Though I buy less and less stuff every year, I looooove to Halloween window-shop.
And because of the ever-migrating Halloween-merch release calendar, about mid-July (when I start really getting the urge to dive into Halloween), retailers start posting their wares, and social media influencers start trying to influence and I start scrolling.
If you're looking for a 'process'-- mine is pretty simple: as I scroll through various websites, or social feeds, I'll do a screengrab or right-click save-as and drop the image in a new Notes file on my iPhone. The materials I've listed below I've been storing up since the aforementioned mid-July. Full disclosure: sometimes the items themselves are not new to that year, but they're all new to me. I have no rubric for determining why something strikes my fancy. I either like it or I don't.
These are the things I like...
[Links, when available, are provided for reference. These aren't affiliate links or anything...]
This popped up in my Instagram feed as ad (thanks targeted marketing!) but my affinity for it seems to have been experienced by the greater internet.
Essentially a metal lunchbox (or y'know... keep your makeup supplies in it), it's the artwork that has to be seen to be relished. Artist Iain Burke riffs on classic Halloween iconography with graves, skeletons, black cats, full moons, bats, jack o' lanterns and all in three-color glory. It even appears (I haven't actually held one) that there is a raised/embossed element to edges of certain parts of the image. Glorious. Just... just glorious.
The artist posted that he's getting a number of accolades and a huge response and it's well deserved.
Beware Door Mat from Cost Plus World Market:
Looking like something that fell out of the opening credits of Scooby-Doo, this is just a simple doormat. It's actually a little small based on the dimensions and 'example pic' from their website. I just love the font, and two-colors. Simple. Effective. And, really, something you can keep out all year. Shouldn't we all "beware" in life?
Peanuts Black & Orange Ballpoint Pen:
I just love the simplicity of this. It's just a black ballpoint pen in black and orange colors. The implication is that this is a pen you could use to write to the Great Pumpkin. Frankly, I'd keep mine in its packaging, because without the image of Linus and part of his Great Pumpkin letter printed over his head, it's just a pen (though it does say "Dear Great Pumpkin" on the side). Big nostalgic vibes from this.
Haunted: Halloween '86 - Spirit Edition
I found this while poking around the Spirit Halloween website. It's an actual Nintendo cartridge with a playable game on it! My excitement dropped a bit when I realized it's just a physical version (with a few in-game re-brands of items) of currently available Nintendo game "Haunted Halloween '86" (which I already have digitally on my Nintendo Switch. The packaging is nice and evokes the Nintendo games of yore. How much time has to pass before it's considered 'yore'...? Let's say the '80s...
One Man Riet's Mystery Monster Die Cut:
Though the set contains various monsters as Halloween die-cuts from the Scooby-Doo universe, I'd buy the set just for the Charlie the Funland Robot one. Also: I think I found my jack o' lantern carve inspiration...
Slasher Dave's Halloween Store Music Tracks:
I love me a good synth score to write blog posts to and these two tracks have been my go-to since they dropped in September. They instantly put me in the headspace for spooky blogging. Slasher Dave wrote on his IG page that he took inspiration from "... my love for Mom & Pop Halloween stores, and that feeling I had as a kid walking through each isle. A little afraid, but in a FUN way!" Just two tracks: "Halloween Store" and "Mask Selection." It's John Carpenter meets the Stranger Things intro meets Slasher Dave. Loving it.
It's the Great Pumpkin Mug:
Though the internet went gaga over a HomeGoods (or Marshall's or TJ Maxx) pink mug that featured the Halloween party from It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, I became enamored with this little guy. I like the brightly colored inside, the black rim, the brush-painted font, and that it features Linus in the pumpkin patch (with a sly Snoopy raising a jack o' lantern on a stick on the side). Though why the pumpkins are purple, I couldn't tell you. I guess it's what makes it "Spoopy"--- and Spoopy is internet-famous now. So, y'know... dare to be spoopy. The purple basketballs weird faux pas makes it that much more desirable.
Burger King's Halloween King Jr. Meal Toys:
Most of the meal toys for the 'Big Two' fast food giants aren't my thing, and I'm generally not into the buckets. HOWEVER, I LOVE these little guys. The size, proportions, chibi-cartoon-like features and the MASKS. Not only do you get the whole Scooby gang + one villain (who's got a jack o' lantern for a head!) you get all the great masks that each wears. I think my favorite is the skull mask for Shaggy. Oooo--- that should be an episode name: "Skull Mask for Shaggy." Rikes Raggy!
Lowe's Decayed Skeleton & 20' Tall Inflatable Skeleton:
I love a good looking skeleton. They're the ombudsmen Halloween props. However, I've never seen a 'Decayed Skeleton' that looks like this. More than decayed, it looks like the bones actually melted. If Return of the Living Dead's Tarman's flesh melted off, this would be what was left.
And this giant 20-foot-tall guy greeted me as I walked in. I love me some skeletons. And go big or go home. Twenty feet! That towers over the 12' tall plastic Home Depot skeletons from a few years back.
As I mentioned on the socials: as someone who lived through the Cola Wars, I look forward to reminiscing about the great Giant Skeleton Wars of the 2020s.
Michael's Skeleton with a Black Cat Canvas:
Sometimes a thing just hits you right. This is that thing for me. Something about the combination skeleton, in the bright neon colors, dark midnight background, with a black cat around its neck... just hits me in the feels. The cat reminds of me of my pet from a number of years ago so seeing this makes me feel a bit melancholy. I think I might make this my phone wallpaper this year.
That's it for 2025 thus far. It's only October 2nd so the Halloween fire hose has not been turned on yet.
This post may get added to over the next 29 days...
For previous favorite things lists (I'll try and collect them all here) see the below links:
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