EXPERT OFFERS TIPS ON WHERE TO FIND BEST DEALS
The undisputed queen of Halloween in the Houston area is Sarah Hill.
A former goth model living within a stone’s throw of the National Museum of Funeral History in a house full of Halloween memorabilia, she previously ran the Facebook page Hill House, where people could find the best items every Halloween season. As the summer dies and all things spooky start creeping into the stores, we reached out to her to ask about finding the best stuff in the city.
“At Home, which used to be Garden Ridge, started putting things out in June,” says Hill, whose hobby involves making Ouija board coffee tables. “They’re running two or three themes, the most popular of which is mystical moon. It’s more goth than strictly Halloween. Michael’s has picked up on that. They’re very good this year, especially if you’re into the more traditional stuff or vintage. They also have a line, Happy Haunting, that is orange and black and more my style.”
Hill is an avid collector of Halloween items from the first half of the 20th century, so she tends to be on the lookout for things that hark back to classic Americana rather than zombies and slashers. A brief look through the Michaels’ catalog shows that they’ve embraced that ethos. Black cats and pumpkins are the most prominent symbols — all in garish, bright colors.
Spirit Halloween Stores have already announced their locations online, but before you head to one to pimp out your yard, Hill has other suggestions. After spending years in both Home Depot and Lowe’s, she finds that they have the same, and sometimes better, yard decorations than the dedicated pop-up chain.
“Their props are huge and durable,” says Hill. “They’ve been competing with Spirit.”
Home Goods is one of the best places to find Halloween stuff, though Hill says you have to be on top of things if you want to get the best out of the experience. As their inventory is constantly shifting and is not available to check online or to order, it’s best to regularly visit the stores when they get shipments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They’ve started early, but their products are less about hearses and coffins and more kid-friendly. One Home Goods item that has caught Hill’s eye, though, that she is sure will be hitting eBay for collectors, is a 3foot-tall ceramic haunted gingerbread house. She thinks a Gothic arch shelf that At Home is selling will also be popular with collectors.
When it comes to shopping and getting what you want, Hill recommends speed over bargain hunting, since many of these items are never seen again. Waiting for a price drop often means ending up with nothing at all. She maintains a good relationship with clerks from various stores and calls them for holds if she sees or hears about something in which she’s particularly interested (learn the SKU number if possible). She’s even been known to sprint out in pajamas for a deal. Get used to calling around, and don’t think you’re smart waiting for November to get stuff on clearance. There is rarely anything but candy left over.
Halloween housewares are popular for parties, events, or if you just like having skulls on your plates. Target will be one of the last stores putting up their Halloween stuff as they have so much space dedicated to back to school through September, but they are planning an entire “Nightmare Before Christmas” line. That’s great if you’re desperate for more Jack and Sally in your life, but the quality is questionable. Hill recommends Home Goods again for that type of stuff.
“A lot of them are ceramic or fine bone china,” says Hill. “222 Fifth and another company from England supply this stuff for Halloween and weddings now, and it is good quality, not plastic or melamine. They’re cheap, too. It’s really the best place for dishes.”
Outside of chain stores, there are such places in Houston as Wilde Collection that are worth exploring. Though expensive, they can offer truly unique items such as real skulls (animal and human) as well as macabre art. They do have a line of fairly affordable Ouija board items, such as desk lamps, but as Hill says, they are typically spooky every day rather than Halloween.
“It’s the same stuff they always have,” she says. “Except for chocolate sometimes. Once they had an anatomically correct hollow chocolate heart you could buy in a plastic bell jar. Or they’ll do a Ouija board box of chocolates full of demon hand and eyeball shapes. It was really cool, but it’s not really Halloween.”
For more information, go to facebook.com/1031HillHouse.