Students can
go local to get
holiday stuff
Area merchants offer costumes, candy, tricks, treats
and more, especially places around downtown Eugene
Athena Ehnot
Freelance Reporter
Halloween is slowly creeping up and excited trick-or-treaters all
over are searching for the best costumes around. So, where do the
scariest goblins, witches and vampires score those crucial items that
set them apart from the rest?
Eugene is full of places to find fabulous costumes and Halloween
decor for the night of scary excitement. Whether your search is for a
ready-made costume or you want a do-it-yourself outfit, you’re sure to
find what you need if you just shop around.
The Halloween Super Store is a good place to find just about any
thing on your list. The store is owned by Spencer’s and is located at
1020 Green Acres Road. It has everything from doggie devil costumes
to pimp hats to animated gargoyles for the front porch.
“Kids are diggin’ Spiderman, and adults are really into pimps and hoes
this season,” said Kasey Rajkovic, an employee at the Super Store. The
store offers a large selections of ready-made Halloween outfits, with
prices ranging from about #2 to #60. Wigs, vampire teeth, gory limbs
and other festively grotesque items can add to any costume.
If you are one of the do-it-yourself types, there are several places to
get the items you need. Value Village Thrift Store, located at 555 W.
Centennial Blvd, is full of items, and sure to help students stay within
their budget.
“The prices are good,” said Hector Ramirez, a shopper at Value Vil
lage. Ramirez said he will be out on Halloween in his “Supa’ Fro” wig
and other accessories from the thrift store.
“I looked all around and found the best prices here,” he said.
Goodwill is another place Halloween bargain hunters can get their
costumes without hurting their bank accounts. With seven locations in
the Eugene-Springfield area, students are bound to find what they need.
“I combined the slightly used goods of Goodwill with some things I
found around the house,” said sophomore Stacy Borke, a journalism
major who plans to dress up as a pirate.
Other places to shop for Halloween gear are Delphina, located at
446 E. 13th Ave., Eugene Jeans Vintage Outlet at 132 E. 13th Ave.
and Buffalo Exchange Ltd., located at 131 E. Fifth Ave. You can also
rent costumes at Nobody’s Baby, located at 365 E. 13th Ave., where a
full costume rental costs #45 per day.
Athena Ehnot is a freelance writer for the Emerald.
Danielle Hickey Emerald
Last-minute costumes are abundant at Backstage Dancewear.
Costume
continued from page 2B
Walterscheid agreed.
He said most of his friends head straight
for the second-hand stores, as time pro
vides. So far, he hasn’t taken a first glance.
But he’s not too worried.
“I’ve been able to scrounge together cos
tumes a week before,” he said.
Anderson said the only people she knows
who seem all ready for Halloween are young
children, set to hit the streets for a night of
trick-or-treating. She said she’s been hearing
about soon-to-be witches and Power Rangers
for weeks now from children she knows.
Kathy Freedman, theatrical buyer for
Backstage Dancewear, said her store is pre
pared for the flood of shoppers right up until
the big day. The shop has been stocked with
everything from skull caps to vintage
hosiery and beyond.
“We’ve got military insignia from God
knows where,” Freedman said.
Although Halloween business has been
slow so far, she said in the past few years
more and more customers came through
looking for 1960s, ’70s and ‘80s fashions.
Keeping in tune with that theme, she said
Backstage Dancewear is prepared, with ele
phant bellbottoms, ruffled retro tuxedos and
“junk for joy” (used) clothes rounding out
the other costume selections for all shapes,
styles and sizes. For those brave enough, she
said, they’ve even got bodysuits.
“They’re made out of the most unbeliev
able polyester,” she said.
Freedman said costumes can range in
price, but a decent outfit can run about $30
to $40. Her best tip in finding the right cos
tume is for people to be a little adventurous.
“Use their imaginations,” she said. “If
they can come in a little early, they can do
just about anything,” she said.
But for those in the same boat as Ander
son and Walterscheid, there is still hope.
“For the people with $5 on Halloween
night,” she said, “we can help them too.”
Robin Weber is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.
ov/e of +b
r wore de+a
wwwjoes-arwexacorv*