Halloween, Costume & Party Show Wrap Up

I've just returned from the 23rd International Halloween, Costume and Party Show which took place in Rosemont, IL this past week. This is one of the largest annual shows that we attend every year to see what all of the manufacturers' costume lines for this year. So, it is our job to try and figure out now what will be popular for Halloween 2007. It's a tough job indeed! We look into the crystal ball, make and wish and throw the dice! Well, I can't say its that much of a crap shoot, since we have been doing this for quite a while now. I grew up in this business and my dad has been attending this Halloween Show since before it was a Halloween Show! It started out as a party and gift show with a few Halloween costume vendors and has grown and grown.

So, how do we decide now what costumes will be popular for Halloween? Well, movies and TV shows have a big influence in the popularity of Halloween costumes. If the manufacturers can get a license and make a good looking costume for a popular movie character, that is almost always a sure costume bet. This Halloween, you can expect to see lots of Spidermen running around, trying to catch some Halloween candy in their web. Other popular costumes will be characters from Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek, Harry Potter and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to name a few. Every year there are some new design twists on classic costume ideas that bring about updated witches, fairies and pirates with updated fashion looks. And then there are the sexy costumes. Sexy has taken over the costume industry in a big way. If you haven't noticed this over the past few Halloweens, you need to come out of your cave! Just about every costume manufacturer has a line of sexy costumes, so there are so many for us to choose from and wade through. Each company is trying to outdo the other; some have new designs and new ideas and some just keep removing fabric to make the costumes skimpier and skimpier. Soon they might just be left with a leaf, a string, and two sequins!

So, there is my update about this Halloween Show. I will ad some pics I took at the show as soon as i get them loaded on my computer here. In the mean time, let me know what costumes you all would like to see this Halloween. Our buying season ends in March, so I need to know soon!