Online or Brick and Mortar?

[Shadow_of_the_31st]

For most of my favorite props and costumes over the years i would go to the store to find (usually spirit). However last year I found a really nice mask online, something id never seen in stores and it was right in my price range. So this year I was thinking of doing more of my shopping online, but first I wanted to see where everyone else prefers to shop for there best Halloween items and if you might be able to recommend any good sites to get me started. A kinda obvious site that i found that is good for masks is Halloween-Masks.com

[witchy]

I usually grt my Halloween stuff at both In stores and online, both have very cool stuff!!

[MacPhantom]

If you find something online, try to find other pictures of it than just the ones on the website where you're gonna buy it, so you're sure what you're getting. I like to find stuff in brick and mortar stores, then go online and find it cheaper. Or make it myself.

[Shadow_of_the_31st]

i should have put make it yourself as a poll response, but since i lack the necessary artistic talent it just slipped my mind . Also looking at something in stores and buying it online sounds like a good plan too, it could most likely save me about a hundred bucks on my prop shopping.
Buying that key piece from spirit usually leaves me with little remaining for the various tid-bits that help set my yard off.

[Spookymufu]

I get stuff from all three, B&M shops, online, and make it myself, but mostly B&M stores

[jadewik]

If not for a lack of time, I'd probably make everything myself... so I do most of my Halloween shopping in stores. I like to do what I call "Halloween Shopping"... Yes, I really do go out window shopping specifically to play with all the new Halloween toys and see what is new this year. I do this about once a week in October... and my pocketbook suffers dramatically. I take my husband with me and he helps curb my Halloween spending.

I usually order specialty items online or search for ideas online... it depends on which is cheaper. We've ordered everything from pirate swords and costume spikes online. I also order do-dads and things to hand out online-- usually from Oriental Trading or US Toy Co.... though I have used other companies for things like glow sticks.

So... short answer? I do a mish-mash of things, but I prefer to do my Halloween shopping in the stores because I like to see what I'm getting.

[Shadow_of_the_31st]

I believe that window shopping is a great way to get in the Halloween mood, especially when i go to spirit where they have the coolest stuff set up and its like going into a haunted house almost. Im pretty much forced to window shop there anyway because all that really cool stuff is usually about 50 bucks more than im willing to pay for it.
The oriental sites are really great for cheap deals on some really interesting things, my family uses a site called BestOfferBuy.com where you can find anything you could want, usually knock-off, but still useful stuff.

[ScarecrowJack]

If not for a lack of time, I'd probably make everything myself... so I do most of my Halloween shopping in stores. I like to do what I call "Halloween Shopping"... Yes, I really do go out window shopping specifically to play with all the new Halloween toys and see what is new this year. I do this about once a week in October... and my pocketbook suffers dramatically. I take my husband with me and he helps curb my Halloween spending.

I do the same thing, right down to taking my husband to keep me from going crazy. But I start way early than October. Two weeks back my husband and I did a tour of the craft stores, (Pat Catans had some really nice stuff, Micheal's didn't have much out yet) and managed to spend $45.00 on "just looking". LOL. But I also do a fair amount of shopping on ebay under OOAK (one of a kind) Halloween and EHAG (Eclectic Halloween Artist Group) and can find some really nice one of art pieces.