you, but OUCH. To me, it hurts.


Agreed, $30 for one pumpkin is ridiculous. I may have to see if I can find some knock of funkins. I suppose in the dark no one will notice. Anyone have any suggestions on what store sells cheep foam pumpkins? I saw some at hobby lobby the other day and they were just as expensive, I would love to have all real pumpkins but with the heat I can't carve earlier than the day of and I don't have a fridge large enough to hold them.


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## IowaGuy (Jul 30, 2012)

Always done real pumpkins and had no idea funkins even existed. I plan to do both


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## LurkerNDdark (Sep 9, 2010)

Last year, Michaels had the foam pumpkins 50% off from time to time during September and October. I suspect the original price is jacked-up to reflect that. I'm thinking that I paid about $8 - 10 for a medium sized one. Still more expensive than the real thing, but it does last a bit longer.


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## kallie (Dec 4, 2007)

I use both. I almost prefer funkins because I've come so close, so many times, to nearly losing a digit while trying to carve a real pumpkin. 

You know how the knife gets stuck in the real pumpkins and you have to jerk it out?...yeah that scares me so much. I'm always afraid I'll accidentally disembowel myself and then everyone would think my gnarly corpse is just a Halloween prop.


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## Oak Lane Cemetery (Sep 5, 2011)

I have a bunch of fake ones, but we always get three real ones to carve. One for each of the boys and one for me!


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## Trex (Nov 6, 2010)

Ours are real, similar to UnOrthodOx it is part of our Halloween tradition, we usually carve 6 or 7. Last year we had 38 carved pumpkins, which was a lot of work! I loved how they looked all lit, it wasn't really practical for our climate. The kids loved them though!!


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## dbruner (Aug 23, 2012)

I mostly use the fake ones (half price from Michael's too!), but its not halloween without carving at least one real one.


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## BarryJ (Oct 17, 2009)

I have 12 or 15 fake ones, always bought for 40-50% off. I don't really like them. From a practical stand point, I find them hard to carve, while philosophically, their permanence frustrates me - if it doesn't turn out, I'm stuck with it forever.

That said, I love lots of pumpkins in my yard, so it helps keep the cost down of 30- 40 pumpkins annually. I add a couple of fake ones every year and they go mostly in the background with the real ones front and center.


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2013)

Real. Even though it took me years to touch the guts lol


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

a REAL pumpkin lasts about 2-3 days down here and at $8-$10 each isn't practical 

I like the funkins but have yet to carve one, so not sure how hard they are but am worried about it going wrong and being stuck with it as BarryJ said. 

However there is nothing like the smell of a candle lit pumpkin! So I'm going to carve 2 or 3 this year just for that! One for our party to have either in the house or in the screen room where the drinks and desserts are stationed, and one or two for Halloween night. 

Haven't had one in a few years and miss the smell. It's all about the smell!


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## Pumpkinprincess (Aug 8, 2007)

We have about 70 Funkins and I usually buy a dozen real each year. I used to carve many each year, but the pumpkins in WA are not the same as the easy to carve pumpkins from my youth in Ohio.

How I miss fresh corn on the cob!

We buy Funkins each year from Hobby Lobby when they are 90% off.


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## blackbutterflyRN (Aug 16, 2008)

It's a yearly tradition to go to a local pumpkin patch and pick out our pumpkins and then carve them closer to Halloween. I have definitely noticed an increase in price over the years and it would be much cheaper to do the fake ones but it just wouldn't be the same! Last year for the first time I carved two fake pumpkins for my husband's Halloween party at work. They were a pain to work with and made a huge mess! I like them, though, and we get to re-use them so I guess it was worth it!


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## Evil Elf (Jun 16, 2013)

I carved mine too early last year, and they didn't make it to Halloween. I just hate putting time and effort into it just to see it slump into an orange, mushy pile a week later. That being said, it isn't Halloween without the real ones, as you can see in my avatar (it's real).

Does anyone know what to do about the conformity of the fake ones? I would love to have about ten of them in the yard, but it might look kind of strange if they all look exactly the same.


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

Real ones for the carving, and to just sit on the porch uncarved.
Faux pumpkins for incorporating into props.


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## Derdnik (Sep 10, 2009)

I have to go with real pumpkins. I usually carve about 4-6 each year. Plus I love the excuse to visit the pumpkin patch several times per season.


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## Redhead (Jan 9, 2013)

I like to use a few real inside the house but mainly my indoor collection is all funkins or fake pumpkins from other companies. Also because some of my fake ones were pretty expensive and not replaceable if someone steals them. I use the real ones outside because they really bring people in, even if they aren't carved because I try to find the wonky or deformed ones, they have such personality I think so it's fun to bunch up a crowd of them together in a corner or decorate on chairs and shelves.


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## Rumsfield (Dec 8, 2011)

Both actually, we have the luxury of having the space to grow our own. I also hit up the local Goodwill store when they put out their Halloween decor and buy all the "funkins" and other "fakies" also .

All the ones up front on the straw bales my Daughter and I carved 2 days before Halloween. The ones in the background are "fakies"


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## LairMistress (Jul 31, 2009)

I love real jacks, but my intention is to make a bunch of papier mache jacks. I did buy a Funkin at a garage sale, and will probably carve it, too. I'd love to have all real ones, but I don't have the time to carve them, nor the money to buy them year after year. I could plant them, sure...but I'd still have to carve new ones each year.

I used to have a big collection of plug-in jacks, which were great--but all those cords...papier mache with battery op candles seems like a better way to go for me.


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## Oak Lane Cemetery (Sep 5, 2011)

> Does anyone know what to do about the conformity of the fake ones? I would love to have about ten of them in the yard, but it might look kind of strange if they all look exactly the same.


I keep an eye out for different brands and different sizes or shapes. Whenever I find one I grab it. Added a couple of white ones to the collection last year while checking out the after Halloween sales.


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

There is a family owned farmer's market in a small town about an hour away from us. They have a huge pumpkin patch that they harvest them from and sell the ones they pick. They also leave some in the patch for you to pick your own if you want. The large ones (and i'm talking large) go fo $5.00. We drop 30-35 bones and get 6-7 nice ones each year. We usually carve them no more than two days before Halloween and set them outside. They stay fresh that way. The funkins are okay but very expensive and again, storage is an issue for us. I ust can't give up a flickering candle in a eal jack o'lantern on a brisk dark Hallowen night. One of our little traditions is to not blow them out after TOT hours. We let them burn long into the night and go out on their own. The last thing I do before turning in on Halloween night is go outside one last time and look at them. Sometimes they are still burning at 2 A.M. I love it!


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