The 10 Halloween Things That Got Away

 

Every Halloween, I buy some things.  But with each passing year, I find myself buying less tangible items, preferring instead:  experiences, or streaming services, or travel, or digital rentals, or special foods.

But there are some items that I've seen over the years, that I wish I had snagged.  

To use a Halloween pun:  they haunt me.

1)  TARGET EDGAR & ELLEN PET MONSTER TRICK OR TREAT BUCKET

Target Halloween endcap circa 2007, pic: Brandedinthe80s.com, Used with Permission.

It was 2007, and I was taking my merry stroll through the fully-set-up Target Halloween section.  I remember distinctly walking past an endcap of these Edgar & Ellen Pet Trick or Treat Buckets in all their hairy-Monsters-Inc-ish glory and instantly smiling (see the pic above).  I came back through the store after looking at that year's Halloween wares, and picked one up in my hands.  Turned it over.  Enjoyed its monstery-ness and a surprise & delight that it came with some candy included in the bucket.  Then my conscience spoke too loudly with a "What are you going to do with THAT?  Put it back." Which I did.

And I've always regretted it.

Edgar & Ellen tag. Photo: eBay.

The thing is, an item like this won't ever show up on eBay --in decent condition-- because of the fragility of the hair.  Kids will get stuff stuck in it.  It'll get dusty.  Time will weaken the glue and that hair will fall off, or clump, or disintegrate.

You can see what I mean with this one that was listed on eBay below.  Look at how raggedy those things look 17 years later vs. the Target endcap pic of those little guys in the wild, above.  It's a crime.  I would have gingerly put mine in a thick black trash bag every year, shielding it from the elements; removing it carefully for the season; and returning it to its black slumber bag on November 1st.  -sigh-

Edgar & Ellen Pet Trick or Treat Bucket circa 2024. Photo: eBay.

But man, oh man, do I wish I grabbed one back in 2007.

2)  ANTIQUE HALLOWEEN BRIDGE TALLY CARD BOOKMARK

Vintage Halloween Bridge Tally Card. Photo by author.

While vacationing in Northern California one October, I moseyed into the local vintage bookstore:  Heldfond Book Gallery in San Anselmo.  Scanning the shelves, my eyes fell upon this bookmark propped up on display (see pic).

The bookmark featured vintage-looking graphics of a skull-faced ghost swirling about a jack o' lantern.  Unlike a lot of googly-eyed vintage Halloween depictions, this one had a playful-sinister look to both the ghost & pumpkin that I enjoy.  The greens and oranges popped.  It was all my style.

Thinking it was probably just a makeshift decoration for the season, I snapped a picture of it (the one you see in this post) and went on my way.  Unfortunately the rest of the day I kept thinking about it.

My trip continued on up the coast of California, but part of my brain stayed in San Anselmo.  Fixed on that bookmark.

This nagging thought stayed with me: "I should have asked about it.  I should have asked to purchase it.  Heck the owner may have even given it to me."  

When I returned home from the trip I ran some internet searches.  Nothing.  

Oh well, I thought.  

Though whenever I went through my digital Halloween files and saw the photo of the bookmark from that trip, I thought "Man, I should've, would've, could've..."

FIVE.  YEARS.  LATER.

I was traveling again in San Anselmo and made a point of stopping by the same bookstore.  I showed the owner the picture I had of the bookmark on my phone.

"Nope.  Don't remember it.  But probably somebody nicked it."

My sadness was sidelined for a moment as I thought about the interesting choice of 'nicked' for 'stole.'  

He checked behind the register in some dusty bins, and did a quick pass of the store--- nothing.

"Yeah, sorry.  Somebody probably nicked it."  (There it is again... could I pull off 'nicked?')

Well at least I had some closure that it was not something still available in the original location I saw it.  

More time passed.  I ran periodic searches on Etsy, eBay, and Google Images using various combinations of keywords--- nothing.  

Necessity is the mother of invention.  So one particular Halloween season, I went so far as to print out the photo on cardstock and cut it down to create my own bookmark to use in a Halloween-read that October.

Then I started writing this post in 2024.

Just as a quick roll of the dice, I ran a reverse image search using my pic and POOF--- Google Lens found a similar one on a Pinterest post!  I think I may have to credit AI improvements to visual search.  So when the robots overthrow humanity, my last words may be "And to think, I just wanted a bookmark..."  Regardless-- the image that the search linked out to was long-ago sold, but at least I had a NAME for the item.  "Bridge Tally Card."  Huh.  Wasn't a bookmark at all (though I'd totally use as one).  It was a scorecard for the card game bridge.  AND I could finally see the BACK of the thing (spoiler alert:  it's just a scorecard).  

Bridge Tally Card back.  Photo from Etsy.

So for this one:  I have hope.  A few search alerts have been set up.  I'll surely peruse an antique shop or six searching for a duplicate.  Someday... someday... 

3)  PETCO NEON SKULL RUBBER DOG TOY

Halloween dog treat skull. Photo: Petco.

Hot tip:  Even if you don't have pets. never pass up the Halloween pet section for little spooky gems.   

Back in 2011, I was following my own advice and strolling through Petco's Halloween section when I found these multicolored rubber treat skulls.  

For those of you without pets, their purpose is to hide a treat in them and then your dog chews the heck out of it trying to get the treat inside.  It's like giving a dog a Rubik's cube that they can eventually eat.  They love it.  Best of all:  NO SQUEAKER. 

I must have picked these skulls up 4 or 5 times.  I don't know if it was the matte finish to the rubber, the bright Halloween colors, or the classic skull shape but I liked these a lot.  I thought it would look great sitting on my desk as a Halloween decoration paperweight.  (Side note:  Do we even NEED paperweights anymore?  Are there big gusts of wind coming through the climate controlled, non-window-opening office buildings-- swirling the papers into a paper maelstrom?)

I'll say this:  the skulls were certainly popular.  After hemming and hawing for 4 days, I went back to Petco to snag a skull (this is the middle of October mind you) and the skulls were gone.  Sold out. 

If only I had a stress ball to squeeze...

4)  THE JACK O' LANTERN WITH SKULL PROP FROM HALLOWEEN II

Back in 2018, I happened to be flipping through the latest Heritage Auctions prop auction catalog and as my eyes drifted across the page savoring pics of the miniature skyscraper models & machine gun from John Carpenter's Escape from New York I stopped on a deformed oblong jack o' lantern.

The title said "Large Jack-o-Lantern with a skull inside featured in the Halloween II trailer."

The description gave more detail:

(Universal, 1981) Vintage original large cast jack-o-lantern pumpkin with a cast human skull suspended within. Expertly studio finished and painted to appear as real pumpkin and skull. The large 65 x 44 in. prop is highly visible in the opening of the original Halloween II trailer when the pumpkin slowly splits open to reveal the skull inside. The skull has been sensitively restored leaving the original break lines visible. In vintage very good condition. This item is located in the Eastern United States and special shipping arrangements will apply.

 

Whoah.  I knew (and I'm sure the winner did too) that this was not just used in the teaser trailer for the film, but it's also in the opening credits too!  As much as I'm a huge fan of Carpenter's classic Halloween, I've probably seen Halloween II even more than the original purely because our local TV station showed it a LOT.  And after a few attempts, I was able to record it on VHS on one of its airings thereby giving me a copy I could watch WHENEVER I WANTED.  Which was, for a time, whenever I came home from school.  I loved the opening credits most of all, not just because of its updated version of Carpenter's score, but also the slow push into the pumpkin revealing the skull inside.  

It was my Halloween (the season) 'Happy Place.'

So to own this prop would be to own a slice of my youth (which--- if we're being honest--- is what we're all chasing with all the Funkos, action figures, posters, lunchboxes, t-shirts,  and THINGS we consume, right)?  

The oblong look of the prop is not a trick of the eye or bad photography-- it's designed that way so that when it was filmed with the special camera lenses, it would look round.  

I decided I had to have this.  My brain started whirring up thinking of the funds I could cull together.  Props can sell for tens of thousands of dollars.  Was I willing to go the distance for this?

Then I started looking at the dimensions:  65" x 44"--- oh jeez.  It's huge!  I began to cut and paste the image in the catalog on my existing abode:  nope not in that room.  Nope too big for that corner.  Nope.  No it won't fit there either.  Eesh.  

After a few days I decided I didn't want to take out a loan for something that was a conversation piece to some, an eyesore to others, and an extra cost whenever I moved.

Lastly:  I was reminded of an interview I read with the guy who won the auction of the sweater Kurt Cobain was wearing during the taping of MTV's Unplugged: Nirvana.  He said when he opened the box when it arrived in at his house, his first thought was 'Oh no... now I'm responsible for this...'  To be the custodian of history (or in this case, popular culture) is a heavy burden that most don't think of.  

I recently discovered that the winner of the jack o' lantern is a Halloween superfan and is taking great care with his prize.  So I sleep better knowing it's in good hands. (Plus he made a Facebook page for the prop so I can visit it whenever...)

But sometimes I DO still think--- well, I didn't NEED a stove did I?  

It could have gone right THERE. 

5)  MARTHA STEWART PETS PETSMART BOWL

Martha Stewart Pets Halloween bowl. Photo: PetSmart.

(Don't remember the year on this one...)  Repeating the tip from #5, never pass up the Halloween pet section of your favorite store.  There's some great stuff in there.  This Martha Stewart Pets bowl was exclusive to the PetSmart chain.  I remember seeing one sitting on the bottom shelf in the corner.  Did I think "Oh this is a great food bowl for my pet?"  Nope.  I thought "Oh my god that is the BEST candy dish I've ever seen!"  

Did I buy it?  Nope.  Paid for my parcels and walked out.  "Surely it'll be there next week when I come back, right?  I mean it's only the 1st week of September." 

Nope. 

And online?  Sold out.  

Apparently there was another release that had only 3 eyes at the bottom of the bowl.  Who wants that one?  When filled with candy (or pet food) the eyeballs go unseen. 

I want the one COVERED IN EYEBALLS.  With those bright green cauldron drips.  

Never seen one turn up on eBay.  I guess no one really invests in pet food bowls, keeping them new 'just in case' or 'one to keep, one to open.'   You need a bowl, you buy a bowl, you use a bowl.  

And so--- this one is gone forever.  

6)  HALLMARK GLOW IN THE DARK VAMPIRE TEETH CANDY BOWL

Hallmark Glow Fangs candy dish. Photo: Amazon.

Yeah I should have bought this one.  ShouldaWouldaCoulda.

Take a look at that beautiful thing--- a delightful celebration of what makes Halloween FUN.

Hallmark Glow Fangs candy dish. Photo: Amazon.

It's a giant set of plastic vampire teeth that doubles as a candy bowl!  

AND IT GLOWS IN THE DARK!  

Hallmark sold these at some point in the past few years (wasn't that long ago) for around $35 (I think... I'm going from memory here).  

Do you know how much they go for on eBay now?  

Between $130 - $200 EACH.  

I broke my leg kicking myself.  

My excuse for NOT buying it back in the day?  

"Well I don't really have any more room to store it."  I had full Halloween bins.  I had travel coming up.  Where would I put it when I wasn't using it for the two months of the season?  

Whoops I just broke my other leg kicking myself.  

This hurts.  I'm not going to let this one go... except I'm not paying over $100 for one so I guess I am letting it go...

7)  HALLOWEEN JACK O' LANTERN MUG

This isn't one that 'got away' necessarily but it IS one that's eluding me.

I can't remember which Instagram feed I saw it on (I think it may have been Norwegian Halloween), but this thing just charmed the treat out of my trick.

I like it's simplicity.  The traditional jack o' lantern triangle face and jaggy mouth (which I've written about BEFORE, HERE).  It seems like it's made from a hearty stoneware so it has a little heft and durability.  AND it's made with my favorite trilogy of colors:  orange, black, and white.  It also doesn't seem like a huge mug.  I don't want my pumpkin spice coffee gettin' cold in a big ol' honkin' mug.  Boy that's a lot of apostrophes.  

I did a little research digging and it seems like it's made by Belle Maison.  I set up my 'saved search' and so I sit like Quint on the Orca waiting for that line to tick-tick-tick a little... 

Someday mug.  Someday.

8)  ANYTHING FROM THE 2010 POTTERY BARN KIDS HALLOWEEN CATALOG

Pottery Barn Kids website screengrab, 2010

Look at that spread.  Just LOOK AT IT.  It's glorious.  It's like walking into the party from It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.  When I strolled into Pottery Barn in the September of 2010, my jaw dropped open.  Here was a line that was a nod to the vintage Halloween styles of yesteryear, but modernized.  I loved the color scheme (orange, black, and white is my Halloween holy trinity).  I loved the mascots (skulls, jack o' lanterns, black cats, spooky houses, owls, spiders).  I loved the housewares that they all adorned.  I LOVED this line.  

Ask me what I purchased from this line.

Go ahead.  Ask.

Never mind.  I'll answer:  Nothing.  Not.  A.  Thing.  

I basked in their glow and left.  I had the skull chair backer in my online cart for a few days but that was the closest I came to getting something.  

And now it's all gone.  

This MUST have made an impression on me because I took a screenshot of the webpage and SAVED it for over a decade.  

I guess I could set up an eBay search for this stuff, but who wants a used tablecloth?  

Never mind.  I'll answer:  no one.

9)  CREEPY COMPANY FANGS T-SHIRT

I loved Creepy Co.'s aesthetic.  I loved their embrace of the green and purple.  I loved their minimalistic, nostalgia-fueled, products.  VHS blankets and "Future Ghost" pins.  

But I loved their use of an iconic set of glow in the dark plastic fangs the most, and this tee was on my to-do for a long time.  It GLOWS for Pete's sake!  That image represents everything fun about Halloween!  

I'm not sure what happened to the company (you can do some Reddit digging and get an idea of what may have happened).  But this shirt, all their products, and the company itself is now, gone gone gone.  Sure others make similar plastic vampire teeth items, but it's not from Creepy Co.

Did I mention it GLOWS IN THE DARK?!

10)  HALLOWEEN 25 YEARS OF TERROR CONVENTION IN PASADENA, CA

Photo: Brian Koppel, rtrlocations.blogspot.com. Used with permission.

I was reluctant to include this one because it's just so... demoralizing.  

So... embarrassing.  

So... full of regret.  

But here we go...

Halloween Returns to Haddonfield was the very FIRST Halloween (movies) Convention EVER.  Capitalizing on the 25th Anniversary of the original film, the convention was to be held in one of the principle filming locations, Pasadena, CA.  The convention hype started early and touted a full top-tier line-up of guests from across the (then) eight film series.  Names like John Carpenter, Debra Hill, some of the many stuntmen who had played Michael Myers (at various ages), in addition to PJ Soles, Charles Cyphers, and more more more!

There was going to be convention-exclusive merch.  

There were going to be interview panels.  

There were going to be autograph signings.

But wait-- that's not all.

There was going to be a bus tour to ALL the filming locations from the original film.  

I could go on, but --at this time-- no such mega-fan event had ever been organized like this.  

Most importantly:  it was to be held on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31st weekend!

[insert exploding pumpkin GIF here]

I, being a huge Halloween '78 fan, immediately purchased a ticket.  

I even got the special "Silver Seating" level to make sure I had a good seat and some privileged access.

At the time, I was living in Los Angeles, so Pasadena was a short 30 minute drive away.  No flight or hotel needed.

The wrinkle?

I had a close friend getting married the same month and he had asked me to be one of his groomsmen.  

His date fluctuated slightly for a number of months but finally he nailed down that it would be the week before the convention on the east coast.  A tight turnaround, but still totally doable.  

The other wrinkle?
A traditional, large, blow-out Halloween party that was hosted by myself and a number of close friends.  The previous year had over a hundred attendees.  

That year, more expected.

But this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing!  

Surely I would recognize that.

Surely I would sacrifice one Halloween for another?

I didn't go.

For years I've wondered what logic led me to this decision.

Was it that I had no one to go with?

Was it the the idea of such a huge celebration was overwhelming my fan brain?

Was it the conflicting priorities of wedding party, party-party, & too much, too fast, too soon, too close together?

I don't know.

Taking stock:  by this point in my life I had had an opportunity to meet John Carpenter twice.  

I had also already been on an actual Halloween movie set (H20) AND met Jamie Lee Curtis and --technically-- been IN a Halloween film (more on all that HERE).

AND I had visited a number of the Halloween filming locations in Pasadena & Los Angeles already.  

So I had already attained a lot of the Halloween holy grails.  

My regret is that Debra Hill was there.  (At least my memory makes me think she was attending that year.)  And as most fans know, she passed a scant 2 years later.  

So I DO regret not going to see her. 

And I DO regret not going to the very FIRST Halloween convention. 

(They've done many since--- thirty, thirty-five, forty...)

I will say this:  I've never skipped an event I was really into again. 

Concerts.  Reunions.  Screenings.  Appearances.  

If it's something that I viscerally reacted to in a "ohmygod I HAVE to go to THAT!"-way, I went.  

So maybe it was a lesson and the forfeited ticket price and experience was just a down payment on learning how to carpe diem.  Or as I always say "Carpe Siezem."