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Costumes Harder to Find as Halloween
Draws Near
By Caitlin Clinard
Do you have your Halloween costume yet? If not, then you could be facing sold
out signs. Timothy Robinson, Party City manager, had one suggestion to customers
who want to dress up this Halloween.
“The sooner the better,” he
said.
Party City, a business that sells more
than 400 costumes, might be sold out of
the costume that you’re looking
for. That’s because Halloween generates
one third of Party City’s annual
sales and costumes sell out fast around
the holiday.
Robinson said that Party City gets all
kinds of customers.
“You have a mixed variety,” he
said. “You have some of the early
shoppers that come out the very first
part of the year of October and then you
have your late bloomers which come in
around the end of October.”
But don’t fret. Costume shops
aren’t the only places to find your
Halloween duds. If you didn’t plan
ahead this Halloween season for a costume
and you’re facing sold out signs
at the generic costume stores, then try
another option.
Time After Time, a thrift shop on Franklin
Street, offers creative alternatives to
store-bought costumes. Owner Annie Jackson
gets so busy over Halloween that she has
to hire more help. Her thrift shop bustled
with activity as shoppers put their creative
sides to work.
Kim Timko, a UNC-CH student, avoided
places like Party City altogether.
“It’s cheaper and also I
think it’s more authentic,” Timko
said. “I don’t know, I don’t
really like store-bought costumes because
I think they’re kind of cheesy looking.”
Party City costumes can range anywhere
from $20 to more than $50. But some of
Jackson’s customers are walking
away with costumes less than $20. Plus,
Jackson is not running out of costumes.
“Most other places run out like
by now they’re done,” Jackson
said. “They’re out of all
the good stuff. Tomorrow morning we’ll
be here at four o’clock refilling
the whole store.”
Jackson says if you’re looking
for a one-of-a-kind costume that you can’t
find in a bag, thrift shops are the way
to go. She also said it’s more fun
to put your imagination to use.
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