Wrapping Up Holiday Profits
By Kathleen furore
Although Halloween hasn’t yet arrived, Christmas decorations have started popping up nationwide.
It might seem premature. But as members of the retail marketplace, costume shops must start making decisions about the 2023 holiday season just as they’re gearing up for Halloween — typically their busiest season of all.
It’s what Chris Sembrot owner of ScarePros in Levittown, Pennsylvania is doing. While he and his team are gearing up for the busy October selling season, he’s already got plans in place to transform his warehouse superstore into what ScarePros calls its Christmas Wonderland that will open the first week of November.
It’s a major undertaking that involves lots of moving pieces.
“Our leftover Halloween costumes and accessories — which isn’t much — are squeezed down to a few aisles. We have three more aisles of horror toys/merch/collectibles that stay out and get replenished all year,” Sembrot says. “The remaining 80 percent of the store switches over Christmas décor, Santa suits, lighting, etc.”
There also are holiday-themed costumes, toys and games, collectibles, stocking stuffers, shoes, prints and posters — and even a “Creepy Christmas” section dedicated to horror- and Krampus-themed ornaments and decor. Much of the merchandise is not available through chain stores and mass merchants.
ScarePros’ website sums it up like this: “We specialize in better quality merchandise with that old time, family feel. We have ev-
a pac Kage O f p rO fit- m a King i dea S
Not every costume shop can create an all-encompassing Winter Wonderland like ScaprePros does. But there are ways to wrap up holiday profits with more than costumes.
Tap The CosTume angle
• Classic Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves the reliable stand-bys
• Not-so-classic cosplay holiday attire
• Madrigal costumes
• Religious-themed costumes
Carry holiday-Themed apparel
• “Ugly” Christmas sweaters
• Pajamas for the whole family
• Slippers and socks
sToCk seasonal déCor & aCCessories
• Packages, ribbons, bows
• Christmas candles
• Hannukah gifts
• New Year’s party favors
CreaTe holiday parTy kiTs
• Craft kits holiday ornaments, stockings, picture frames, complete with glue and glitter
• Dress-up kits for kids a box or treasure chest parents can fill with their kids’ favorite dress-up costumes (fireman, pirate, ballerina, etc.)
hosT or sponsor evenTs
• Santa’s Workshop great for photo ops
• Ornament-making workshop
• Stocking decorating event
• Window decorating contest for local businesses
— offer discounts to anyone that gets their costumes/supplies at your store
Work WiTh area organizaTions
• Schools the school holiday show, classroom decorating supplies
• Churches religious pageant costumes
• Chambers of Commerce holiday parades, shop local events
IN THE INDUSTRY
H O t tO y S f O r H O liday 2022
By Kathleen furore
If you plan on carrying toys this holiday season, knowing the products customers will be looking for can help you choose the kind of products to have on your store’s shelves. The list of Toy of the Year (TOTY) winners — chosen by Toy Association members, mass and specialty toy retailers, media, and consumers and announced on September 20 during the Toy Foundation’s 2023 Preview & 2022 Holiday Market in Dallas — is a good place to start.
Consider the popular toys, and then think about how they might help you promote costumes and accessories that tie into that particular toy’s theme, too.
For example, if Jurassic World Dominion Super Colossal Giganotosaurus is the Action Figure of the Year, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Fresh Fierce Collection is the Doll of the Year winner, doesn’t it follow that customers might be tempted to buy other Jurassic World Dominion and Black Panther products, too?
• actiOn figure Of t H e year: Jurassic World Dominion Super Colossal Giganotosaurus (Mattel)
• cOllecti Ble Of t H e year: LEGO Minifigures
The Muppets (LEGO Systems)
• cOnStructiOn tOy Of t H e year: LEGO MARVEL I am Groot (LEGO Systems)
• creatiVe tOy Of t H e year: Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball (Moose Toys)
• dOll Of t H e year: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Fresh Fierce Collection by The Fresh Dolls (World of EPI Company)
• game Of t H e year: Pokémon Trading Card Game: Pokémon GO Elite Trainer Box (The Pokémon Company International)
• grOWn-up tOy Of t H e year: LEGO Ideas The Office (LEGO Systems)
• i nfant/tOddler tOy Of t H e year: CoComelon Ultimate Learning Adventure Bus (Just Play)
• licenSe Of t H e year: Squishmallows (Jazwares)
• Outd OOr tOy Of t H e year: Twister SPLASH (WowWee)
• p laySet Of t H e year: LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Peach Starter Course (LEGO Systems)
• p luSH tOy Of t H e year: 16” Squishmallows (Jazwares)
• p reScHOOl tOy Of t H e year: Crayola Color & Erase Reusable Mat (Crayola)
• ride-On tOy Of t H e year: Mario Kart 24V Ride-On Racer (JAKKS Pacific)
• Specialty tOy Of t H e year: Ann Williams Craft-tastic Nature Scavenger Hunt Potions (PlayMonster Group) and Snap Circuits: Green Energy (ELENCO)
• Steam tOy Of t H e year: Bill Nye’s VR Science Kit (Abacus Brands)
• VeH icle Of t H e year: LEGO Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car (LEGO Systems)
d eS tinati O n d elig H t
How to create a customer-enticing experience in your store
By ed avis
The Wizard’s Chest in Denver is a one-of-a-kind costume shop. People visit the store to explore the castle-like features, attend game-playing events, try out magic tricks and otherwise absorb the enchanting environment. And of course, they also buy things!
“Even back in the ‘80s when it first started, the original owners worked with a local designer to add flare and whimsy to
the décor of the store,” says Kevin Pohle, the store’s co-owner. “So, when you come in, it’s very engaging and visually stimulating.”
The Wizard’s Chest is a great example of a costume shop that is also a true destination. By making the store an exciting, fun place to visit, the owners of The Wizard’s Chest keep the cash register ringing.
Experts confirm the strategy: “Retailers that provide a strong customer experience or find a way to create a shopping experience that doubles as a medium of entertainment will make their stores a destination, attract and win shoppers and boost sales,” says Carlos Castelán, managing director of The Navio Group, a consulting firm that advises brick-andmortar stores how to improve customer experience.
SHOpper engagement
BeginS Wit H decOr
A fundamental element of making your store a true destination is shopper engagement. A trip to your store should be more than an opportunity to buy a costume — it should be an overall pleasurable experience your customers look forward to.
The experience often begins with décor. At The Wizard’s Chest, the fun begins as customers approach the store.
The exterior is painted purple and features prominent castlelike architectural elements such as elaborate masonry and fancy towers. What child, or fantasy-loving adult, could resist entering a space like that?
The experience continues as soon as the customer steps through the elaborate steel-grate front door. A fanciful tin wizard greets every customer in the foyer, and the castle theme
— painted stonework, faux topiary, suits of armor and such — continues throughout the store. An elaborate undersea mural draws customers’ eyes to a huge staircase leading to the lower level.
“It’s very engaging and busy and visually stimulating,” Pohle says of his store. “And it’s not always about the products on the shelves, because there are other things to look at as you’re wandering around. It’s art on the walls, and things that you can do, and the sense of touching and being able to play with the toys and games that we carry, in addition to just looking at them or reading the back of the box. So we’ve tried to create an immersive experience, as opposed to kind of a sterile, come in, read, buy, leave type of store.”
eVentS Build cOmmunity
A key aspect of costumer engagement for The Wizard’s Chest, and other stores that seek to build customer relationships beyond the sales transaction, is a commitment to events.
“Events are perfect for quieter sales periods and will further position your business as a destination rather than just a store, enticing customers to travel for the experience,” says Clare Jones,
outreach manager for Custom Neon, a manufacturer of LED
neon lights and signs.
The list of events a costume business could hold is nearly endless. Here are just a few:
• Make-up tutorials, especially before Halloween, Mardi Gras, or other holidays and events where people like to wear make-up
• Cosplay events, where participants can learn how to craft their own superhero costumes using fabric, accessories, and other items your store carries
• Zombie classes that teach attendees how to re-purpose old clothes into zombie outfits and how to apply Day of the Dead-type make-up
• Holiday decoration-making workshops (complete with a visit by Santa)
At The Wizard’s Chest, regular game-playing events are encouraged and supported, Pohle says. Popular games include Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon.
“We have a dedicated room that we have tables set up all day every day that people can come and play,” he explains. “We have a whole shelf of demo games that people can check out and play before they buy. There’s a community, a society of people that get together and play on a regular basis. It just adds to that sense of community and immersiveness that happens.”
The Wizard’s Chest is so well-known in the gaming community that they regularly host pre-release events for new games and tournaments. Those events attract an ever-growing number of potential customers.
“Every time that people come, they’re not buying something,” Pohle says. “But will they buy something maybe next time they come? Sure. Especially with some of those events, it’s more a matter of they want to come and play the stuff they have. They might have bought it somewhere else at another store, but it doesn’t matter because if you support the community then they will also usually find a way to support you. Even if you’re not their regular store, and they don’t buy everything from you, they’ll still find a way to buy a little something from you to continue that relationship.”
p ermanent attractiOnS
If you have space in your store, creating a permanent attraction or two may also help draw customers. For example, a haunted house would definitely attract customers, even outside of the Halloween season, as would a small museum of local curiosities or Ripley’s Believe it Or Not-like items.
At Wizard’s Chest, a year-around attraction is an “escape room.” Their website promotes the attraction this way: “Welcome to Kellar Kazam’s attic, filled with clocks and magical delights. Armed with only a pair of special glasses, you have to unravel the mystery of Kazam’s disappearance. Skilled
apprentices may unlock bonus challenges concealed among his personal effects. Are you worthy of carrying on his legacy?”
Two other permanent attractions at The Wizard’s Chest are special themed doors: a Tardis Door — a magical door popularized by the Dr. Who TV program — and a Moria Door, from J.R.R. Tolkein’s novels.
“We’ve tried to make the Tardis door and the Moria door interactive,” Pohle explains. “We sell wands that have a little magnet in the tip, and if you place it in the right place on the Tardis door, it will trigger a siren, an alarm that spins. And if you trigger the Moria door, it actually will light up. So we’re trying to add more of that interactive stuff that just adds
to the decor and atmosphere of the store, even though you’re not buying anything. They’re just there to have fun and play while you’re also here.”
p rOmOtiOn i nSide t H e StOre
An additional advantage of making your store a true destination location is that people will help you promote the store simply by word of mouth and social media posts. You can encourage that by setting up stations in your store that invite people to take Instagram-worthy photos — and make sure you include your Instagram hashtag nearby so they can tag you!
“A costume shop would boast a treasure trove of possibilities [for photos],” Jones says. “They can include ambient lighting and an insta-worthy branded photo backdrop where customers could snap themselves in outfits and tag directly to your socials. That way they’re advertising your store and product offerings free of charge!”
Of course, having interesting décor, sponsoring events, building community won’t help if your store doesn’t have a great selection of interesting, hard-to-find merchandise.
Give your customers an unforgettable experience combined with products they won’t find at the big box stores and you’ll succeed!
Ed Avis is the executive director of the NCA.
Kevin Pohle (left) with NCA Executive Director Ed Avis
B USINESS R EPORT
m a King t H e ca S e f O r cOS play
The National Costumers Association hosted a September webinar about cosplay. Led by NCA Director Ed Avis, the webinar featured panelists Neil Brozik, a master level cosplayer who now judges contests, hosts panels, and creates cosplays and props for other cosplayers; Kathy Sprague, owner of Safari Pearl in Moscow, Idaho; and Brandon Lilly, owner of The Life of The Party in Fort Collins, Colorado, whose business is the U.S. distributor for Cosplayflex molding material.
Here, The Costumer shares excerpts from the webinar, edited for space and clarity.
ed avis: Where do you normally source products?
neil Brozik: When we first started, we had to be very conscious about price. That meant we had to go for the low end and couldn’t hit local costume stores. As we started taking cosplay
more seriously, it became more about the quality and the service, so we started to become friends with costume shop owners with brick-and-mortar stores. We also started reaching out to online costume shop owners. When it comes down to needing things at the last-minute one, we may just hit the local shop to grab what we need. At that point, we’re going kit bashing — we run into our local thrift shop or costume shop, look for things that fit what we’re trying to design, buy two or three costumes, then combine those to get the look we want.
ea: is knowledge of cosplay important for a costume shop owner? and what should shops have for cosplayers?
nB: Knowledge is nice to have, but I don’t think it’s a requirement. What would be required is to know what conventions you have in your area.
What would I expect a costume shop to have? [It’s about] what they have behind the counter — the prosthetics, the makeup, the FX items, the right type of sealant, the right type of con-friendly paint. And I can’t say enough about the accessories. Yes, a lot of cosplayers will try to make their own — they can use a ThermoMorph, they can use various types of AVA foam and craft foam. But sometimes it’s a lot easier to get something you know you’re not going to have to spend time to make. And wigs are extremely important.
ea: tell us about the history of cosplay in your shops.
Kathy Sprague: I’m in a unique position because my store started as a comic bookstore, so we were doing Comicons. The store was about 10 years old when we started adding costumes, and that’s when cosplay started taking off.
Brandon lilly: The Life of the Party has been around for over 40 years. My wife and I took over in 2018, but we were cosplay customers before we purchased the store. First it was kind of a party store and then it was a Halloween store; we are really the ones that brought cosplay to it. We are still a year-round Halloween and costume store, but we’re becoming more and more known as a cosplay destination. It’s not even just cosplay [customers] going to conventions. It’s people who are doing little cosplay parties in their own houses that have really kind of started to bring this concept of cosplay into the mainstream market.
ea: What are some products you stock that are essential for your cosplay customers.
KS: For a [cosplay] retailer, wigs are your number one category. Bring in a $15 wig that’s cheap plastic. Bring in a $45 to $60 wig that’s nice. Then have your $100 wig that is exactly what
they want. We have picked up contact lenses because we do the comics as well. We sell a lot of manga. We look at the character designs and bring in wigs in those colors. West Bay has a line that’s really pretty good as far as cosplay and their color palette. We do a ton of stuff with Smithy’s because, in the one line, you can get the cheap wig and then go up to your mid-range. We’ve had really good luck with Rockstar. They have some lace front wigs that drag queens love. They do a Sailor Moon that is probably the best on the market. Look at the lingerie companies that have inexpensive body suits and teddies — those are good starting points, especially for female costumes. Look at foam swords, and the products customers need to make their own. We work closeout lists like Nero’s gun from an old Star Trek movie. Rubies had those.
HRC had them for just a couple of dollars…they were white and bright orange, so we primed them, put batteries in so they made noise, and we sold those for insane amounts of money. Steampunk is also huge in our area. When you’re setting up your store, put your steampunk next to your Western, because the Weird West was bigger than the standard Victorian in our area and there is crossover between those props.
Bl: Cosplayers are absolute masters of taking things that are one thing and turning them into something else. So base pieces are very, very important because you build on them. Accessories, same thing. And wigs are incredible. We’ve dedicated probably a good third of our 3,600-square-foot store to wigs. Kathy’s absolutely correct that the drag queens love Rockstar. The more hair, the more fibers you can get, the happier they are. We carry Cosplayflex, which is a thermoplastic — kind of a wood pulp EVA foam conglomerate that looks like a sheet of plastic. You heat it up with a heat gun and mold it into whatever you’re look-
Wigs and accessories are important for cosplay costumes like this one of Sailor Moon.
ing for — the Pip-Boy from Fallout 4, armor, helmets. We’ve got full suits of armor that have all been made out of Cosplayflex. A little later this year, we’re going to be releasing Cosplayflex Pebbles and Crystals that can be used to create clear plastics, or to form into jewelry and different pieces like that.
ea: What else do you do to serve the cosplay market?
Bl: We’ve started doing classes on how to cut wigs and sew them together. We work with our local conventions to show them our makeup first so they can be aware of how our customers have been taught to seal their makeup so they’re not going to get transfer all over a vendor’s product or somewhere where they’re sitting down and watching a panel.
We primarily carry Ben Nye and Mehron. We found those are just incredible for cons and for special effects. Classes are really important because they help us maintain a great relationship with local cons. It also helps to ensure that when someone comes in and has this idea of what they want, they can actually recreate it. We’re not going to sell grease paint and say, “Okay, here. Have fun. This will totally get you there.” Because it won’t.
KS: We have some master level costumers in our area, but kit bashing is the main thing we do because we’re in a college town, so a lot of these people are just starting out. My staff is incred ible at having somebody come in, looking at the image on their cellphone, then helping the customer throw that look together. We do a lot with the makeup. My wife and I do a monthly drag show. We do makeup classes for the drag queens. We do semi nars at the local cons. We also do staff training. We hire seasonal people for Halloween. With 35,000 college students in town and not even a Spirit store popping up, it’s crazy. The first year we did a training on the makeup with our seasonal people, our makeup sales for that season went up 35 percent. If your staff knows how to use the product and can sell it, you’re going to sell more.
We started with the drag community doing basic makeup. Now we’re doing special effects workshops and teaching college guys how to put on a basic face, shadow and contour. You’d be surprised how many guys are willing to sit down and learn because it’s going to make their cosplay better. We’re doing a sewing class this fall. One of our drag queens is going to teach people how to make some really basic items. We’ve even done a clinic on corset fitting. I would urge shop owners that if you’re going to do a class, charge for it and include the supplies. Make it worth your time because there’s nothing more frustrating than showing them how to do it and then have them go buy it on
Amazon. No! You’re going to buy it from me right now and I’ll show you how to use it.
Bl: Our big focus for 2023 is partnering with companies and businesses around us. We’re right next to a small craft brewery. They just rebuilt their upstairs. We’re doing a lot of classes upstairs and it includes a beer. There’s a local seamstress, a sewing shop, and she does a bunch of sewing classes — we’re going to be working with her. If she has a cosplayer come in who says, “I’m looking for this,” she can say, “Oh, you’ve got to go to The Life of the Party to get that.” We try to just partner with as many people as we can because it helps to establish a better business community. It ensures that we’re sending each other business as much as possible. And I agree with Kathy: They have to buy the product [from us] in order to take part in the class. Make it worth our time and yours and we’ll show you how to use the right product, not just some tissue paper and a YouTube hack that you found.
P RODUCT PARADE
dreamgirl international’s little red. Style 9477 “Little Red” is a detailed, two-piece dress and hooded cape set based on the classic fairytale. The gorgeous corset-style dress features a sweetheart neckline, underwire foam cups, pleated ruffles, embroidered heart trim, a lace-trimmed apron, and an attached petticoat. It pairs perfectly with the full-length satin hooded cape that’s included with the set. “Little Red” is available in sizes S-4X and is shown with Style 5218 Luna Gloves and Style 10342 Bow-Top Stockings, both sold separately. 323-268-0220 x 256; akeswani@dgbrands.com; www.dreamgirlofficial.com.
mehron’s fantasy fX formula. This revolutionary makeup glides onto the skin like cream makeup — but because it is water-based, it doesn’t have to be set with powder, and it removes easily with soap and water. The new 5 Pack Essential Set includes all the necessary Fantasy FX shades you and your customers need to create any look you and they can think up! 800-426-1700; sales@mehron.com; mehron.com.
ufO Jeans Hip Hop pants
Do your customers love Hip Hop? Would they love to be a Hip Hop star? Why not sell them a Halloween outfit they wear all year round with our UFO Kids Classic Wind Pant and UFO Kids Camo Wind Pant! These UFO pants are very comfortable, and they’re built with integrity. Kids love to wear them on the stage performing and on the street — so in addition to the costume they certainly get an extra bang for the buck! 212-226-5400; shop@ufocontemporary.com; www.ufojeans.com.
Sojourner cowboy Hats. Our Holographic Cowboy Hats are fun to wear at parties, discos, raves and more — during Halloween season and all year long! Made with EVA foam material, each Neon Cowboy Hat is designed to bring an iridescent, holographic shine to your outfit. Available in 8 fun colors for every event. Each color can make you stand out, bringing life to the party! contact@sojournerbags.com; sojournerbags.com
Sunnywood’s f lapper costumes and accessories. Sunnywood is here for all your flapper costume needs. Your customers can get the flapper look pictured here with our #448BK Sequin Flapper (XL, XXL, and XXXL), #4439BK Lace Gloves, and impressive #435BK Headpiece — all at a fabulous value, in stock and ready to ship! Ask us about our entire selection of costumes and accessories today. 815-675-9777; sunnywood.net.
NCA M ARKETPLACE
Advertising in the NCA Marketplace is $35 per issue (10% discount for NCA members). You will be billed upon publication; payment is due upon receipt. For full details, see the advertising contract available at www.costumers.org. Contact Ed Avis at 708-218-7755 or pub@costumers.org.
M Y F AVORITE C OSTUME
Greg and Chris Reinke
Reinke Brothers Costume Littleton, Colorado
It all started back in 1968, when two young boys hooked a shopping cart while fishing at a local watering hole. Greg and Chris Reinke took that cart home, cleaned it, then set up their first “haunted house” in the basement of their parents’ home. Borrowing a plaster skull from their older brother Don, and their father’s footlocker for a coffin, they built the walls with blankets hung from the rafters of their new empire. That Halloween, visitors paid a penny for the haunted tour, with Chris pushing the cart through the maze and Greg pulling strings to create movements that terrorized the customers.
Flash forward to 2022…
Those entrepreneurial brothers are the owners of Reinke Brothers Costume, a popular Halloween Superstore and 30+-room Halloween season Haunted Mansion in Littleton, Colorado. The business offers a complete selection of masks, wigs, and makeup; the largest selection of magic tricks and illusions in the Denver area; theatrical props and special effects lighting; and more than 20,000 costumes for sale or rent.
The Reinkes even have worked on props, costumes and sets for productions including The Shining, Maverick, Goonies, and Dinotopia
But ask Greg about one of his favorite costumes, and it isn’t one from any movie or TV series he’s worked on. It’s Mrs. Bird,
Big Bird’s mom, a costume he designed as a mascot for Rocky Mountain PBS in the 1970s.
“I was 17 and it was one of the first commercial products I ever sold,” Greg says. “I got a letter from Jim Henson giving me and Channel 6 permission to use the costume.”
Years later, that letter from the puppeteer who had created Big Bird saved the day.
“I got a cease-and-desist letter from Disney, who had acquired The Muppets,” Greg says. “But because I had the letter, they couldn’t do anything.”
Ends up the Reinkes and Channel 6 are the only ones in the country allowed to use Mrs. Bird!
No wonder it’s a favorite!
What is your favorite costume? To be considered for an upcoming My Favorite Costume profile, email Editor Kathleen Furore at kfurore@yahoo.com.
